Dig.Deep.Music

Don't worry, we'll be back soon...

2008-03-16T19:10:00.000-07:00

let Duffy soothe you in the meantime:

Laura Lopez-Castro is a...

2007-12-12T19:16:00.000-08:00

slow burn, which will make you want to slow down the afternoon, enjoy the sun and simply watch the dust swirl just inside the window. Laura, and trusty side-kick Don Philippe on guitar, have a way of hovering just within a breeze of melody with never quite getting swept along. This produces an eerie sense of stillness that captivates the listener's soul, even if you do not understand any Spanish.
Laura Lopez-Castro is originally a trained flamenco dancer and Don Philippe is active in the German hip-hop scene but when they get together their creation is greater than the sum of its parts. This is beautiful moving acoustic music that takes you out of your day and puts you into the hushed and soothing world of Laura Lopez-Castro.

Listen to Soledad:

Check her albums out digitally here:

Get her albums physically here.

The Heliocentrics orbit the...

2007-10-11T19:00:00.000-07:00

planet Funk in the galaxy Cosmic-ancestral-jazz not far from the Hip-Hop nebula, which gives off a aesthetic vibe with a transcendent glow. You may not have heard of this destination because it is pretty far Out There . Come to think of it, you can only journey there through the sounds of this record. It is a journey that unfolds in the depths of your mind and transverses the cosmos by way of your synapses. Your intergalactic captain will be esteemed drummer Malcolm Catto, which you may know from his work with Yesterday's New Quintet, along with his forward looking crew.
Saddle up, bring you funky mind, and enjoy the ride.

Buy digitally:

Buy physically here.

Listen to Distant Star:

Listen to A World of Masks:

G&D bring their Message...

2007-09-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

to your universe with spaced-outed "fonk" that celebrates the individual's ability for self-improvement and ability to live at peace with everyone around them. Georgia Anne Muldrow and Dudley Perkins have teamed up to give you a wake up call on their debut The Message Uni Versa, an album that is about, in Muldrow's words, "bringing the message of life to your speakers, promoting healing, understanding, listening, and all of that."
Some may remember Dudley from the two albums he did with Madlib at the helm. Dudley's voice had a raw harmonic dissonance that took some getting use to, so you either dug or loathed the albums.
Dudley's voice also projects a strong heart and warmth, and it's used to the benefit the Message Uni Versa, most obviously on the track The Message. Dudley's down-to-earth vocals also work in reigning in Muldrow's cosmic melodies, preventing them from forever being lost in outer space. Overall, they balance each other out in a perfect union that propels both their individual talents into new and wondrous stratospheres.
With a little Parliament/Funkadelic planetary hopping, some honest and rational hippie waxing, and a whole lot of nostalgic soul, G&D take you on a trip in their mothership and give you hope that puts a dip in your hip and a glide in your stride. Check them out!

Listen to War Drums:

Buy Digitally Here:

Buy the CD here.

Shape of Broad Minds is...

2007-09-11T18:07:00.000-07:00

Jneiro Jarel's (aka Dr. Who Dat) newest attempt at extending the vocabulary of the independent world of avant-garde hip-hop. Supposedly we are to believe that there are five different members in Shape of Broad Minds, yet after a quick glance at the promo group photos, it is obvious that SOBM consist of Jneiro Jarel, his already established alter-ego Dr. Who Dat, and two new alter-egos: Rocque Wun and Panama Black. The only other real, living and breathing member of the group is Jawaad.
Jneiro's previous work has been compared to everyone from Roy Ayers to Madlib, even garnering comparisons to Jimi Hendrix (maybe in scope). SOBM builds on these influences and succeeds in bringing together elements from many genres. It is done so well, in fact, that after listening to the whole album you feel as if you've received an aural lesson in popular radio dating back to 1966. Of course, this makes sense since their album is entitled Craft of the Lost Art. The title is aptly chosen because the album spans across many genres, past and present. The "lost art" seems to be the aesthetic intent in which the artist simply wants the craft to speak for itself. In the world of hip-hop, this is what separates the mainstreams from the independents.

Listen to Stiff Robots & Drunken Horses:

Buy digitally here:

Buy CD and special edition LP here.

The sound of The Politik...

