soul sides

DEEP COVERS 2: MAS PROFUNDO! (NOW ON CD!)

2008-07-22T20:44:00.001-07:00

I'm proud to announce the official CD launch of Deep Covers 2: Mas Profundo. It's already been available as a digital download from the good folks at East Bay Digital* but is now finally available on CD.

The first copies will be sold this Thursday at Boogaloo[L.A.] on discount.

Otherwise, mail orders are being taken here and will ship starting early next week.
As long as supplies last, all orders will include a free copy of the Daptone Remixed CD.

If you're interested in helping promote the CD, please let me know.

Description: Deep Covers 2: Mas Profundo follows up on two previous covers-related projects: Deep Covers and Soul Sides Vol. 2: The Covers. This time though, I take it international, with 20 songs, all recorded overseas. I tried to balance things by region (otherwise, hell, I could have done an entire CD of reggae covers) but still kept the vibe oriented around soul and funk covers. It's really astounding what one can find out there - this merely scratches the surface! Overall, I was pleased with how this mix turned out, both in terms of song selection as well as sequencing. There will definitely be a DC3 somewhere down the road but for now, enjoy this in all its global glory.

Tracklisting: (by song title, original artist and country of cover)

1. How Deep? Intro/The Message (Cymande, El Salvador)
2. Rainmaker (Sweden, Nilsson)
3. Use Me (Poland, Bill Withers)
4. Breakthrough (Nigeria, Atomic Rooster)
5. Slipping Into Darkness (Sweden, WAR)
6. Tanga Goo Bonk (Philippines, Niteliters)
7. I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little More (Jamaica, Barry White)
8. Be My Baby (Jamaica, The Ronettes)
9. Pick Up The Pieces (Brazil, Average White Band)
10. Wicky Wacky (Colombia, The Fatback Band)
11. Different Strokes (Argentina, Syl Johnson)
12. Buzzsaw/In Gadda Da Vida (Malaysia, The Turtles/Iron Butterfly)
13. Found a Child (Peru, Ballinjack)
14. Cardova (Trinidad, The Meters)
15. Never Can Say Goodbye (France, Jackson 5)
16. Groovy Situation (Jamaica, Gene Chandler)
17. Cold Sweat (Brazil, James Brown)
18. Angel of the Morning (Mexico, Evie Sands)
19. I Who Have Nothing (Panama, Ben E. King)
20. Sweet Caroline (Guyana, Neil Diamond)

Bonus:
21. Signed, Sealed, Delivered
22. Hit Or Miss
23. September Song

Order now!

*LAME encoded at 320.

THIS WEEK AT BOOGALOO[L.A.], 7/24 - O-DUB AND RANI D

2008-07-21T23:23:00.000-07:00

It's DJ O-Dub, joined by my monthly special guest Rani D who's rocked Boogaloo[L.A.] thrice already.

Special bonus for the Soul Sides massive: this is the (near) full set from the my and Rani's set in June.

MASH UP POSSE

2008-07-21T09:59:00.001-07:00

Thanks: HHH

DOUBLE SHOT OF DAP

2008-07-17T08:44:00.001-07:00

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings are playing the Hollywood Bowl this Sunday (along with Feist) and I wrote a feature in this week's LA Weekly about the Dap-Kings specifically (no disrespect to Sharon but I had written about her before, everyone writes about her, surprisingly few people write about the Dap-Kings, ergo...). Tickets are still available, beginning at $10. Sure, those are nosebleeders but if you've never been to the HB before, it's a great summer venue.

For those who are really cheap, on Saturday, the Budos Band (which shares members with the Dap-Kings) is performing at the Getty Center for free (well, you still have to pay for parking) as part of their Summer Sessions series.

In honor of the two shows:

Charles Bradley and the Bullets: This Love Ain't Big Enough For the Two of Us
Lee Fields: Could Have Been
Both from Daptone 7" Singles Collection Vol. 2 (Daptone, 2008)

Earlier in the summer, Daptone Records released the second volume of their 7" releases - most of these songs had never been on any format besides 7" vinyl - and that includes Charles Bradley being backed by the Budos Band back when they were called the Bullets. Fierce and funky!

Lee Fields, who's mostly worked with Truth and Soul in recent years, cut a few sides with Daptone in the early 00s, including the included ballad here. Slow and patient, you have to love how this song builds and rests on the strength of Fields' impassioned voice.

Hope to see all you Angelinos this Sat or Sun.

POLY RHYTMO REALNESS

2008-07-15T13:38:00.001-07:00

This is too good for a mere Soul Sights inclusion:

Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou Dahomey: Gbeti Madjro
Edited together by Mario Stahn

First seen at Analog Africa.

