chop wood carry records

Stockholm Hearts Detroit (even if it thinks it's Chicago)

2012-01-27T22:33:00.000-08:00

I had the good fortune to be in Stockholm last summer. Went out for work.

After I finished my work out there, I spent the weekend checking out some Museums and Record Stores.

I visited this Record Store called Pet Sounds. After being greeted in Swedish, and sheepishly admitting that I didn't speak the language. I had a chat with the record store clerk, who amiably switched to English for me.

He asks me where in the States I'm from, I say Chicago... the following dialogue ensues:

Clerk: "I love Juan Atkins!"

Me: (smiling) "I love him too, but he's from Detroit."

Clerk: "Oh! Right! Moodymann is awesome!"

Me: (smiling more) "I know, he's great. He's from Detroit too!"

(I'm glad he didn't mention Theo Parrish or it would've gotten really confusing, lol! I tick off the names of few chicago folks until I mention Marshall Jefferson and his eyes finally light up.)

Clerk: "Marshall Jefferson, Ten City! Great Stuff!"

It's great to see how much love Detroit gets, even when it's misplaced by a hundred miles or so :-)

5 Songs that made me stop the damn car!

2011-07-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

A musical top-5 list request was made by my musical brother Jason over at The League of Extraordinary Music Enthusiasts. I figured I'd answer the call in blog form

The request: Name 5 important songs in your lifetime and the memories attached to each.

This question was too much for me to chew, and I didn't want to take 3 weeks to reply to my fellow League members, so I narrowed it down to... "songs so good I had to stop the damn car!" (either figuratively or literally)

Ron Trent - Altered States - I have had more than a few transcendent moments on a dance floor, but hearing this in 1990... dropped by DJ Psycho Bitch at Shelter-Chicago... wow. I basically climbed the 20 foot wall in front of the DJ booth to ask her who the track was by. Those that know me know I'll still stop mid-conversation and run up on a DJ if something's tight ;-) [ car stop type: figurative ]

Erykah Badu - On and On - was driving down the street in Evanston when local DJ Legend Herb Kent dropped this a good 3 months before anyone in Chicago had it. I remember asking at the record store weekly about this song "On and On" by Erika something-or-other... this joint was just ridiculously unlike anything else out at the time.... with Ms. Badu channeling Billie like a mofo! You can't learn time like that... damn... y'all feel that? [ car stop type: literal ]

Big Pun feat. Fat Joe - Don't Wanna Be a Player no more - I was driving down the street in Detroit... at first I thought it was a local track and I was like "Oh sh!t, tha' D has some fresh hip-hop!" I think this song his hip-hop/r&b perfection... and, to my knowledge, no one has rocked castanets in a beat before or since! I'd also like to think I'm an honorary Puerto Rican when I sing along with the "Boricua, Morena" refrain! [ car stop type: literal ]

Kanye West - Jesus Walks - I think I was walking down the street in the Chi when someone drove by bumping this... might have been just a bit before College Dropout dropped... it was a local DJ who had been blessed with a promo. Might sound crazy, but the moment I heard it, I figured whoever made that song would be one of the biggest things ever. Mr. West is crazy and can act a fool, but you CAN NOT front on his production skills, son. Still amazed that this song got radio play (but in a way, I'm not... its hotness is self-evident and cannot be denied) [ car stop type: figurative ]

Sufjan Stevens - Chicago - Weren't expecting this I bet ;-) I'm eclectic, what?!? I have WXRT in Chicago to thank for this... was station scanning and caught this... major "stop the car moment". I forget which genre bucket Stevens gets put in, but this is some seriously good song writing... love the lyrics and the soft/loud dynamic. [ car stop type: literal ]

This list is by no means exhaustive, and I look forward to all the car-stoppers yet to be revealed...

Pocket Guide to the Wu Tang Clan

2011-05-13T19:15:00.001-07:00

(this post was prompted by a dear friend who's unfamiliar with The Wu and will be seeing them in concert soon...)

For me, the Wu Tang Era began in 1992... I was a DJ at my College radio station ( The NU Music, WNUR 89.3 baby! ) ... The custom at the station was that the program director would preview the new records and make comments on the record sleeve.

One day, A new 12" Single from a then-unknown group called "The Wu Tang Clan" was in the new-release stack. With one word written on the sleeve:

"dope."

The single was Protect Ya Neck. It's hard to overstate how much we loved this tune. Wu Tang Clan had 9 members... every member rapped on the track. And while "posse cuts" were nothing new in hip-hop. What *was* new was that EVERY one of those 8-9 group members delivered an EXCELLENT verse. Each individual voice and approach was distinctive, but the whole thing was just *so* damn unified & coherent and, well, dope. (to borrow our PD's description)

Turns out WNUR was not alone in loving the first single, it was a HUGE college radio hit all over the country. And then? Nothing. We were expecting a followup single, but a good 6 months passed without anything new from the Wu Tang. Oh well, one-hit wonders were (and are) quite common.

Then one day our station manager returned from the CMJ conference in New York with a rumor that a Wu Tang Clan album was coming out... no release date, but he'd heard from someone who'd heard from someone that an album was coming. Not to date myself, but this was in the early days of the internet... there was no real Web yet and email was far from common (hard to believe now, I know) so 3rd hand conversations from music conferences was how us hipsters got our information... positively quaint these days... But, was the rumor true? All of us music junkies at the station were intrigued to say the least.

For about two months straight, I asked my local record store every week:

"Y'all got that Wu Tang album yet?"

And finally in 1993, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) was released. These dudes were no one hit wonders. For my money, this album is the most awesome debut in the history of hip-hop.

Musically, they are unique in that they are truly a supergroup... releasing classic music together and, in equal measure if not greater, releasing classic music as individual artists.