2007-08-20T11:22:00.000-07:00

is deep, with varying degrees of brilliance emerging from the collaborations. Bembé Segué and Mark de Clive-Lowe, the two artists behind The Politik, came together from shared worlds. They both have helped craft some of the most beautiful music that you may not have heard, unless you're really up on your music. Think of 4Hero, Silhouette Brown, Platinum Pied Pipers, and Masters At Work and you’ll get a mental image of what you're in for with this one.
MdCL & Segue have received radio support and media praise as well, with Los Angeles taste maker Garth Trinidad of KCRW giving “Money (Don’t Let It Catch Ya)” lots of burn. Okayplayer.com call the group "fresh air in a business filled with copycats and unoriginal offerings." with many more magazines and music writers diggin' the sounds. You will too, soon as you give it a honest listen.

Listen to the track Black Sun:

Buy digitally here:

Buy hard copy here.

Check out an older collaboration between MdCL and Bembe:

Melvin Jackson funked our skulls but...

2007-08-01T10:03:00.001-07:00

just once, back in 1969. Spending most of his time has Eddie Harris' bass player Jackson ventured out just once to record what is now a jazz/funk classic, Funky Skull. He brought with him some up and coming players and heavy hitters such as Pete Cosey and Phil Upchurch on guitar, Lester Bowie on trumpet, and Roscoe Mitchell on saxophone.
Funky Skull in a way was a prophetic predecessor to the cosmic explorations the jazz/funk genre took on in the 1970s. Running his acoustic bass through different effects and at times bowing his bass, Jackson created cosmic jams, such as Everybody Loves My Baby and Dance of the Dervish, that sounded as if they were played by the house band for the grooviest cafe on the moon. Jackson, however, kept it funky at all times and the rest of the album is a nod to both his time with Eddie Harris, mixing soul-jazz with the new confident funk of James Brown.

Listen to Funky Skull Pts 1 & 2:

Buy here.

Check out some Eddie Harris to see where he was coming from:

Japan is saiko for jazz/funk collectives...

2007-07-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

where many bands are reviving the sounds of late '60s funk with renewed energy and imagination.

First and foremost is Osaka Monaurail, a nine piece funk collective carrying the James Brown-school-of-funk torch brighter than any homegrown bands at the moment. So good are they that the have become the back-up band for James Brown's Soul-Sister No.1, Marva Whitney, playing on her 2007 comeback album, I Am What I Am.
Formed in 1992, Monaurail spent much of their time playing clubs and bars, changing line-ups, and becoming instrumental in bringing the funk culture to Japan. Going so far as lead singer and leader Nakata buying the rights to the movies Superfly and Coffy, and re-releasing them in theaters in 1999. It wasn't until 2000 that they finally got to release their first album, What It Is...What It Was, which title I believe sums up their funk philosophy.

Check out their video for Quicksand:

Another jazz/funk collective from Japan is Soil & Pimp Sessions, a six-piece high energy band who sounds as if they are a full-piece jazz big band playing on stage with Parliament; looking as if they were once cowboy gangsters who didn't know such types used guns instead of saxophones and guitars. They are known for their aggressive yet extremely entertaining performances with the belief that full audience participation is essential, to the point that the band leader does not play an instrument yet is nicknamed the "agitator" for his role in keeping the audience enthralled to the last note. A true pimp indeed.

Check out this nice documentary/live footage:

Last, but not least, is a band of nine we know very little about, Susie9. Primarily because none of us know how to read Japanese. But from what we heard this band sounds like a juiced up, more fun, and jazz based No Doubt. They are not necessarily re-imagining any 60s funk or jazz but they fit in nicely with these other bands in that they know how to have fun and are good musicians. They even have a keyboard player who wears nothing but a diaper on stage. If you can read Japanese (good practice Sean) you can listen and buy their albums here.

If you would like information on the Japanese print above (we don't pick them randomly) click here.

This post is dedicated to Kuga (one funky kid) and Keiko (the saiko mom).

It has been done...

2007-06-24T20:42:00.000-07:00

the first digdeepmusic.net podcast is ready for you ears. This episode is a meditation of sorts on the individuals place in the world and the ways in which we define meaning. This theme is subtle, maybe a little abstract, and at times only comes to light in the progression from song to song. Here is want its maker, TEA, had to say about it:

"Sometimes it is music that defines our space in the world and reflects that mirror in the sky. When we contemplate those things that make us cry just like a baby may we not forget love, music, and the lessons of the past. Look for yourself between the notes and you may find those steps of the sun."