PICK SIX: LOUIE LOUIE

2008-07-14T15:33:00.000-07:00

Louie Ramirez: The New Breed
From In the Heart of Spanish Harlem (Mercury, 1967)

The Latin Blues Band: Oye Mi Guaguanco
From Take a Trip Pussycat (Speed, 1968)

Dianne & Carole: The Fuzz
From Feeling the Pain (Speed, 1968)

Kako and His Orchestra: Shingaling Shingaling
From Live It Up (Musicor, 1968)

Jose "Cheo" Feliciano: Esto Es El Guaguanco
From Cheo (Vaya, 1971)

La Crema: Cisco Kid
From El Party Con La Crema (WS Latino, 1973)

Bonus: Beatfanatic: Cookin'
From Adventures in the World of No-Fi Beats (Raw Fusion, 2006)

My most recent Side Dishes was on Latin arranger/composer/musician Louie Ramirez and the recommended Louie's Grooves anthology. I've been wanting to write something on Ramirez for a while and though the Side Dishes post allowed me to riff on some of his work, as the comp's liner notes acknowledge, it just brushes the surface of how deep his catalog can run. I'd suggest folks read that post first and then come back here.

My pick six for Ramirez focuses mostly on albums not already covered by Louie's Grooves, beginning with arguably the easiest of his solo albums to acquire: In the Heart of Spanish Harlem. This was recorded for Mercury; I find that interesting since Mercury didn't have a ton of Latin recordings (that I know of) on the label but I suspect it may have had something to do with producer Richard Marin who was doing some A&R work for labels like Mercury and Verve at the time. Marin's brother Bobby - another Latin soul giant and fellow composer - is on this album as well; he was a frequent collaborator with Ramirez and it's not at all unusual to see them on the same projects together. In fact, for this album, Bobby appears on the cover photo alongside Richard and Louie

I was always struck at how Ramirez was able to work on so many different labels at the same time; not long after that Mercury album, he must have been working with Fania on the Ali Baba LP (several of the songs from that rare title are on Louie's Grooves and then he was also working for Morty Craft's Speed imprint. I wrote about The Latin Blues Band for the Happy Soul Suite piece and I enjoy revisiting it - any Latin album that has Bernard Purdie as your studio drummer is bound to be rather interesting though instead of the funkier fare I could have nodded to, I went with "Oye Mi Guaguanco," a solid piece of classic Cuban style by Ramirez, feat. (I think) Luis Aviles on vocals.

Like the Latin Blues Band, the Dianne and Carole album was also on Speed. Speed packed, in my opinion, the biggest bang for the buck - their catalog wasn't more than a dozen titles or so but what was there was almost all exceptional. This Dianne and Carole album is especially notably since it had one of the few examples of female singers heading a Latin soul album (La Lupe excepted of course). There's very little known about the two singers - their surnames aren't even credited on the album! In any case, "The Fuzz" leads side 2, where 4/5 of the songs are arranged by Ramirez and I suspect that most of the same players from the Latin Blues Band played on here as well.

Not long thereafter, Ramirez was also helping compose, play on (and possible arrange?) for the great Puerto Rican bandleader Kako and his Live It Up album on Musicor. Personally, I've never figured out what separates a shingaling from a boogaloo and "Shingaling Shingaling" certainly displays many of the stylistic characteristics of both. I'm feeling this - and the whole LP is exceptional.

Ramirez was multi-talented as a musician - known to rock both the timbales and vibes - and I wanted to include an example of the latter by including one of his salsa era performances, playing vibes on Cheo Feliciano's classic "Esto Es El Guaguanco." He's a big reason the opening is so memorable and Ramirez comes back to solo towards the second half of the song.

Last in the pick six is this cool lil cover of "Cisco Kid" that Ramirez arranged for the La Crema album, a one-off project that involved him, Bobby Marin and some other familiar folks but in the Latin funk era of the 1970s.

Bonus: As for "Cookin'", that might have been the first time I "heard" any Louie Ramirez song since it liberally borrows from "The New Breed." Slammin' Latin club cut - trust me on this one.

HEAT ALERT

2008-07-10T09:47:00.000-07:00

Stephanie McKay : Jackson Avenue & Oh Yeah
taken from the upcoming album that needs to be OUT!
but if you like this, DEFINITELY check her first release and her myspace with more tunes, videos & tour dates.

Chico Mann : Dilo Como Yo & Zumba Mama
taken from the upcoming album "Analogue Drift" that also needs to be out already!
But check the myspace for more tunes and get that first album

King Khan & The Shrines : Burnin Inside & I Wanna Be A Girl
taken from the new album The Supreme Genius Of... on Vice (2008)

Flying Lotus : Roberta Flack (Ft. Dolly) & Melt!
taken from the new album Los Angeles on Warp (2008)

In the face of too much mediocre blandosia and overhyped saltine steezoni (sorry, I'm not hating for hate's sake, but come on...), here's a hearty helping of freshy-fresh audible produce for your summer mixes. Some of these tunes aren't officially out yet, but as long as a few of you readers catch on and support these artists by picking up their other releases (Stephanie's first album is NECESSARY), then I figure they won't get mad at me for sharing this little taste.

I've been feeling the Estelle album a lot, and a couple of the Aunt Jackie tracks, but honestly, Steph blows these chicks out the water. She smashes the reggae tunes ("Take Me Over"), destroys the retro soul ("Say What You Feel"), and comes with some otherly space-funk for the ears of tomorrow ("Money"). I've had the pleasure of doing a bunch of live shows with her and can testify to her ability to K.O. the crowd too. Like way too many other top-notch underrated artists, she's been bucked around by labels with the usual drama, and thus this masterpiece of an album (which has been DONE for more than a minute) is still not out. It's a total crime how the industry works sometimes, but at least we can support her by copping the first release and can keep spreading the good word until this one is officially released- check for the live shows too!