The Wu are fascinating from the perspective of Hip-Hop as business, but if I get into that, this wouldn't be a pocket guide. Although Dan Charnas tells this angle of the story quite well in his book The Big Payback

The Wu Tang Pocket Playlist (roughly chronological... my super-favorites are in bold):

Wu Tang Clan - Protect Ya Neck (From: Enter The Wu Tang (36 Chambers) - 1993
members in order of appearance: Inspectah Deck, Raekwon, Method Man, U-God, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Ghostface Killah, RZA, GZA

Wu Tang Clan - Wu Tang Clan ain't Nothing to Fuck with (From: Enter The Wu Tang (36 Chambers) - 1993
members in order of appearance: RZA, Inspectah Deck, Method Man

Raekwon - Ice Cream (From: Only Build 4 Cuban Linx) - 1995
members in order of appearance: Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Cappadonna

GZA - Shadow Boxin - (From: Liquid Swords) - 1995
members in order of appearance: Method Man, GZA

Ol' Dirty Bastard - Shimmy Shimmy Ya (From: Ol' Dirty Bastard - Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version) - 1995

Wu Tang Clan - Triumph (From: Wu Tang Forever ) - 1997
members in order of appearance: Inspectah Deck, Method Man, Cappadonna, Ol' Dirty Bastard, U-God, RZA, GZA, Masta Killa, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon

Wu Tang Clan - Black Shampoo (From: Wu Tang Forever ) - 1997
members in order of appearance: U-God, Method Man

RZA - Samurai Showdown (From: Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai Soundtrack) - 1999

Raekwon - We Will Robb You (From: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. 2) - 2009
feat. Slick Rick - members in order of appearance: Raekwon, GZA, Masta Killa

(there is an audio companion to this post, just reach out to me if you'd like to listen to it)

5 Really, really well flipped samples (and Record Store Day 2011)

2011-04-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

This has not been the most productive record store week for me with regard to blog posts, in previous years I've tried to add a few top 5 lists leading up to the Big Day (which was yesterday 4/16/11). Could only squeeze out one post this year... c'est la vie.

This year's Top 5 list: 5 really, really well flipped samples

Sampling is a foundation of hip-hop... won't belabor that here, but what exactly does it mean for a sample to be "well flipped"? To me it means that a sample is:

a) used in an unexpected way... bringing out elements of the source material that might have been unconsidered or only hinted at in its original context, or

b) used in an obvious way, but so perfectly executed that you gain an appreciation for the source material, as if hearing it for the first time.

In no particular order, here's a list of 5 really, really well flipped samples, with links to listen to the tunes

Edie Brickell - What I Am sampled by Slow Down (Artist: Brand Nubian - Producer: Grand Puba, Brand Nubian)

Jackson 5 - I Want You Back sampled by H to the Izzo (Artist: Jay Z - Producer: Kanye West)

The Flamingos - I Only Have Eyes for You sampled by Zealots (Artist: The Fugees - Producer: The Fugees) This is perhaps my favorite of the list as the Fugees track places the source material in a completely different context. Also I think Lauryn Hill is as dope as she's ever been on this track.. I mean, come on... sings her own hook *and* drops a ridiculous verse? Bananas.

Soul II Soul - Back 2 Life Acapella sampled by Ha Ha (Slow Down) (Artist: Fat Joe - Producer: Scoop Deville)

Lou Reed - Take a Walk on the Wild Side sampled by Can I Kick It? (Artist: A Tribe Called Quest - Producer: A Tribe Called Quest)

Plus 1 more...

Stan Getz - Saudade Vem Correndo sampled by Runnin (Artist: The Pharcyde - Producer: Jay Dee)

This year's shop: Waterloo Records, Austin Texas

A standout shop in a town with a fair number of really good shops... I was honored to celebrate Record Store day here!

Things I copped from Waterloo Records:

Lucinda Williams - World Without Tears
Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
book: Last Shop Standing: Whatever Happened to the Record Store (by Graham Jones)
Waterloo T-Shirts (for me and the munchkin)

Bonus List: Bands I was hipped (or re-hipped) to by my Austin host Clint Bishop

Band of Horses
Songs:Ohia
Godspeed You Black Emperor

Classic Material: Luther Vandross - Promise Me

2011-02-14T18:14:00.000-08:00

Luther Vandross - Promise Me

Album: Forever, For Always, For Love (Epic, 1982)

As always with Classic Material, if you have to choose between listening & reading... listen!

Let me start by saying that I'm not one of those Luther fans who thinks he could do no wrong... the Dance with My Father single, for example.

But Luther Vandross made precious few missteps as an artist. He never had the Pop success of some of his contemporaries, but for fans of Soul and R&B, Luther is in a league with other "first name's" such as Stevie and Marvin.

While he was not too shabby with a mid or up-tempo jam, Luther was most beloved for his ballads. In fact he wrote or sang enough slow jams to populate at least two "Top 5" lists on that topic. On this Valentine's Day, I'd like to share one of these classics: Promise Me

An album cut from Vandross' 1982 LP Forever, For Always, for Love, Promise Me opens with an almost gospel styled intro of Luther's vocal and Piano. It's a tension building intro that resolves into a simple melody as the first verse begins. The entire arrangement is this awesome combination of sparseness and lushness. Simple melody, exquisitely spare backing work from the rhythm guitar & percussion... strings that Burt Bachrach would have to give props to... and great use of the bass, having it start the tune playing the lead melody and then shift into a rhythm role as the tune closes out. I get goosebumps everytime I listen.

