Go Fidelity!

Midsummer Mix.

2011-07-01T10:20:00.003-04:00

Midsummer Mix

1. "In the Heat of the Morning" - David Bowie
2. "Sunshine Rock" - the Upsetters
3. "Cumbia Tropical" - Marimba Orquesta Gallito
4. "Tropical Heat-Paseo" - Codallo's Top Hatters
5. "Sunshine" - the Archies
6. "Beach Bash" - Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band
7. "The Ice Cream Man" - the Tornados
8. "Sun" - Margo Guryan
9. "Summer Samba" - Brother Jack McDuff
10. "Breezin'" - Mickie Chung
11. "Virgenes Del Sol" - Orquesta de Juancho Vargas
12. "Summertime" - the Free Design
13. "Cool Ade" - Preston Love
14. "Come and Take a Ride in my Boat" - the Rare Breed
15. "Mar y Sol" - Lemaire y su Klan
16. "Tequila" - Jimmy McGriff
17. "Calor" - Afrosound
18. "Sand and Foam" - Donovan
19. "The Enchanted Sea" - Martin Denny
20. "By the Sea" - Wendy & Bonnie
21. "Fat Old Sun" - Pink Floyd

(An m3u is included in the .zip file.)

Reading Polk Beats.

2011-04-14T15:24:00.010-04:00

One of the things I resolved to do when I moved to the DC metro area was to keep abreast of the local news back home. "Home," in this case, is an adopted one; I moved to Lakeland in 2001 to go to school, stayed and worked there after graduation in 2004, remained living there while I got my master's degree, drank a lot of beer there, met my future wife there, got married there, and was generally sad to leave when I decided to do the PhD thing. I've always thought that Lakeland was a great little town overshadowed by two giants on either side: one steeped in history and old Florida mystique, the other, well, a simulacrum of the same. But like most places in Florida, Polk County is not without an uncomfortable history; segregation and racial discrimination, demolished juridically in the mid-20th century, are still deeply entrenched economically, politically, and culturally. In the local media, this history is less effaced than elided: it constantly buts up against the optimistic narratives of the contemporary south, sometimes subtly, often blatantly. Hell, a former Grand Dragon of the United Klans of America just ran for mayor of Lake Wales. (To the city's credit, he was trounced. Now let's kick him off the city commission!) Indeed, I would argue that the local press's unwillingness to confront the county's history is most evident in its cultural reporting, which--on the surface, at least--is little more than a promotional vehicle for the artists featured. Now admittedly, Polk County ought to promote itself, but the manner in which it does and the "selves" that get promoted are often tellingly ideological. This brings us to Polk Beats.

Polk Beats is a weekly feature in the Ledger's Timeout section. It comes out (nearly) every Thursday, and is actually a severely edited version of a much longer podcast conducted by local resident Mycah Pleasant. Typically, it includes a brief description of a local band or performer along with an interview with them. Now I don't know Mycah and I should state up front that my criticisms are not directed at him in particular. Rather, I think Polk Beats is merely indicative of the problematic manner in which the Ledger covers cultural production, and here's why.

A week ago, Polk Beats featured its first hip-hop artist, a local rapper named Leegit. Now at first glance, this seems commendable. The 863 has a burgeoning hip-hop scene--one that constantly interacts with much larger scenes in Tampa and Orlando--so it makes sense that Polk Beats would interview a representative of it. But Pleasant's interview and description is oddly divorced from the Ledger's previous hip-hop "reporting," which largely amounts to things like this:

"Slaying Shocks Suspect's Family" (wherein the Ledger "helpfully" includes some Dem Boyz and Wilson Boyz tunes in an article about how one of their members is being charged with first degree murder.)

or the follow-up:

"25-year-old Lakeland Rap Producer Convicted in Slaying of Girlfriend" (Can you imagine a headline that replaced "Lakeland Rap Producer" with "Lakeland Garbage Collector?" I didn't think so.)