Chico Mann is no stranger to the Crate. When I posted the Antibalas remix of "Dilo Como Yo" a couple weeks back it reminded me that Chico's (somewhat more danceable) version of the same song should be shared as well. He's got more music to download on his myspace page and an album from a year or so back that's definitely worth checking- but holy greatness, his new album is really gonna knock some heads around! Stay tuned.

King Khan was purchased on the strength of the cover art alone, and it delivered twofold what was hinted at on the packaging. I don't know where they recorded this album of catchy psychedelic garage-rock-soul, but it sounds convincingly like they discovered a wormhole to the year 1968. A thoroughly enjoyable and lively record from the opening chords of "Torture" to the last fuzzy notes in "No Regrets". Highly RECOMMENDED!

Finally I leave you with the beautiful noise poetry of Flying Lotus. This record is abstract and earthy at once. Layered with cosmic dust and static, the album takes shape like a primordial organism from deep space that crash landed alongside the 405 and now shimmers in a blanket of neon steam emitting radioactive waves. Need I say more?

A TRIBE CALLED...KARL HECTOR AND THE MALCOUNS

2008-07-08T15:08:00.000-07:00

Karl Hector and the Malcouns: Rush Hour
From Sahara Swing (Now Again, 2008)

Stones Throw subsidiary Now Again is out to prove that it's not just a reissue label trying to dig up yesteryear's lost gems; it's also out to prove there are still some dope sounds being constructed today. After last year's Heliocentrics release featuring living legend Malcolm Catto bringing together a group to record a trippy freeform jazz/funk odyssey for a sound appropriately entitled “Out There,” the label follows it up with an album of jams rooted in afrobeat rhythms with funk undertones.

Former Poets Of Rhythm guitarist and producer J. Whitefield funks out with Malcouns founders Thomas Myland and Zdenko Curlija along with Karl Hector and a host of others. The results may not have you doing the worm at the discothèque, but don't underestimate this music's headnod factor.

Clocking in at just over 45 minutes, the mostly instrumental disc grooves through world rhythms and nu-funk simmered with a dash of tasty rhythmic seasoning. Throughout the set, intermissions lead us from one course to the next. “Rush Hour,” which leans less on afrobeat and more toward traditional funk, hits you with a swirling organ, steady bass, and tight snares. One section even sounds like killer bees swarming!

Recently I had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Whitefield about the project which hits record racks on July 8. Following the Stones Throw/Now Again tradition, when purchased from select retailers the album comes with a limited edition Stones Throw 45 featuring non-album tracks.

EL: How did you hook up with the Malcouns?

JW: I met Thomas, their keyboard player, in a teahouse in Izmir, Turkey, while travelling with a theatre group. We were discovering similar musical interests, and a year later he was invited for the first Discern/Define recording sessions back in ‘97 and is playing with the Poets live band and on many of our recording projects since then.

EL: I like the cover artwork. It looks like some kind of African tribal necklace. What was its inspiration?

JW: It is a tribal necklace, but to get specifics as to where exactly it’s from and stuff, you´d have to ask Matt Boyd who did the design… probably the album title gave the overall inspiration as well as the overall musical content plus a love for homemade style cover artwork.

EL: We got a taste of the marriage of funk and afrobeat in "Weiya" from the "In The Raw" LP on Soul Fire. Talk about how that came about and why you wanted to work with afrobeat rhythms more. Did Bo Baral (Poets of Rhythm singer and frequent collaborator) growing up in Africa lead you down that path?

JW: The departure from straight American funk happened already in the mid 90s some years before the Whitefield Brothers sessions with our Pan-Atlantics project. Basically it grew out of interest for more syncopation and polyrhythms. The strong 2 and 4 that dominates contemporary western music doesn’t give enough freedom for rhythmic experiments, and the mothership for all the side projects we are doing is still the Poets of RHYTHM which always demands a strong focus on rhythmic developments.

EL: Is the group doing any promotional spots or shows for the Sahara Swing album?

JW: The live band is ready to hit the stage. We played a couple of shows already with great response, and basically we´re waiting for the album to be released and tour it later this year

EL: Can you talk about some of the influences for the album? There's definitely a Fela Kuti feel on several songs.

JW: Fela definitely has a strong presence in African music, but for us, if at all, his early 70´s work, like Shenshema for example, is more relevant to our stuff as the classic later period where he really developed his formula of afrobeat which is rather epic in form. For this album we mostly tried to transport Mr. Hector’s influences, which are more based in Morocco, Ghana, Mali, and Ethiopia and span from western crossover to the more traditional folkloristic stuff as well.

EL: Over the past few years, Chief Xcel from Blackalicious did a mixtape of Fela songs; other hip hop and R&B acts contributed to a Fela Kuti tribute CD in the Red Hot series; Youssou N'Dour got some attention from the hip hop crowd when he did some work with Wyclef Jean and Canibus toward the end of the 90s. Even today, artists like the Daktaris and Antibalas are getting press. Do you see African music building some steam?