I was super tempted to get into analyzing the "text" that is the song, parsing lyrics and all that, someone smack me if I ever do more than the bare minimum of that crap. Suffice it to say that within the space of 4:45, Luther's lyrics convey first unhappiness and uncertainty about the future, then hark back to the optimism of better days, and the song closes with the chorus "promise me..." repeated like a mantra. It is as classic of a "baby baby please" moment as ever I've heard in R&B. And the truth is, we don't know how the story ends, at least as far as the lyrics are concerned.

The masterful arrangement works to heighten this suspense... ascending minor key melodies are an important part of the tune, but in the verses, first chorus, and bridge, they resolve. Not so with the final chorus... along with the lyrical mantra, the ascending melodies are repeated, never resolving... heightening the tension, but in my opinion communicating an optimism that I like to think hints at happy ending after the fade out.

In my patented, Billy-Dee-Williams-works-everytime slow-jam playlist system, this is "prelude" song... building anticipation for the main event.

Let's be clear though, Luther has plenty of main event songs to choose from... but those, my friends, will be topics for another Valentine's day.

Chuck D: US Lags in Hip-Hop Dopeness

2011-01-06T21:09:00.000-08:00

Hat Tip to Grisel for hipping me to this open letter from Chuck D:

A key point that Grisel picked-up on was that "According to Chuck D, the rest of the world has surpassed the U.S. in hip hop skills (community activism, turntabilism, DJing, dancing, art, etc.)...."

I love Chuck D, I really do, and I think his point about "so many being pimped by so few" is legit. But on the purely artistic tip, I welcome other countries bringing their flavor to hip-hop and "surpassing" the US. Dope is dope, whether it's happening in Beijing, Accra, or Boise. And with all due respect to Chuck D's underlying social point, there's no musical arms race. And even if there were, as Q-Tip said: "competition's good, it brings out the vital parts..."

The story of 20th century popular music is basically a recurring cycle of new forms taking shape here in the US, then travelling around, influencing the world (and then coming back, influenced by the world). Jazz, Blues, Rhythm & Blues, Rock, and now, Hip-Hop. We've seen this movie before, and I think it has a happy ending.... Again, just talking musically here...

Hip-Hop is as mainstream as it gets... Jay Z's new albums get reviewed on NPR and he gets name checked in Miley Cyrus songs. (Full disclosure: Miley's Party in the USA is a guilty pleasure)

Hip-Hop belongs to the world. And as a pioneer, Chuck has earned the right to be crochety and sound ever so slightly like Stanley Crouch. But, Hip-Hop is not what's "next". It will no doubt inform the shape of things to come, but it is the present moment. I love it as much as the next guy, but it is the music of the establishment, sorry.

As far as what's next? I'm eternally psyched that some kids in Capetown, or in Seno, Laos might be cooking up the next musical shot-heard-round-the-world

What (not) to wear when climbing a mountain

2010-12-18T11:18:00.000-08:00

( With a hit tip to Serene, who actually writes a useful blog on running gear )

I'm visiting Montreal for the weekend. The last time I was here was about 7 years ago... from that visit, I fondly remembered taking in great views of the city from Mount Royal (or "The Mountain" / "Le Mont" as the locals call it).

Now, Le Mont isn't a "Mountain" mountain, but as hills go, it's pretty darn big. I decided I was going to take the bus to the summit. This is a pleasure trip after all, and walking up the mountain in the snow wasn't my idea of fun.

I set out and catch bus 1 of 2 for my trip. I almost miss my connecting stop, but don't. On bus #2, everything is looking good. The bus seems to be headed away from the mountain. I check with the driver and she assures me that we're headed up the mountain. She's correct, the bus just has a circuitous route.

After a while, we're headed up the mountain. Up up up we gradually go. I'm enjoying the snowy scene, people out jogging and cross country skiing. Me on the bus. Just the way god intended it! We keep going up and we hit a stretch of road with a great view of the city. I think to myself, "that's beautiful, I can't wait till we get to the top".

The bus makes a stop. Then, down down down we go. I wouldn't say I was panicked, but even though I'm from Illinois I understand the basic features of a hill... I missed the top, doh! I'm thinking there will be another stop soon, but, of course, the next stop is at the bottom of the mountain.

I get off the bus. I eye the mountain, the mountain eyes me. Bring it!

I begin my ascent. Lessons learned:

do not bring a laptop when climbing a mountain, unless it's Everest or K2 and you have sherpas with you.
do not sling your laptop bag over your shoulder, it pinches off air circulation under your coat and makes you get hotter
Slow down! If you try to walk a steep incline at your "level ground" walking pace, you're gonna kill yourself (or at least pass out)
Wear layers (I actually did this... I was removing my hat unzipping/rezipping my jackets for a degree of temperature control.. although I was still all sweaty when I got to the top.

I made it to the top. Well, probably not the technical summit... but it was the highest point the paved trails would take you I think. By the lord's sweet mercy, there is a chalet up here (that's right, I switched tenses, I'm like James Joyce, sucka!) so I've been able to get a vending machine breakfast... which reminds me

eat breakfast before you climb a mountain

A note about the chalet. There are paintings around the walls that depict the story of the development of Montreal from the "pioneer days". I can't help think of the show Parks & Recreation and their mural depicting the history of Pawnee indiana, a history of forced labor, conquest, and disease spreading, that the city fathers saw no problem with.

Ok, enough communing with nature... off to find a record store.

So, what do you love about music?

2010-12-12T19:18:00.000-08:00

One answer, courtesy of the Movie Almost Famous (which will likely make a "top 5 movies about music" list one of these days)

On the topic of "What is music worth to you?" There's a really good article about album pricing in this week's Chicago Reader.

What's An Album Worth? Miles Raymer, Chicago Reader - December 2010
CWCR archive of the article (in case the above link is broken)

5 Rock songs that are ruling my world right now

2010-04-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

Record Store Day is a mere 6 days away... let the listmania continue!