The other major example of local hip-hop coverage includes the (eventually national) story of rapper T.O. (Antavio Johnson), whose song "Kill Me A Cop" got him sent to prison for two years:

"Lakeland Man Sent to Prison for Rap Song Threatening Police Officers" and "Lakeland Man Goes to Prison for a Song"

Johnson's case was an early example of Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd's puritanical, populist tendencies as well his perpetual overreach. Judd recently had a cameo in a laughably "positive" local music video, making sure to publicly declare afterwards that hip-hop was "not my type of music."

This video, which showed up in the local press not long before Leegit was featured on Polk Beats, represents the productive complement to the Ledger's negative coverage. It demonstrates the sort of hip-hop subject Polk County is comfortable with; that is, one that firmly believes in the individualist, neoliberal ideology that now permeates every facet of American life. The young black protagonist of the video leaves school, goes to his middle class home (unlikely), and studies all day, the implication being that--like the other children in the video--he is laying the groundwork for a future career. This is America's bootstraps theology in all of its incorrect and dangerous glory: enact the bourgeois and we'll let you into the club, honest.

Anyway, back to Polk Beats' interview with Leegit, "Lakeland Rapper Keeping It Clean." Leegit's been making music for years, but the article completely ignores his early work. The focus here is that he signed with a label requiring its artists to forego swearing--that's the puritanical, negative side (safe rap!)--but this is accompanied by a productive or positive implication: although his production is structurally hindered, "he knows he is a good enough lyricist to find other words to fill the gap." Despite his subaltern position, he'll make it after all through cunning, determination, and raw ability.

What I'm getting at here is that there's a southern dialectic of neoliberal subjecthood, constructed as much by popular religion and social conservatism (that is, negatively) as by productive secular representation, which is part of the reason why Polk Beats is so problematic. It's yet another example of the Ledger's depthlessness and remarkably context-free reporting, sure, but it also perpetuates the worst aspects of the stereotypical South--racism, economic inequality, social backwardness--while reinforcing the seemingly intractable hegemony of neoliberal ideology.

"That's a lot to put on some kid from Lakeland," you might say. Well, yeah, it is. But it took me about 5 minutes of Googling to reconstruct the history of the Ledger's relationship to local hip-hop. Even the most basic knowledge of local history adds a necessary critical component to the Ledger's worst promotional excesses. I don't think that's too much to ask of Mr. Pleasant or any of the Ledger's culturally-oriented writers.

Combat Rock.

2010-09-03T09:00:00.007-04:00

My students this semester will be reading much of Rockin' Las Americas: The Global Politics of Rock in Latin/o America, an accessible and occasionally fascinating reader edited by Deborah Pacini Hernandez, Hector Fernandez L'Hoeste, and Eric Zolov. For, uh, background research, I've been doing a lot of listening this summer - and I've come across two covers en espanol that I thought I'd share:

"Combate a Kung Fu" - Wganda Kenya

The first is a largely instrumental cover of "Kung Fu Fighting" by Colombia's funky Wganda Kenya. I absolutely love the cheap, buzzy organ playing the melody - it works in tandem with the always-ethereal Mellotron to create a moderately psychedelic interpretation of the song. I'll take this over Carl Douglas's original any day.

"La Dama de Ojos Verdes" - The White Lines de Paco Sanchez

You'll immediately recognize this as a version of Sugarloaf's classic rock melodrama, "Green Eyed Lady." Sanchez and the White Lines pull it halfway out of the standard rock format - keeping the band electric but adding a booming brass section. Unlike the original, there's little jamming and improvisatory antics here - what you have is an intriguing, minor-keyed pop song stripped to its tension-filled essence.

Enjoy.

Live, damn it! Live!