JW: I guess that started with Fela´s death in ´97. All the reissues and tributes got labels and record nerds interested in African music and explore the other west African countries for hidden musical treasures. They turned up loads of amazing stuff and otherwise we maybe would have never heard of people like Poly Rythmo, Ebo Taylor, El Rego and the many more obscure artists that never made a name outside of Africa.

EL: Much of today's current music is made using preprogrammed sounds, synthesizers, and artists collaborating while never being in studio at the same time. Can you talk about how using real instruments and being able to vibe off one another in the studio helps to create a mood for you and your band mates when creating music?

JW: If you regard music and creating music as a form of communication you have to recognise there are very few people who are able to communicate with machines and put soul into them. That’s why we prefer being with musicians in a room and get inspired by each other; that way you can come to results where you sometimes play above what you know, which can happen with machines only if there are errors because they are too predictable - if that makes any sense. I never managed to tell a drum machine to play free.

EL: Have you been working on other projects since we last heard from the Poets of Rhythm and the Whitefield Brothers in 2002?

JW: Most of the studio time was spent on Karl Hector and Whitefield Brothers sessions. Also we’ve been on tour quite a lot and just did some 45s like New Process and Polyversal Souls or the stuff with Bajka and some compilation contributions.

EL: With this project being released on Now Again and the upcoming reissue of the "In The Raw" LP with them as well, do you have any other future projects in the works through them?

JW: After the “In The Raw” reissue, there will be a new Whitefield Brothers album which is even more based around Ethiopian themes and going from there in some Oriental and Asian territories as well. It will also have some vocal guest appearances.

LEFT FIELD FUNK: ANANDA SHANKAR + MANTECA

2008-07-02T01:28:00.000-07:00

Ananda Shankar: Streets of Calcutta + Dancing Drums
From Ananda Shankar and His Music (EMI India, 1975)

Manteca: Afro-Funky + Gozando Tropical
From Ritmo + Sabor (GRC/Sound Triangle, 197?)

The thing about funk's entry in pop music in the late 1960s and forward was how artists would find ways to work in its rhythmic signature when you least expected it. (See this for a great example). Hearing the Ananda Shankar for the first time just blew my mind, probably because I assume Ananda's sound would be more like his uncle Ravi's but clearly, Ananda was on some experimental, world fusion tip by blending his training in classical Indian music with some Moog and a killer trap set drummer. Both of these cuts above are well-comped at this point but they still don't fail to impress. Sitar funk for real.

Manteca is the nickname for master bongosero Lazaro Pla, a Cuban legend who used to play with Ernesto Lecuona and the Cuban Boys. His Ritmo + Sabor is one of the holy grail Latin funk LPs given its ridiculously funky percussion. It's an interesting album for Manteca since he didn't record out of Cuba much as a solo artist yet this album has been pressed up three times: GRC (Miami), Sound Triangle (Colombia) and Desca(?). And despite that, you'll still end up forking over a few Franklins, unless you're my man Adam M. who managed to cop one for $3 from Amoeba in Berkeley (that story still kills me). "Afro-Funky" is the outstanding cut here: the interplay between the basslines (which some opine might have been Cachao) and the percussion section is ridiculously funky not to mention pure rhythm - notice, there's no melodic composition in the song at all. "Gozando Tropical" is more in a conventional Cuban dance style with its piano montuno riff but even here, the hard timbales (alas, uncredited) still put percussion first...sometimes I feel like the song is mis-engineered and should have cooled down the timbales a bit but then I shrug and figure if the drummer wants to get some, who am I to deny? This has been out of print on CD for a while but luckily, they're about to bring it back later this month.

NEW SOUL SIDES VENTURE: SIDE DISHES

2008-07-01T11:29:00.001-07:00

I've started a new weekly column with Vibe.com called Side Dishes. It's basically a "Song of the Week"-style column meshed with Soul Sides-style content. Even though the first post crosses over with some of stuff I wrote about the other week, in general, I'll try to keep the two distinct. Sides Dishes will also be more focused on music that's still in print (either as reissues, anthologies, etc.). Cruise on over and add Side Dishes to your subscription list; I think Soul Sides fans will enjoy it.

Also...new summer songs post from Roberto Gyemant. Four great selections by one of Latin music's sharpest new chroniclers and taste-makers.

WEST AFRICA OVERLOAD

2008-06-29T22:32:00.000-07:00

Gabo Brown & Orchestre Poly-Rythmo : It's a Vanity
taken from the compilation African Scream Contest on Analog Africa (2008)

Action 13 : More Bread to the People
taken from the compilation Nigeria Rock Special on Soundway (2008)

Asiko Rock Group : Lagos City
taken from the compilation Nigeria Disco Funk Special on Soundway (2008)

Sir Shina Peters and His International Stars : Yabis
taken from the compilation Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump on Strut (2008)

With the recent onslaught of African music compilations coming out, I found myself wondering if the genre of afrobeat, after 40 years of relative obscurity, had finally become mainstream? There was the anomaly of Manu Dibango's 1972 hit "Soul Makossa" which actually made it big abroad (to the extreme of being re-worked years later in Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Starting Something"), but for the most part, even the biggest names in African music were completely unknown to most audiences off the continent. Fela Kuti was certainly low on the radar in his time, but today, I feel like his name (and certainly the genre of "Afrobeat" as a whole) actually bears some weight in popular consciousness. I suppose recognition 30 years too late is better than none at all. I know that I, for one, am not complaining about the vast, continent-wide vinyl archeology dig that seems to be taking place.