Lest you think I'm only about R&B and House music, here's a list of 5 rock songs that I'm loving... not all new by any stretch, but new is overrated.

Spoon - Trouble Comes Running

Spoon's been around for a good while, but I confess I didn't know them until Jaguar used "I turn my camera on" for a commercial. There's some consensus that they might be the best rock group in America, they're certainly consistent, and this song certainly rocks. (I'm particularly into the drumming... great vocals too) From the album "Transference"

Bat For Lashes - Good Love

I'd been reading/hearing the hipster buzz about her for a while, but a trusted source got me to actually listen to her (thanks Tonya!) This particular cut is moody, dreamy, and somewhat creepy. From the album "Two Suns". Love it.

Taken by Trees - Watch the Waves

Got hipped to this by WBEZ's world music show, Radio M. I'm somewhat cheating and calling this rock because of the vocalist Victoria Bergsman, who was lead singer of The Concretes and has done stuff with Peter, Bjorn & John. But in actuality, this cut is a great slice of downtempo with a noticeably funky feel, courtesy in large part of the Pakistani musicians she worked with in creating her latest album "East of Eden", from which this track is taken.

Tunng - Hustle

Great little ditty that came to my attention courtesy of Will over at Deadwax Records (thanks Will!) Love the video also. From the album, "And Then We Saw Land"

Dixie Chicks - Landslide

I guess I'm cheating again, as the Dixie Chicks are a country group... I claim an exemption given that they're covering a Fleetwood Mac tune. Lead singer Natalie Maines can sing, period... and this group's vocal harmonies stop me in my tracks. From the album, "Home".

I'd also highly recommend Shut up and Sing a documentary about the backlash against the group after Natalie Maines spoke out against George Bush and the Iraq War.

Top 5 Rap Songs with Piano in 'em

2010-04-04T13:40:00.000-07:00

Record Store Day 2010 is approaching soon ( Saturday, April 17th in case you were wondering ) so I pick up my traditon of "Top 5" lists in honor of the occasion.

My first list for this year is Top 5 rap songs with dope piano riffs

I cannot do a rap list without paying homage to the the definitive reference on the subject, Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists if you're a fan of hip-hop and great writing, this is a great book.

Ok, let's get into it:

Top 5 Rap Songs with Piano in 'em (in no particular order):

Common Sense - Resurrection
Producer: No ID
Album: Resurrection

This is just a classic track anyway and probably my favorite of the tunes in this list. Leaving aside Com's lyrics and flow, which were head and shoulders above the pack then and remain so now, No ID's production is the definition of jazzy hip-hop. The piano sample is from Ahmad Jamal's Dolphin Dance

Gang Starr - F.A.L.A
Producer: DJ Premier
Album: Hard to Earn

Guru really says it all in one of his lyrics on the track: "Suckas we wet to the sound of the dope piano..."

The basis of the sample is actually pretty brief, but it's flipped as only Primo can do it... the loop is chopped at an odd point in the phrase, and as it plays alone in the song's intro, it imparts a sense of being off-balance... and then of course the beat kicks in and the neck snapping commences. I'm reminded that Hard to Earn came out around the same time as the first Wu-Tang album... they have a similar sonic palette. I can't ID the sample, and I'm sure Primo would have it no other way!

Marley Marl - The Symphony
Producer: Marley Marl
Album: In Control Vol 1

Features rappers Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, & Big Daddy Kane. Not sure if this meets the technical definition of a posse-cut, but it's definitely a classic. Marley Marl conducts a clinic on how to make space in the mix... dropping out the piano riff strategically to give each rapper room on the track. Definitely a classic.

BDP - The Bridge is Over
Producer: Scott LaRock
Album: Criminal Minded

Actually a diss-track directed at Marley Marl and his Juice Crew, this is prototypical boom bap from BDP. Consisting of a beat machine, piano, and KRS-One's rhymes... you can't get any simpler. And in the lingo of the day, you couldn't get any more dope.

Jay Z feat. Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind

Producer: Shux

Album: The Blueprint 3

Interesting to listen to this one right after BDP, you can hear the growth of hip-hop from a raw style into capital-P pop (although some might argue whether this represents "growth"... let's just call it "development" and avoid the aesthetic argument, aight?) For my part, I think this is an awesome cut.

Honorable Mentions

Elliot Lipp feat Jasia 10 - I Don't Know

Producer: Elliot Lipp

Album: City Synthesis

The intro to this one is just awesome. Although not as well known as some the other producers in this post, Elliott Lipp is pretty badass. I love how the piano comes in and out of the track as other instruments pickup the melody. Jasia 10's direct and impeccable flow is a great counterpoint to the track's otherwise airy feel.

Talib Kweli - Get By
Producer: Kanye West
Album: Quality

Must admit I slept on this when it first came out... love it now. Talib's liner notes indicate he was in competion for with Pharoahe Monch and Mariah Carey for this track. I'm trying to imagine what Mariah would have done with this track. I'm glad brother Kweli got it first!

Gucci Mane - Lemonade

Producer: Bangladesh

Album: The State vs. Radric Davis

I think producer Bangladesh might be one of my favorites of the last few years (he also produced the beat for Mario's Break Up, which is just sick). He kills it again with this beat for Gucci Mane. This is a chopsticks interpolation that I'm sure would have Liberace bobbing his head. (note: the link is to the instrumental... not trying to diss Gucci Mane, but the lyrics and flow really don't deserve the beat)

Top 5 DJ sets / What I got for Record Store Day

2010-03-30T21:29:00.001-07:00

April 17th - Haight St. - San Francisco, CA

.. Well record store day is finally here, and through quite pleasant coincidence I'm writing this having just come from Amoeba San Francisco... I cannot think of a better place to have celebrated this holy day. In honor of the day, I'm hitting you with a double list

Top 5 DJ Sets I've Seen:

#5 - Lil Louie Vega - Winter Music Conference, Miami - 2001

Lil Louie Vega is a master of House... Great weather, amped Winter Music Conference Crowd. Great Set... on the roof of the Sony Building in South Beach, the location was just insane. Louie played a bunch of old school stuff in his set, including Fantasize Me an old school Chicago classic. It was at this point that I lost my sh!t. Good times.