2010-06-30T18:01:00.002-04:00

Most of the tracks compiled on the seemingly infinite volumes of Bubblegum Motherf***er are ridiculously obscure. Nearly all are digitized from vinyl - and somewhere out there is an incredibly obsessive collector with an unbelievably extensive collection of rare bubblegum 45s. Buried towards the end of BM Vol. 13, however, I noticed a somewhat out-of-place cover: the Merry-Go-Round's classic "Live" as recorded by fellow Californians the E-Types. Both bands were included on the Nuggets box set in 1998 and to this day are known mostly for those selections - "Live" and "Put the Clock Back on the Wall," respectively.

I know the garage/bubblegum divide can get pretty hazy, but I wouldn't really classify "Live" (in either version) as sickly sweet - at least not in the same way as, say, an Ohio Express track. It's really just a great example of mid-60s pop songcraft.

Here's the Merry-Go-Round's hit version (by way of a cheesy Youtube video):

"Live" - the Merry-Go-Round

And here's the E-Types' cover:

"Live" - the E-Types

As you'll hear, the E-Types drop the song's trademark jangling guitar and add a heavier backbeat. It isn't a huge departure from the original, but the cover definitely differentiates itself just enough to stand out.

Enjoy.

Linstead Markets.

2010-06-21T10:40:00.005-04:00

Ernest Ranglin's contributions to ska, rocksteady, and reggae are widely known and praised (rightly), but few people are aware of his jazz recordings for Merrifield in the mid-60s. Ranglin traveled to London in 1964, staying for 9 months as the resident guitarist at Ronnie Scott's. While there, he backed a number of jazz greats and recorded two LPs: Wranglin' and Reflections. Wranglin' opens with a fantastic jazz arrangement of the Jamaican folk song "Linstead Market," a tune dating back at least 100 years (and likely longer). Here is Ranglin's version:

"Linstead Market" - the Ernest Ranglin Trio

Now to give you some idea of the traditional approach to the song, here's a mento recording from the mid-50s:

"Linstead Market" - Lord Messam & his Calypsonians

Obviously Ranglin's version is much more harmonically dense, but (as you'll hear) it pretty successfully preserves the lilting, breezy feel of mento within a modern jazz arrangement.

Enjoy.

P.S. You can find more info on Lord Messam here.

Mixmania.

2010-06-16T15:42:00.004-04:00

So I thought I'd piggyback on Gavin's post and share a mix that I picked up during my recent trip to Jamaica. The conference in Kingston was technically four days long, but I snuck out early (in the middle of Seaga's speech!) and headed to the northeastern part of the island. Anna and I spent two relaxing nights a few miles east of Port Antonio in the tiny community of Fairy Hill. During a day trip to P.A., we visited a few music vendors and I picked up the following mix. It's labeled "Studio 1/Old School Reggae," which is a fairly accurate description of the contents. Whoever mixed it did an excellent job - most of the stuff here is pretty obviously taken from a personal vinyl collection. The tracks were labeled (miraculously), so I've included the playlist at the bottom of the post.

Highlights:

The mind-bending fuzz guitar lead in Dennis Brown's cover of the standard "Perhaps."

The Heptones' version of "Why Did You Leave?" (as opposed to the more familiar Alton Ellis/Phyllis Dillon duet).

An alternate mix of "Dancing Mood" with some additional instrumentation (Harmonica maybe? I can't really tell what it is.).

The somewhat jarringly "stringsed-up" Bob and Marcia cut in the middle of the mix.

Sugar Minott's "This Old Man" followed by two toasts (Dillinger's "Dub Them Rasta" and Michigan & Smiley's "Rub A Dub Style") over the same riddim.

The use of Sound Dimension's "Real Rock" as an extended intro to a version of Willie Williams' "Armagideon Time" filled with laser-blast synth effects.

---

Click here to download the mix.