Analog Africa have found a particularly overlooked niche within the world of Afrobeat - Togo & Benin. Holy hotness is this shit ever raw! Out of all the comps, this one's probably my favorite. Aside from Poly-Rythmo and The Black Santiagos, I was unfamiliar with all the names on this collection. Nothing on here sounds like it was recorded after 1972- and ALL of it draws heavily from the power James Brown's early 70's material (which is about as good as it gets for me).

With the recent Soundway comps coming out back to back, it's honestly a little difficult to discern clear distinctions in sound from one to the next, but again, when the material is this solid, I'm not putting up an argument. Both Action 13 and Asiko Rock Group are new discoveries for me- and mindmelters to boot. The drums on "Lagos City" are just about the hardest thing I've heard since maybe this.

Meanwhile, Strut records continues their resurgence on the scene with this second West African installment - the first Nigeria 70 initiated my ears to these beats back in 2001 or so. This one focusses more on the traditional highlife and juju side of things, but there's some heavy funk cuts on here as well. One little thing that irks me about the Nigeria 70 records though: both this one and the original comp feature artists on the cover that aren't even represented on the tracklisting! I mean, they're cool photos and all, but I'm sure that there's some good pics out there of the artists that are actually a part of the collection (the first one had Prince Nico Mbarga on the cover and this one is Oliver De Coque- I know cause I have the LPs- neither of whom make a musical appearance anywhere here). Still worth it for for the music though.

DEEP COVERS 2: MAS PROFUNDO! (THE SOFT LAUNCH)

2008-06-26T01:02:00.000-07:00

It's finally here!

I'm proud to announce the (soft) launch of Deep Covers 2: Mas Profundo, now available as a digital download from the good folks at East Bay Digital. It's 320 LAME encoded (good enough for all but you hardcore audiophiles). Physical CDs are in motion - I'm hoping to have them manufactured rather than duplicated but we'll have to see. I'll have a formal launch for those at an upcoming Boogaloo[L.A.] gig and then make them available for order by mail.

Meanwhile, you can download full-res, front and back artwork.

Description: Deep Covers 2: Mas Profundo follows up on two previous covers-related projects: Deep Covers and Soul Sides Vol. 2: The Covers. This time though, I take it international, with 20 songs, all recorded overseas. I tried to balance things by region (otherwise, hell, I could have done an entire CD of reggae covers) but still kept the vibe oriented around soul and funk covers. It's really astounding what one can find out there - this merely scratches the surface! Overall, I was pleased with how this mix turned out, both in terms of song selection as well as sequencing. There will definitely be a DC3 somewhere down the road but for now, enjoy this in all its global glory.

Tracklisting: (by song title, original artist and country of cover)

1. How Deep? Intro/The Message (Cymande, El Salvador)

5. Slipping Into Darkness (Sweden, WAR)

10. Wicky Wacky (Colombia, The Fatback Band)

15. Never Can Say Goodbye (France, Jackson 5)

19. I Who Have Nothing (Panama, Ben E. King)

As a special bonus..., here's two songs that did not make the cut:

The Marvels: Rocksteady
From 7" (Pama, 196?)

Hint: A different song by the same artist appears on DC2. Originally, I was going to put this on the mix but much as I think the Marvels do an excellent job with Aretha Franklin's funky single, I found myself increasingly gravitating to the B-side instead (which is what made the mix). That said, it was a close race between the two sides and their cover of "Rocksteady" is definitely one of my favorite Aretha covers out there.

Manito: Gang's Back Again
From O Incrivel (RCA, 1970)

This is one of those Brazilian albums that gets some heads all ga-ga and for good reason: cut for cut, for U.S. funk fans, it's a surprisingly rich album with not one, not two but at least three solid funk covers, including one of "Tuck's Theme" (that was a surprise) plus this slick version of Kool and the Gang's "Gang's Back Again." To be honest, I'm still not completely sure how nothing from the Manito album made the DC2 cut...it may be one of those cases where I've had this album so long, the tracks didn't quite seem as fresh but hell, there's always DC3.

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR

2008-06-24T21:35:00.001-07:00

Ed Wong at Sandbox Automatic is a huge reason why Soul Sides exists: back in the day, I need a place to park my websites and he graciously offered me his server and extra bandwidth and from that, Soul Sides was able to become a reality. So I am very, very grateful to Ed for that largesse and I recently sat down with him for a chat about the state of hip-hop retail, the death of vinyl (or perhaps not) and the fact that he's about to auction off a ton of deadstock rap records. All in all, they'll be 1000 put up on eBay (you can see the lists here). There could be some nice gems in the mix - Ed's blessed me over the years, including tracking down stuff like this and this. At the very least, those still needing to finish off their Rawkus collection will no doubt find the records you need.