#4 - Lovebug Starski and Pete Rock - Sonotheque, Chicago - 2007ish

Saw this set with my man Chris... If you ever have the opportunity to see Lovebug Starski spin, do it. You won't regret it. Famously name-checked by Biggie on the track "Juicy", Starski just turned Sonotheque into a straight up party! Rapping and Singing in addition to his spot-on song selection and cutting, he was amazing. After seeing him, I finally understood why so many east coast DJs talked on the mic so much during their sets (Funkmaster Flex, Kid Capri, and the like). Perhaps the highest compliment I can pay is that headliner Pete Rock seemed just "really good" in comparison... and Pete Rock is more than just really good.

3# - Gilles Peterson - Plastic People, London - 2001

I think it was Plastic People... it was some club near Picadilly Circus. Regardless, Gilles Peterson absolutely blew my mind. He provided a master class in song selection during his set, eclectic and wide ranging, but unerringly funky. He didn't mix. Let me say that again, he didn't mix. The idea of rocking a party without mixing songs was just a foreign concept to me. (I guess if I look back at the history of party DJing, it shouldn't be so foreign as it was commonplace before the 70s... but still!) I've also rarely seen a DJ in such control of the room. It was about a 2 hour set I think and no one left the floor.

#2 - Lil Louis - Medusa's, Chicago - 1987

This was the night I heard French Kiss for the first time (that track was officially released in 1989 or so, but Louis would play all sorts of unreleased stuff during his DJ Sets) Also making this a classic was the fact that Medusa's was a juice bar, basically a night club for the under 21 set (try doing that in Chicago today) so the energy of the crowd was just phenomenal. I should also say that Lil Louis was and is an extremely on point DJ. He killed it

#1 - Ron Hardy - The Music Box, Chicago - 1988

Number 1 with a bullet, baby. It's actually kind of interesting, if you listen to recordings of Ronnie's sets today, they have a raw feel to them... in the 20 plus years since he was on the scene, the technique of DJing has advanced and become more polished. Ronnie went beyond technique like Jackson Pollock or something. I've heard many many great sets since 1988, but none has ever captured every ounce of my being in the way that Ronnie did on this night. Mind you, this was just a regular night at the box. The influence that Ron Hardy had on many of the early House DJs and producers... and just lovers of House music... is just phenomenal. The flashbulb memory I have of this night is that after playing ridiculously deep and banging house for several hours, he then proceeds to drop Ice T's L.G.B.N.A.F ... it was just the most unexpected, yet most perfect selection... we all went nuts. He's a big reason why I started DJing and have spent so much time in record stores over the years. Which brings me to...

What I got for Record Store Day

- Amoeba Records Hoodie
- Freeway and Jake One: The Stimulus Package
- D'Angelo, Raphael Saadiq, Q-Tip: Lynwood Rose
- The Oscar Peterson Trio: We Get Requests (thanks to Bobby Newton for hipping me to this)
- The White Stripes: The White Stripes
- Wang Chung: To Live and Die in L.A.
- Anita O'Day: Anita O'Day's finest hour
- Weezer: The Blue Album
- Meshell Ndegeocello: Devil's Halo

Metal Haven... I had no idea...

2010-02-15T19:37:00.000-08:00

That a record store is going out of business isn't exactly front-page news these days, but I thought this profile in the Chicago Reader was interesting... mostly because I pride myself on being up on record stores and I had no idea this store even existed!

I guess I shouldn't be too shocked, the store is a Metal specialist and my Metal knowledge is limited mostly to Metallica's 1991 "Metallica" album, the one with "enter sandman" on it. I watch Dethklok on Cartoon Network (unsure if that counts for much). And I've been known to listen to Mastodon, but it ain't my area of expertise.

Still, a store winding down, whatever the genre, deserves a moment of silence... Now where is that Metallica CD?

Reports of the SL-1200's death...

2009-12-04T20:23:00.001-08:00

...may or may not have been greatly exaggerated,

Caught this link from DanceTracks Digital today

DanceTracks News, Technics Not Dead Yet

Great post... far from a nostalgia piece, they do a great job of describing the SL-1200's importance in the development of DJing and looking forward to the importance that newer digital technology will continue to have on the artform.

All that said, I'll indulge in a brief bit of nostalgia... I often refer to the day I bought my "12s" as the second happiest day of my life (with the birth of my daughter being the first). I remember every detail like it was yesterday... rolling into Guitar Center on Halsted in Chicago with a *plenty* of credit on my plastic. I did it big! Two 12s, bright red flight cases... man, I'm tearing up just thinking about it. Must have been '95 or '96, maybe a bit later.

At this point I'd been DJing for many years, but usually belt drive turntables. (Gemini XL BD-10s for those who care) I briefly had a pair of used 12s that I bought when I was in college (thanks Romaine!). I had *no* business buying that pair, and sold them when I "got out" of DJing. But, this pair was mine, I was a grown ass man, and they weren't ever going to be sold back (and they haven't been!)