Tracklist:

1. "Rain from the Sky" - Delroy Wilson
2. "I Don't Know Why" - Delroy Wilson
3. "Moving Away" - Ken Boothe
4. "Baby Why" - the Cables
5. "Perhaps" - Dennis Brown
6. "First Cut is the Deepest" - Norma Fraser
7. "Till I Kiss You" - Nana McLean
8. "Tell Me Now" - Marcia Griffiths
9. "Always Together" - Bob and Marcia
10. "Why Did You Leave" - the Heptones
11. "Little Green Apples" - Dennis Brown
12. "Dancing Mood" - Delroy Wilson
13. "Throw Me Corn" - Larry Marshall
14. "Party Time" - the Heptones
15. "Smile" - the Silvertones
16. "Wanna Be Free" - Horace Andy
17. "Come On Home" - Sugar Minott
18. "Way of Life" - Dennis Brown
19. "Hang On Natty" - Sugar Minott
20. "This Old Man" - Sugar Minott
21. "Dub Them Rasta" - Dillinger
22. "Rub A Dub Style" - Michigan & Smiley
23. "Jamaican Collie" - Dillinger
24. "Oh Mr. D.C." - Sugar Minott
25. "Conquer Me" - Delroy Wilson
26. "Real Rock" - Sound Dimension
27. "Armagideon Time" - Willie Williams
28. "Love Bump" - Lone Ranger
29. "Far East" - Barry Brown
30. "Swell Head" - Burning Spear
31. "Outro" - (Uncredited)

Steel-o.

2010-06-15T08:03:00.004-04:00

(This is actually a re-post in honor of Caribbean-American Month.)

I went to an estate sale a while back and found a really strange album called Steel & Brass buried in a stack of (mostly) worthless records. I was moderately intrigued and it was in decent shape, so I bought the album, brought it home, and absolutely loved it. Turns out that the Steel and Brass Band was directed by this guy, an influential steel drum player from Trinidad. As you'll hear, the record contains steel drum versions of popular songs from the late sixties and early seventies. The tracks are both bizarre and really, really awesome. Enjoy:

"Everybody's Talkin'" - the Steel and Brass Band (Yes, the Fred Neil song.)

"Aquarius" - the Steel and Brass Band (from the musical "Hair")

"Those Were the Days" - the Steel and Brass Band (A cover of the Mary Hopkin's 1969 hit.)

And if you dig those, I'm guessing you'll enjoy this. I sampled the intro to "Everybody's Talkin'," combined it with a few other things, and built a funky little piece out of it:

"Everybody's Talkin'" - John Crayon

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P.S. Head over to Unfashionably Late to download a free mix straight from the streets of Mexico City.

Riddim Mysteries.

2010-05-07T15:27:00.003-04:00

I recently came across the song "Great Mu Ga Ru Ga" by instrumental reggae greats (and Studio One house band) the Sound Dimension. As you'll hear, it uses the main melody from the Rhine Oaks' "Tampin," a New Orleans funk side featuring some (if not all) of the Meters. Interestingly, Funky 16 Corners shared "Tampin" a few years back and a commenter pointed out that the melody shows up in a Lee Perry-era Wailers track, "Memphis." I'm guessing that "Great Mu Ga Ru Ga" appeared after "Memphis," but officially dating reggae tracks is next-to-impossible. In any case, it appears that this obscure American funk single had a decent following in Jamaica. Take a listen to all three:

"Tampin" - the Rhine Oaks

"Memphis" - the Wailers

"Great Mu Ga Ru Ga" - Sound Dimension

By the way (as if this post needed more complication), "Great Mu Ga Ru Ga" also appears on vinyl under the alternate spelling "Great Muga Ruga," attributed to the Boss.

Warp!

2010-04-27T12:34:00.001-04:00

Be sure to check out my brother Aaron's new podcast with fellow Go-Fi buddy James:

I Said, Yeah!

It's the only podcast on the web (so far) that calls me an asshole. Seriously though, they discuss and play some great stuff, including an insanely flanged track from the Poppy Family.