Hint: if I were you, I'd be looking at this, this and this, for starters. They don't mention this but I'm pretty sure that last one (the Jurassic 5 EP) is the version with the full version of "Concrete Schoolyard" that includes Akil's verse (it had to be chopped from the Interscope version of the EP b/c of sample clearance). Rare, bro.

Here's my informal podcast with Ed where we talk about the threat to vinyl, the challenges in hip-hop retail and how the rap industry only has itself to blame for poor sales (he doesn't blame Souljah Boy though).

TO QUOTE THE ABSTRACT: GET INVOLVED

2008-06-24T19:16:00.000-07:00

Gil Scott-Heron: Billy Green Is Dead
From Free Will (RCA, 1972)

So for all intents and purposes, the general election is set. As I was driving in the car last week listening to some GSH on the Cupertino Classic, this song really spoke to me. Thirty-six years after its release, it sounds as if it was recited on the street corner just last week and resonates just as much.

Sounding like a conversation in your local coffee shop, Gil mimics two friends jabbering about the morning paper’s headlines and last night’s television shows. With central themes that revolve around apathy and frustration, the tone turns to urgency as the subject hits close to home. Thirty-six years ago, The Righteous One spoke for the common man. Do you know a Billy Green? Or could he be you?

As O-Dub and I were chatting the other night, we talked about voters coming out in record numbers so far this election year. The next few months are sure to be full of grandstanding, name calling, Gallup polls, public opinion, overanalytic media, Blue states, Red states, and so on. With America being one of the most overweight nations today, political sugar is one additive we don’t need to digest as well.

Billy Green Is Dead (1972)

The economy’s in an uproar
The whole damn country’s in the red
Taxi fares are going up
You say, “Billy Green is dead?”

The government can’t decide on bussin’
Or at least that’s what they said
Yeah, I heard you when you told me
You said, “Billy Green was dead”

But let me tell you bout these hotpants
That this big legged sister wore
When I partied with the alphas
What, Billy took an overdose?

Well now junkies will be junkies
But did you see Gunsmoke last night?
Man, they had themselves a shootout
And folks was dyin’ left and right.

At the end when Matt was cornered
I had damn near give up hope
What you - why you keep on interrupting me?
You say, my son is taking dope?

Call the law and call the doctor!
What you mean I shouldn’t scream?
My only son is taking dope
Should I sit here like I’m pleased?

Is that familiar anybody?
Check out what’s inside your head
Because it never seems to matter
When it’s Billy Green who’s dead

GREG TATE'S SUMMER SONG

2008-06-24T08:53:00.001-07:00

The great Greg Tate takes it back to '89 for his summer song post.

CAN'T KEEP UP WITH THE MUSIC!

2008-06-23T08:50:00.000-07:00

Grupo Fantasma : Se Te Mira
taken from the album Sonidos Gold on Aire Sol (2008)

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 : Fire Dance
taken from their self-titled album on Disorient (2008)

Potato & Totico : Dilo Como Ye (Antibalas Remix)
taken from the album Verve Remixed on Verve (2008)

MRR-ADM : B1 Untitled
taken from their Untitled 10" EP released without a label (2008)

Karl Hector & The Malcouns : Toure Samar
taken from the album Sahara Swing on Stones Throw (2008)

Jackson Conti : Sao Paulo Nights
taken from the album Sujinho on Mochilla (2008)

Chicha Libre : Sonido Amazonico
taken from the album Sonido Amazonico! on Barbes (2008)

Damn I was missing this place! After moving I was without internet for a full two and a half weeks (which felt like a solid month to a web-junky like myself) and I've been itching to put together a post. I have tons of new records and a beautiful new studio/music library to listen in, but no time! This is so far from the summers of yesteryear when the solstice meant "school's out" followed by three months of blissful skateboard meanderings and rope swings that launched into cool lakes. But I can't complain too much since my busy-ness is pretty much all music related. Even now, I know I can't write enough to do this music justice, but I wanted to at least begin to get back on track. So hear this little offering of recent releases that have been filling my ears the past few weeks. I promise to post more very soon and get back to a regular schedule now that I'm reconnected.

One sentence about each song/record:
This Grupo Fantasma record keeps the funky salsa & cumbia kicking with guests like Maceo Parker and Larry Harlow (who plays keys on "Se Te Mira")- raw, organic, live sounding production makes you feel like the band actually squeezed inside your speakers somehow. Fela's youngest son, Seun Kuti, brings his dad's band (minus Tony Allen) back into the spotlight with a record of high energy, uptempo afrobeat that sounds like three Fela albums from the early 70's rolled into one- catch the live show if you can. Staying on the afrobeat tip, NY's own Antibalas deliver this solid remix of a rootsy latin classic- check out Chico Mann's electro re-work of the same song which will hopefully be released soon! MRR-ADM is pretty mysterious to me, but I know it features Malcolm Catto on drums and that it was featured already on another blog that I like. Karl Hector & The Malcouns is the latest work from my favorite crew of funk revivalists Poets Of Rhythm (at least some of the members are involved)- new ethio-afro-funk-soul for fans of Budos Band and the like which has also already been given shine from another blog I like. Jackson Conti is the collab between the prolific blunted-beat maestro Madlib and legendary Brazilian drummer Mamao (of Azymuth glory)- smooth head nod niceness. And finally, Chicha Libre pay homage to the psychedelic cumbia scene of late 60's Peru with a record that simmers like a bug on a cactus under mid-day desert sun.