Subscribe to the podcast here.

Listen or download the mp3 here.

Check out the playlist, buy individual tracks, and rate it here:

They just don't make them...

2007-06-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

like they use to. A simple message with simply good musicians plugged in trying to change the status quo. The world needs people like Marvin, Curtis, and Bob back. Check it out:

Summer is just around the corner...

2007-06-10T13:14:00.000-07:00

and the music we generally listen to tends to change with the seasons. Some say that Sly and the Family Stone are great for summer while some like Pink Floyd during the autumn months. Here at digdeepmusic we have been in a Brazilian/Tropical mood, as you might have noticed from previous posts, which has been getting us ready for the really hot days that are approaching.

Here are some recommendations to help you get into the laid back groove of the summer months:

Jorge Ben Samba Esquema Novo: Summer cannot be complete without the Brazilian groove master, Jorge Ben. This 1969 release has soft minor, yet uplifting, vibe that is perfect when you have all the windows open letting in the breeze and you spend your days meandering around the house, or apartment, doing this and that.

Listen:

You will have to look for this album used on Amazon or Ebay.

The Hi Fly Orchestra Samboogaloo: Spin this disc when you are firing up the barbecue grill and want to make your guest tap their feet. An all acoustic jazz band, Hi Fly lays down light grooves with a touch of 60's jazz and Latin elements.

Listen:

Check out their album here or here:

Clara Moreno Moreno Bossa Nova: To accompany that wine of glass and party conversation put on Miss Moreno just loud enough for the spaced-out electronic elements to catch their ear. Otherwise, this bossa-nova goes down like a fine bottle of Bogle Sirah.

Listen:

Check out her albums here:

I don't know about you but...

2007-06-06T20:57:00.000-07:00

I hear funk. Wu Man on pipa:

Gilberto Gil's rare British album has...

2007-06-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

been reissued with three new bonus tracks. Usually referred to as Nega, after the first track, Gil's third album was recorded in Britain during his stay due to political exile from his native Brazil. As you may know, Gilberto Gil, and his contemporary Caetano Veloso, were pivotal figures in the Tropicalia movement. Given the circumstances in which this record was made, the rising influence Gil had upon Brazilian music, and the personal growth the music contained it is surprising that this has been kept as rare as it has (and is, it is still only available as an import).

Some say this album is dark and sullen, a indicator of the mental toll the exile was bringing upon Gil. However, I see this album as bright, celebratory, and ultimately hopeful. You can hear the British influence in his phrasing and the licks that the supporting musicians play behind him. What's even more rewarding is the three bonus tracks, which include covers of Can't Find My Way Home, Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band, and Up From the Skies!!

This is great summer music. Get yourself a copy!!

Buy here.

Listen to the track Mamma:

Listen to the Hendrix cover Up From The Skies:

Check out this performance from 1978:

When you listen to Elizabeth Shepherd...

2007-05-31T20:54:00.000-07:00

you start to move. Billed as a jazz trio with Scott Kemp on bass, Colin Kingsmore on drums, and Elizabeth on piano, the music comes across as more than the sum of its parts, yet keeps you warm inside the cozy jazz cafe. The trio manages to swing with one part funk, one part blues, two parts soul, and a sprinkle of samba and even hip-hop. This can be contributed to Miss. Shepherds' rhythmic piano playing, which allows her to wrap her warm vocals (and thankfully not over produced like so many neo-jazz singers these days) around the contours of the rhythm.

Her debut, Start To Move, has a strong presence that informs the listener immediately that she is here to stay and that they are in for exciting future releases. Enjoy her first album and keep your ears open for more as we will be doing!!

You can listen to and buy her debut here:

She also has a re-mix album available here.

Listen to the track Reversed:

Watch the video for Four:

General Crook got his start...

2007-05-30T09:15:00.000-07:00

in Chicago's lounge scene after moving from Greensville, MS. He was only eighteen and was a country boy armed with funky big city dreams, but he could never quite get over the hill that would make him a bonafide star. He got close though.