I guess I must have driven home, but I don't remember it... I remember buying them, then I remember being back at my apartment setting them up. They've been trusty companions ever since. And just to show you how weird I am... I will put a promo sticker on just about any available surface, but never on my red flight-cases, big stars have the "only blue M&Ms" thing, I guess I have this...

Classic Material: Eddie Kendricks - He's A Friend

2009-12-01T19:56:00.000-08:00

pressed for time? just listen to the tune... hearing music is way more important than reading about it!

If you have a few minutes... please allow me to share.

Taken as a whole, I think that American popular music is a human achievement that stands up there with the Pyramids and the Library at Alexandria. It is truly, truly majestic. You can't talk about American popular music without talking about the music of Black Americans... and you can't talk about the music of Black Americans without talking about the influence of religious music such as spirituals and gospel.

Now, before you go thinking I'm about to write about Buildin' me a home or Get Away Jordan, I'm not. (Not that there's a damn thing wrong with talking about either of those songs, mind you)

No, I mention gospel because it provides the thematic underpinning for Eddie Kendricks' deep-house banger He's A Friend.

The title track of Kendricks' 1976 Tamla/Motown album, He's A Friend is a wonderful blend of the Philly Soul and Mid-period Motown vibes. That I call it a deep-house banger speaks to my own initial exposure to the tune. Although it rose to #2 on the Billboard R&B chart in the year it was released, I was about 5 years old then... so it didn't enter my consciousness until I was a teenager and heard Ron Hardy bang it at the Warehouse in the late 80s... it's what us DJ types would call a "5am track"... the track you'd play when only the hardest of hardcore dancers were on the floor. Interestingly, it seems that a lot of 5am tracks have a spiritual/gospel flavor. Maybe it's something about celebrations and sunrise... I remember my mom and her friends sitting around singing church songs in our living room at 5 or 6 in the morning after her and my step-dad's world-famous halloween parties (which I DJed, thank you very much).

But, back to the matter at hand... although Jesus and/or God never get shouted out by name, by the end of the first verse, there's no doubt about the "He" that's being referred to. It's an easy pun, but it is truly an inspired vocal performance by Eddie Kendricks.

Vocals alone do not a classic make however, and producer/arranger/guitarist Norman Harris and the other players on the tune lay down an absolutely killer groove. Soaring string and horn arrangements are anchored by a rock solid rhythm section... for the life of me I'm still trying to figure out how the drummer can be locked-in and swing like that at the same time... guess that's why I'm a DJ and not a drummer! Don't even get me started on the rhythm guitar work. This thing has a bridge (2:17) that lesser songs would kill for as their main theme. And the break (3:29)... my god, the break... well, if I were ever in a debate about the why disco edits are wonderful things... this break would be the only argument I'd need.

If you take the time to dig into the biographies below, you won't be surprised by the massive number of hits the personnel have contributed to. Classic.

Eddie Kendricks - He's a Friend
From Album "He's A Friend" Tamla/Motown 1976 T6-343S1

Written by: Allan Felder, Bruce Gray, T.G. Conway
Produced & Arranged by: Norman Harris

Players:
Earl Young - Drums
Norman Harris - Guitar
Vincent Montana - Vibes (note: my ears don't hear vibes on the track, but Montana's a multi-instrumentalist and I just know in my heart-of-hearts he played on this)
Allan Felder - Percussion
Ron "Have Mercy" Kersey - Keyboards
Don Renaldo - Strings, Horns

Biographies:

Norman Harris

Vince Montana

Allan Felder

Earl Young

You know it's time to catalog your records when...

2009-11-03T20:36:00.000-08:00

1) You are listening to a mix and hear this absolutely sick track

2) You note the track and then spend the better part of 45 minutes trying to find it online

3) You're looking through your collection for totally unrelated stuff and realize you already have the track!

That's when you know it's time to catalog your record collection.

The track, you ask? "Cocktail Lounge" by Brother to Brother (Paul Johnson & Gant Garrard) - Dusttraxx, 1999

Chicago Record Stores: Mr. Peabody's

2009-10-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

I know I'm sounding like a broken record (bad pun *not* intended.. but there you go) but Chicago is an absolutely awesome city for record stores.

This was reinforced by my visit to Mr. Peabody's out on the South Side, or "South Siiiiiide!" as we native sons say :-) First, I must tell you that I thought Mr. Peabody's had taken over operations from Beverly Records, a south side institution that opened in the 60s. I figured that we were at least treading water in keeping record stores around in the city...Beverly Records gone, Mr. Peabody's arrives, and so goes the circle of life.

Imagine my surprise to learn that Beverly Records was still around and going strong (it'd been forever since I'd been over that way, so I conflated the addresses)
A twofer, sweet... I'll write about Beverly Records in a separate post

Back to Mr. Peabody's... I loved the interior! Decorative records all over the walls... a huge autograph wall on one side of the store.... and the records, oh my.

I was in there for maybe 30 seconds when one of the proprietors drops this wicked mix of Dee-Lite's Good Beat (House heads might think it sounds familiar, the remix is by Pal Joey who did certified-classic Hot Music) Anyways, I snagged the dee lite right away.

I also picked up a couple of other things:

Gonna take a miracle, by Laura Nyro and Labelle
Outline, by Gino Socio

Had a nice chat with Mark Grusane, one of the owners. He helped me ID a track I'd been looking for forever (Sylvester's "I Need You")

A great store holding things down on the far south side!

Mr. Peabody's Records: http://www.mrpeabodyrecords.com/

Humbled (and inspired!) by the Immigrant Work Ethic

2009-09-23T21:06:00.000-07:00

( this is why it's good to go through your archived files every so often... I stumbled across this note I wrote to myself back in 2007... posting it here mostly so I don't lose it again. )

So, I'm having lunch today at Noodles & Co. and I see this guy who looks familiar. Hispanic guy. He's having lunch too and it looks like he works at the restaurant. He might be a cook (they appear to have different color baseball caps than the "front of house" staff )

I look a little more closely and recognize where I know him from. I see him four days a week because he *also* works nights cleaning up the offices at the client site where I'm working. I'm pretty sure he's an immigrant, based on his english in the various exchanges I've had with him, which consist mostly of smiling and nodding...