Be back soon!

RETRO SOUL SUMMER?

2008-06-20T17:16:00.000-07:00

Solange Knowles: I Decided
From Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams (Geffen, upcoming 2008)

Estelle feat. Kardinal Offishall: Magnificent
From Shine (Atlantic, 2008)

Little Jackie: One Love + 28 Butts
From The Stoop (S-Curve, upcoming 2008)

Bonus: Tammi Terrell: What a Good Man He Is
From Irresistible (Motown, 1969)

Question: exactly how many "next Amy Winehouses" can there really be? So far, in the last year we've heard about: Leona Lewis (more like the new Mariah), Duffy (voice so thin, you could shave with it), Adele (Tracy Chapman meets Madeline Peryoux), Gabrielle Cilmi (didn't both Nicole Willis and Amy both do this same video already?), even Lykke Li (doesn't belong in the same conversation), et. al.

It has been a curious phenom that in the wake of last year's epic Sharon Jones + Winehouse one-two punch, everyone is rushing to jock the bandwagon, and especially with Amy, there's a desire to find another personality who could loom as large (good luck! You'll need more than a bee-hive to fill Amy's coif). From my point of view though, the upside to all this is that 2008 is shaping up to be a summer chockfull of retro-soul-esque production. I mean, sure, a lot of it is derivatives of derivatives - is there such a thing as neo-retro-soul? Hmmm...) but frankly, I'd rather listen to a bad clone of a clone of Motown/Stax than some of the new music that's the alternative.

Case in point, three more recent artists on the retro tip, all of whom I've found perfectly enjoyable even if two of them seem to be riding the bandwagon. I've installed a "Wine-O-Meter" to measure similarity (not quality).

Solange, aka that other Knowles sister, decided to go to the source and hire Mark Ronson to produce her new single, "I Decided." I admit - I was initially really skeptical about the song but it's grown for me. Here's my main beef: that little, jaunty, handclap track is very Motown-ish but it's an intro: after a bar or two, the real beat drops in and in this case, that's all there is. It's like the song is all build-up but never delivers a gorgeous melodic hammer that you'd expect. That said, once you accept that, it's a catchy tune. Snap along!

Wine-O-Meter: 7

Estelle's Shine is one of my more favorite albums of 2008 and a strong, second showing for this British artist. I actually don't think she's very much like Winehouse; her vibe is more like a throwback to the late '90s if anything else. There's that R&B-meets-classic-hip-hop flair on songs like "Wait a Minute" (shades of "Kick In the Door") and "So Much Out the Way" (Beatminerz steez) plus the ragga flavor on "Magnificent." I just really like how that whole song flows, especially with the heavy ska/dub influence and Estelle's silken vocals. Sweet stuff but hey, she should have gotten Special Ed on here instead of Kardinal. That would have been offishall.

Wine-O-Meter: 3

As for Little Jackie...ok, now THIS is definitely on some post-Winehouse tip, not just musically (Adam Pallin does a pretty good flip on Ronson's style) but also in terms of the attitude and spark in the songwriting. Here's the confusing thing: Little Jackie is not the singer; it's the group name. The vocalist is Imani Coppola, who some of you might remember from "Legend of a Cowgirl" from about ten years back. Vocally, she's also more contemporary than throwback but as noted, the kind of wit and cutting-ness in the songwriting will likely remind folks of Winehouse...even though, if you think about, her career goes back at least half a decade earlier. True as that may be, it's really hard to listen to something like "28 Butts" (which I'm pretty sure uses this song) on part of the rhythm section) or "One Love" and not make the comparison. The latter is straight up '60s girl pop (and I'm feeling it!). Their album drops later this summer: I highly recommend it.

Wine-O-Meter: 9

This all said though, you still gotta ask: why go retro when you can still listen to the originals? The bonus track is by the late Tammi Terrell, from (tragically) her only solo album, Irresistible. This song is so soulful, so funky, so ridiculously good for something that's nearly 40 years old. It's artists like Terrell who set the bar - now let's see who can pass it.

P.S. Peep when Terrell drops: "let this girl tear the world up" - loving it!

TWO NEW SUMMER SONGS POSTS

2008-06-20T15:46:00.001-07:00

Two new posts just went up, one by James Carvicchia, one by Christine Balance.

And oh yeah: summer officially starts today.

Stay cool out here.

WATTS 103RD WINNER

2008-06-18T17:11:00.001-07:00

Ok, the Watts 103rd St. Giveway is officially over. We had six people (impressive!) with all correct answers (see below) and I randomly selected one of them: Andrew King. Congrats!
For those playing at home, here were the correct answers:
1) The Watts Band/Wright Sounds provided live musical backing for Bill Cosby in 1967, but at that point Cosby's musical career had already been in progress for two years. What band backed him on his very first musical release in 1965? (Helpful hint: the release in question is NOT Cosby's Silver Throat LP.)

Eddie Cano Quartet

2) Warner Bros-era versions of both sides of Charles Wright's rare pre-Watts Band solo 45 on Philips are included on these reissues. Can you name the songs?