Crook landed a deal with Capitol Records with the single In The Warmth of My Arms (1969) written by the Salty Peppers, which would evolve into Earth, Wind, and Fire. However, the single did nothing to take him out of the Chicago music scene. He tried once again in 1970 yet failed and was dropped from Capitol.

He tried again in the early 70s with the smaller label Down To Earth Records producing two R&B chart contenders Gimmie Some and What Time Is It?. Still, nothing. Again he tried with Wand records producing a full album in 1974 featuring the immortal Fever In The Funkhouse. He worked in a few more singles after the album, yet with no obvious interest in his output Crook hung up his vocal chords and turned his attention to producing and writing for the likes of Syl Johnson and Willie Clayton.

Listening to his work it becomes obvious that it wasn't a lack of talent or strong songwriting that held Crook back from success. His story reads more in the vein of just the luck of the draw. Tracks like What Time Is It? draws upon the social commentary that Sly Stone and James Brown were bringing to the forefront of popular funk music at that time, while the music itself was a based on a solid fuzzed-out bass line and juxtaposed rock guitar licks and stabbing horns. Now, Fever In The Funkhouse is the single that brings Crook his underground fame as this song just, simply put, smokes! He stays true to the funk form of the time but it also has elements of the coming disco fad as it can maybe be one the first hybrids exemplifying the morphing of the funk beat into the disco beat.

What Time Is It?:

Fever In The Funkhouse:

Get Super Cool...

2007-05-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

with Ubiquity Records California Soul II, a collection of rare and raw soul from the west coast spanning more than a decade, from 1966 to 1982. Featuring everything from modern soul, funk, and disco, this anticipated release brings together unknown names that were session musicians and local heros that played with the likes of Fela Kuti, Funkadelic, and Sam Cooke. It also features an unreleased song from one of our favorites Darondo!

Listen and buy here:

Buy on CD here.

Some of the artists featured on the release are still doing their thing. Check out Spanky Wilson singing Message to Tomorrow backed by the Quantic Soul Orchestra!:

In-studio performances are...

2007-05-23T11:59:00.000-07:00

personally my favorite. There is something about an unadorned space that creates an organic and inspired presence to the music. It is much like reading a book without any pictures in the aspect that your own imagination directs and produces the images that accompany the story. In the process, I believe, the music can become more personal as it is easier for you to identify with the subject and feeling of the music.
That was made shows like the Old Grey Whistle Test so special and current shows like the in-studio performances at KCRW (whom need help to stay on the air, click here).

As a teaser for their new album, The Mix-Up, the Beastie Boys have posted an in-studio performance of the song Off The Grid. Just some musicians plugged in and playing, doesn't get much better than that. The new album, which is all instrumental, drops June 26.

Watch the video:

Check out these other amazing in-studio performances from various time periods:

Curtis Mayfield Keep On Keepin' On, 1972. Old Grey Whistle Test:

Radiohead You. MTV Studios:

Rolling Stones Loving Cup, 1972:

Jimi Hendrix Hear My Train A Comin':

The Lions are a...

2007-05-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

project that include members of Breakestra, Connie Price and the Keystones, Rhythm Roots All-Stars, Orgone, Sound Directions, Plant Life, Poetics and Macy Gray (to name a few). Their inspiration is roots reggae, dub, soul, and riddims from Ethopia, Columbia , and Africa.
They prove to be something special as they pepper their full-length for release. Our first clue to their unique sound is the single Think, which is a cover of Lyn Collins hit (you know, "...it takes two make things right, it takes two to make it out of sight") featuring Noelle Scaggs on vocals. Listen and purchase it here:

Watch them practicing in the studio:

Joao Donato started...

2007-05-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

his career when he was just fifteen, playing piano and fronting bands in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro. By the mere age of 24 he was one of the most respected musicians in the area, yet his playing live and on record was limited due to his complex style and rhythm.
Soon, however, he found a niche playing on others albums like Astrud Gilberto, Cal Tjader, Sergio Mendes, and Dom Um.
It wasn't until 1970 though that Donato finally got his chance to let loose and record an album with complete freedom. Listening to the likes of James Brown and Jimi Hendrix, Donato recorded the album A Bad Donato.
While still steeped in the bossa-nova mode the album introduces Donato's unique vamping style and funky inclinations that were inspiring him at the moment. This album, along with 1973s Quem E Quem, are sought after by beatheads and DJs alike.
Have a listen to two tracks of the album:

Lunar Tune:

Straight Jacket:

Watch this practice session. He is crazy good:

Erykah Badu gives us a glimpse...