As I look at this man eating his lunch, all my reasons (read: excuses) for why *my* life goals aren't farther along ring especially hollow. I can take care of my family with *one* job, so what is my excuse for not being farther along that I'd like to be in terms of life goals?

I'll spare you the torture of reading more of my introspection, but I was humbled... and I am inspired. I'm inspired because of a self-image that *knows* that I'm cut from the same cloth as this man. I've always known this, I've been watching my Grandparents and Parents striving and working their asses off for all of my life. But I guess sometimes you just need to see it with a degree of separation to be reminded... So they next time I thank this guy for getting my wastebasket at 6:30pm, I'll be thanking him for much more than that.

I'm not assuming this dude is undocumented... and I'm ambivalent about many aspects of the immigration debate here in the States, but we are *so* in-trouble down the road if we make it any harder for people like this to come here (from wherever!)

Chicago Record Stores: Dave's Records

2009-09-16T14:37:00.000-07:00

This installment in the Chicago Record Stores series will focus on Dave's records.

Definitely one of my favorite record stores in the city, Dave's is *truly* a "record" store. That is, it's all vinyl, no cds!

Now, I'm not hatin' on CDs, whatever carries the good tunes works for me, but there is much to be admired in the purity of Dave's approach.

While you might assume that because of the "vinyl purist" approach, the shop would be snooty, but nothing could be further from the truth.

The proprietor Dave has been in the music business for 25+ years and is a wealth of knowledge. Whenever I'm there, he always has great suggestions for me (and dammit, I always leave spending more than I'd planned!)

There was a period in my collecting where I was easily there once a week. I've become a less frequent visitor since, but my recent trip has reminded my of the place's awesomeness. Although Dave's focus is music, it is a strong case for why independent retail should not perish from the earth, to paraphrase Abe Lincoln (right about now, Dave would be finding some Abe Lincoln themed spoken word album to blow my mind with.... word!)

The Dance Music Space-Time Continuum

2009-08-17T16:58:00.000-07:00

It's always been an interesting feature of Dance Music that trends and what's hot/not move very quickly. Although downloads now make this a feature of just about every genre, this was the case with Dance/Electronica when Vinyl/CD were the main formats.

I think that this trend has only accelerated for Dance music now that digital files are so prevalent and many (but certainly not all) DJs are playing out with digital rigs such as Serato, etc.

By way of example, up until yesterday I thought I was somewhat up on the latest tunes, until Beatport and Resident Advisor whacked me upside the head with how behind the curve I am. Of the 50 Tunes in their July Chart, I recognized about 7 artists (15% if you're keeping score at home). That really should be between 90-100%... gotta get my weight up!

Oh, the space-time continuum thing? Seeing how rapidly I got "out of date" made me think of Einstein's description of how time slows down as one approaches the speed of light, something about growing old very slowly... I'm down with that, don't close the spaceship door!

On a slightly different tangent, here's some interesting industry analysis from New Music Strategies

Record Stores in the Movies

2009-04-16T22:48:00.001-07:00

It's Record Store Day Eve, I'm *so* excited :-)

Here's a quick list of some of my favorite record store moments from the Silver Screen

High Fidelity: Jack Black as a snarky record store clerk... John Cusack as the store owner... more great lines than I have time to recount. I still need to read the book by Nick Hornsby. The Cusack character is who I aspire to be (minus the relationship issues)

Empire Records: Plot isn't this film's strong suit, but the main setting is the coolest imaginary record store ever! Liv Tyler and Renee Zellweger don't hurt either.

- - - Honorable mentions - - -

Love Jones: Dr. Wax from Hyde Park is name-checked, although the record store scene occurs in some other store. As an aside, if you want to see some sexy black folks (of either gender) this is good choice.. Nia Long & Lawrenz Tate star... it's a pretty good love story. The soundtrack is killer, highly recommended.

Mo Betta Blues: The scene where Wesley Snipes' character tries to kick-it to Cynda Williams' character is cool. I'd cut my record shopping short if Cynda Williams was waiting on me.

I am Legend: Huh? You heard me... This movie proves that like cockroaches, record stores will still be around even in a post-apocalyptic nightmare vision of NYC.

All Time Top 5 Albums (for now)

2009-04-15T14:11:00.000-07:00

Record Store Day is this saturday, and I like to celebrate it kwanzaa-style, lighting a candle of record-love for a few days before the big event.

So... my all-time top 5 albums (in no particular order)

- Songs in the Key of Life, Stevie Wonder
- A Love Supreme, John Coltrane
- Remedy, Basement Jaxx
- Fear of a Black Planet, Public Enemy
- Kind of Blue, Miles Davis

Now, if I were stranded on a desert island, I'd probably wish for a solar powered iPod... but if I only had a solar powered record player and 5 records, these would be the ones.

Caveats: Top 5 lists are ridiculous... Limiting to only 5 forces me to ignore vast swaths of the musical landscape... no Rock? No classical? No "world" music? ridiculous.

I engage in the top 5 ritual in honor of Record Store Day (and the film High Fidelity) ...and Comic Book Guy.

Whiny Musicians / Good Documentary

2009-03-24T19:47:00.000-07:00

I recently had a chance to check out the 2005 documentary Before the Music Dies courtesy of hulu.com it's a pretty decent film.