"Borrowed Time" + "Keep Saying"

3) At what intersection did the Haunted House once stand?

Hollywood and Vine

4) What Los Angeles radio personality was responsible (in part) for the first Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band single? (Name the single too).

Magnificent Montague/"Spreadin' Honey"

5) What studio did Bill Cosby and Fred Smith discover the original Watts Band at?

Nashville West

6) The Wright Sounds collected one member from the O'Jays and one of Joe Tex's band - name those two members.

Melvin Dunlap and Gabriel Fleming (respectively)

7) What '70s pop star (of a famous duo) played with the Wright Sounds in its early years?

Daryl Dragon aka "Captain" of Captain and Tenille

8) UPDATED: What 1960s Buffalo band did several of the Wright Sounds' members play rhythm section for?

Dyke and the Blazers

9) What does the last Watts Band album share in common with albums by Blue Mitchell, Gene Harris, and Freddy Robinson?

Arranger Monk Higgins

10) Name three other artists who have covered "Express Yourself." (NWA does not count).

There were multiple ways this could have been answered. The most popular included: S.O.U.L., Idris Muhammed, and Byron Lee and the Dragonaires.

Note: no one could come up with a pic of the LP version of A Lil' Encouragement. Perhaps it really doesn't exist.

THE IMPRESSIONS: FOOL FOR THEM

2008-06-14T01:11:00.001-07:00

The Impressions: Fool For You + I'm Loving Nothing
From This Is My Country (Curtom, 1968)

I know I just wrote about this album in my summer songs post but seriously, this LP is easily the best thing I've heard in months. I just cannot get enough of it and am marveling at its overall consistency and sheer sublimeness at times. I feel sheepish that it took me this long to get around to listening the Impressions' solo albums but if they're anywhere near this good, I'll be copping the catalog soon.

I've been trying to figure out, in my own head, just what makes the sound of this album so incredible to me and so far, the best I can come up with is: everything. The vocals, the melodies, the rhythm section, the sense of drama, the sense of delicate lightness, the lilt in Mayfield's voice, the hooks that haunt you; take your pick. I haven't been this enamored by a soul album since...I don't know...discovering Eddie Kendrick's People...Hold On (and that's one of my all-time favorites).

Bottomline: if you can't feel these, especially "I'm Loving Nothing," well, there's just no hope for you. ;)

CHICAGO BOOGALOO

2008-06-14T00:11:00.000-07:00

Lewise Bethune: Chitown Boogaloo
A.C. Reed: Boogaloo Tramp
From Chitown Boogaloo (Goldmine Soul Supply, 2006)

For all the time I've spent researching Latin boogaloo, I realized I wasn't focusing enough on the original boogaloo craze - the one born out of Tom and Jerrio's "Boo-Ga-Loo" in 1965, spreading quickly throughout the R&B world and lasting for the next few years. From what I can tell, the R&B boogaloo trend didn't have the same kind of focused intensity as Latin boogaloo but it does seem to have shared some parallels, especially in being focused around the Chicago/Detroit corridor. My research is all preliminary but I am glad to have come across the Chitown Boogaloo comp which offers a tantalizing glimpse into a collection of tracks from that Midwest boogaloo craze. Suffice to say, more research is needed but you gotta start somewhere.

The Lewise Bethune was very interesting, not the least of which was because it's basically Don Gardner's "My Baby Likes to Boogaloo" with new vocals thrown on top (but clearly nodding to Gardner's original). It doesn't outdo Gardner's but this is a pretty fun cut regardless and I think it's interesting how Bethune's version actually lifts the "ooh" "aah" from Tom and Jerrio's original "Boo-Ga-Loo" single that sparked this whole movement. The A.C. Reed is another 7" I've owned for years but only recently came back to in the midst of my boogaloo curiosities: this one actually mashes up two different fads - the boogaloo and "Tramp," the bluesy/funky classic by Lowell Fulsom. I like how terse and focused the rhythm section is here - the song sheds a lot of heat but keeps things close in and tight.

If anyone out there has more knowledge of the R&B boogaloo movement, holler. I need to get to reading this, no doubt.

THE CHARLES WRIGHT & WATTS 103RD STREET RHYTHM BAND GIVEAWAY

2008-06-10T20:45:00.001-07:00

In case you missed the previous Watts Week posts:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

As promised, I have a complete set of Wright/Watts CDs to give away. That includes all six Warner UK reissues of the original Watts albums (plus Wright's solo project on WB) PLUS the two Rhino Handmade compilations that I wrote liner notes for: Haunted House and Puckey Puckey. Ten discs total. As I said before, this is for true fans and the questions are created accordingly. Thanks to Andy Zax who came up with three of these.

To win the entire set, you have two options:

The (Not So) Easy Way

vinyl copy

Charles Wright's solo album, A Lil' Encouragement

automatically

The Other Way

Silver Throat

UPDATED:

1960s Buffalo band

Good luck! I'll give folks a week to get answers in and select a winner after that.

SUMMER SONGS 08: MURPHY'S LAW

2008-06-10T11:19:00.001-07:00

The next installment in the summer songs series is by DJ Murphy's Law.

Read it!