2007-05-14T19:41:00.000-07:00

of the new songs she has been working on. We haven't heard from her since 2003 with the Worldwide Underground EP. She has been busy having a baby, going to school to receive her holistic health practitioner's license, and writing new music profusely since she is scheduled to release three new albums in the next year!

She played one her new songs in Rotterdam, watch here.

She also did a new song with Madlib called Real Thing:

How Vinyl Records Are Made...

2007-05-14T06:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's New Quintet...

2007-05-11T18:54:00.002-07:00

has collapsed in on itself and is in the process of once again expanding exponentially in relation to the creativity and craft of its maker. The Stones Throw website has announced that YNQ has broken up yet also gives the release date for "their" new album and subsequent releases of EPs. Of course, this is all for fun since Yesterday's New Quintet consist of only Madlib himself and his alter-egos (Monk Hughes, Ahmad Miller, Joe McDurfey, and Malik Flowers) playing all the instruments, which Madlib then mixes into abstract patchworks of sound.

What is really happening is that Madlib is shedding his old alter-egos that made up YNQ and inventing ten new ones. He is introducing them with a new album entitled Yesterdays Universe, which is set for release in July. Then, full lengths will be released from his new alter-ego projects with names such as Kamala Walker, the Last Electro-Acoustic Space Jazz & Percussion Ensemble, and the Jahari Massamba Unit! In the meantime the last EP by his old alter-ego Otis Jackson Jr. will be released June 15 through eMusic and on vinyl. This is Madlibs own self-propelled hip-hop/funk/soul/cosmic train. I advise you to get on board.

Listen to a track off of YNQs first album, Angles Without Edges:

Listen to a track from one of his alter-egos, Malik Flavors:

Lifesavas pay homage...

2007-05-08T20:30:00.000-07:00

to 70s blaxploitation films by recording a soundtrack for a long lost imaginary film titled Gutterfly. Inspired by such films as Coonskin and The Mack, Gutterfly is a themed concept hip-hop album that centers around the story of three superheroes making their way and eventually out of the hard streets of Razorblade City.
With jammin' organs and punctuating horns it is nice to see yet another release proving that hip-hop is an art form that is capable of expanding and breathing meaning into hopeful dreams. It was Lifesavas' aim to incorporate the same social message as blaxploitation films into their music. There is no other perfect vehicle at the moment than hip-hop, especially the kind the Lifesavas are dropping.

Listen and buy here:

Check out the track Take Me Away:

Cee-Lo and Jack Splash...

2007-05-05T12:02:00.000-07:00

take us back to 70s and wax about living in the moment. Evidently the popularity and schedule of Gnarls Barkley has not slowed down Cee-lo or has deterred him from taking on other projects.
We are excited because he has teamed up with Jack Splash to form the The Heart Attacks. Rendering the laid back grooves of 70s soul a reality once again, The Heart Attacks have teased us with a single on the record labels MySpace page:

Click here and click on the song Right Now in the audio player. If this is any indication of the music to come we are in for a real treat.

Oh, you might be asking yourself exactly who is this Jack Splash character. Well, he is the front man one of our favorite unknown groups/project called Plantlife. They too are coming out with a new album this spring. This follows their excellent sophomore effort, The Return of Jack Splash, which funked it up like a young Prince. You can check out their new single on the same MySpace page as the Heart Attacks. It is the first song.

Also, check out a live clip of Plantlife:

Check out a key track from their last album:

Buy here.

We are diggin' Melina Jones...

2007-05-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

with her style deeply rooted in the old-school flavors of hip-hops' soulful days. Righteously sassy, rhythmically clever, and loyal to the internal head nod, Jones can wax a sucka-free signifyin' over any female emcee this side of relevant.
Even better, she hails from San Francisco, which makes us excited to see someone with such promising talent represent the Bay Area. Her debut album Swearing Off Busters is worth of every penny for every second of sound. We can't stop listening to it!

Listen and buy here:

Her MySpace page.