The general topic is the sad state of "big music" (circa 2005). Although the film is a few years old, the general description of the prevailing trends in the industry remains accurate.

Some things that made me chuckle

Good musicians' tendency to think they're particularly insightful and/or profound as commentators: Lots of big names in this one commenting on things... Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews, Eryka Badu, Questlove, Branford Marsalis, Bonnie Rait, etc. Let's just say that not everyone was equally deserving of camera time (although Badu was pretty funny)

How the more things change, the more they stay the same: I found it humorous how all these "serious artists" bemoaned the manufactured pop stars of the present day... how it's all about image and not about the music! This of course ignores the fact the pop stars have been "manufactured" since the dawn of recorded music. It's probably the same way our great grandparents talked about Fats Domino and our grandparents talked about Elvis... I know it's the way my parents talked about Run DMC!

There was interesting commentary from former major label record executives and the film also spent some time profiling Doyle Bramhall II... a Blues Rock artist who was a great example of a major label "failure" who's achieved critical acclaim and a solid career.

The highest points in the film are when the artists talk about what motivates them to do what they do, including particularly transcendent scene where an older blues man talks about his love for playin' the blues. I'd definitely recommend it for artists and students of the industry (which I think most "serious artists" should be!).

Digging is dead, long live digging

2009-03-04T00:40:00.000-08:00

I'm working on putting together a deep house mix for my Mom... in the course of pulling together a rough playlist I've been adding a fair number of tunes to my wantlist... listening to a bunch of Ron Hardy mixes from back in the day "the day" being the mid-to-late 80's (props to Gridface and Sueno Martino for the great resource, highly recommended)

I'm noticing an interesting phenomenon... as I run across tracks that I don't have, I'll google them... and at least 50% of the time if not more, they're available on youtube. Now I love my vinyl, but that's friggin awesome! I know, it's also illegal, but hell... so were the re-press bootlegs of disco classics... and those would still be hard to find! and anyway, I'm the poster child for digital music availability stimulating demand for physical product.

I'd probably not be so geeked about it if I didn't have Serato Scratch as part of my setup... but I do, so I am.

I do however ponder the fate of the physical record collection as a signifier of one's love of music ...dare I say connoisseurship? They'll pry my vinyl from my cold dead hands (thanks to a traumatic early adulthood record collection liquidation that's too painful to recount now)... but let's be real, my collection has always been utilitarian... it's not like I've got a bunch of 8-track tapes sitting around.

So, vive la Youtube! (Unless it's my intellectual property, in which case, where my lawyers at?!?)

Chicago Record Stores: George's Music Room - Out of the Past Records

2009-02-07T16:18:00.000-08:00

Started on the photo essay project. After some hemming and hawing, the warm weather convinced me to leave the crib and start visiting (and revisiting) shops to take some snaps. Before getting into the store details, I've noticed that two stores a day seems to be a comfortable pace. So, what I thought would be 1 or 2 posts will in all likelihood be an ongoing series. I guess that's good for my blogging frequency!

George's Music Room (RIP?)

Made it out to George's around 3:45pm and they were closed... on a Saturday? I could see promo materials inside, but it was too dark to see if they were still carrying product. There as also a PODS container in the back... not a good sign. Going to try contact them by phone this week and will report what I find out. (I did take a couple of pix of one of DZine's murals (before he got all "high art" on us! just kiddin' bro!)

Out of the Past Records

Took the bus up Pulaski to Madison and started walking West (about 5 blocks to Out of the Past). Wow, this stretch of Madison is a rough neighborhood! I grew up on the South Side in a somewhat rough neighborhood and I felt like a white kid from the suburbs. It's been a minute since I've seen folks on the street selling loose "squares" (cigarettes, if you were wondering). I'm not kidding, I think I saw about three drug deals (not to mention the brother drinking beer on the bus on the way back). But, I also saw an 11 year old girl proudly carrying her framed Barack Obama poster home from the store... the juxtaposition gave the "Change" campaign slogan some powerful resonance for me.

Was I on an Obama tangent? My bad... Back to the store. You know good things are in store when Kool & The Gang's Summer Madness is playing through a speaker on the sidewalk as you walk up! Amazing amounts of records... I walked in and in 2 minutes had found the group Change's 2nd Album Miracles (R&B fans will be aware of their first LP, Change which contained the classics A Lovers Holiday, usually referred to as just "Holiday" and Glow of Love... "Glow of Love" featured a then young and unknown singer named Luther Vandross who just... puts. it. down!). So, I immediately broke my "no purchases!" rule, but I was highly disciplined otherwise (full disclosure: I also bought a poster of the Maxwell St. Market (aka "Jew Town" as we called it back when I was growing up.)

Everyone was helpful a the store, there were folks hanging out, a little kid in there (who stayed underfoot... watch out, little man!). Great vibe. The kicker? These guys probably have close to a hundred thousand records and their online presence? Under construction... Hey, I know a bit of computer stuff... I smell a barter arrangement down the road!

Spoiled for Choice - Chicago Record Stores

2009-02-05T22:46:00.000-08:00

Inspired by a book I recently read, I'm planning on getting around town to take some pictures of the remaining independent record stores in Chicago.

figured it'd be a fun little project for my upcoming Zoe-less weekend. As I started compiling my list of places to hit, I figured I'd be able to knock it out in a day. I was happily wrong... It's going to be a two to three day project! (despite the dire straits of the mainstream record industry, we've still got over 50 independent retailers holding it down in the Chi)

Granted, this map will probably be a little less crowded next year... but then again, it may be *more* crowded... stranger things have happened.

Anyways, the map-points on the South Side are the target for Saturday, I just have to keep telling myself: pictures only! no buying! (a brotha's got some personal IMF-style austerity measures going on)