And speaking of flange, this song has it in spades. If I compiled a list of the most warped dubs ever, I'm pretty sure this would be near the top:

"Financial Business" - the Mighty Two

Naming Names, Part 1: Females

2010-04-23T14:24:00.000-04:00

One of the grand traditions of pop songcraft is the "direct address" lyric: songs dramatically emoted to a specific person, whose name is typically found in the title of the piece. Although the following selections are from a wide variety of genres, they share an overwhelming sense of affective urgency. Love songs on the verge of obsession, they plead with the addressee (us, by means of interpellation) to come around to the speaker's point of view. Enjoy:

"Sadie" - the Fun & Games

A surprisingly minor-keyed, slightly creepy track from the folks who brought you "Elephant Candy" and "The Grooviest Girl in the World."

"Jennifer" - Junior Soul

Jennifer, darling Jennifer/Please don't leave. Beautifully plaintive reggae from the future Junior Murvin.

"Cathy, Come Home" - the Twilights

An everything-but-the-kitchen-sink production from the year of same, 1967.

"Alison, Please" - Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band

Geno's recorded output is uneven, to say the least, but this lovely piece of bubblegum-soul deserved a greater hearing back in 1971.

---

Stay tuned for our next installment.

Awesomelution.

2010-04-09T11:39:00.001-04:00

From this:

to this:

to this:

Jingle Jangle.

2010-04-02T12:11:00.002-04:00

I've been sifting through the early Upsetters catalog lately (thanks to You and Me on a Jamboree) and I came across an interesting cut on the Many Moods of the Upsetters album. "Soul Stew" is a nice instrumental piece--somewhat uncharacteristically driven by a lead guitar--but it uses the exact same backing track as one of my favorite Lee Perry productions, "Check Him Out" by the Bleechers.

"Check Him Out" is quite literally an advertisement for Perry's Upsetter record shop in Kingston. As you'll hear, the tune conveniently includes directions and the shop's street address. Perry obviously designed the cut for radio play, so he pared its more functional aspects with a sprightly reggae riddim. The shop's gone, unfortunately, but luckily we've still got the song. Take a listen:

"Check Him Out" - the Bleechers

"Soul Stew" - the Upsetters

2010 International Reggae Conference in Mona, Jamaica.

2010-02-11T21:46:00.001-05:00

In a few days, I'll be flying out to Jamaica to present some of my research at the International Reggae Conference. (More info here.) Much of my scholarly work focuses on the phenomenology of dub, so I'm very excited to (finally!) see the island and hang out with my academic peers. The conference is not exclusively academic, however - it also features live reggae performances and a dancehall fashion show. Check it out even if you aren't in JA - you'll be able to watch online. Speakers this year include David Katz (author of People Funny Boy: The Genius of Lee "Scratch" Perry), Olivia "Babsy" Grange (Jamaican Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports) and Edward Seaga (former Jamaican Prime Minister). Should be awesome.

In honor of the IRC, I thought I'd share some of my favorite dubs. Enjoy:

"Rainy Night Dub" - Lee "Scratch" Perry

"Dub the Right Way" - King Tubby & Soul Syndicate

"Angolian Chant" - Joe Gibbs & the Professionals

"I'm All Right" - Keith Hudson

"Red Shift" - Scientist

Various Things, Vol. 2.

2010-01-07T18:20:00.004-05:00

I have a folder on my computer entitled "For Go-Fi." This is where I stick all of the music for half-formed posts, tossed-off ideas, and various other unsuccessful ventures. So, in an attempt to clean house after 2009 and offer some excellent (if disparate) tunes, I present to you the contents of that folder.

First up is a quasi-cover of the Electric Prunes' "I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night" from Mozambique. This track is featured on the first volume of No Smoke's Cazumbi compilation of African garage rock. Check it out:

"Suspensa A Un Filo" - Conjunto de Oliveira Muge

Believe it or not, I was a huge theatre geek in high school. I've been wanting to do a post of Jesus Christ Superstar covers for a while, but frankly - I couldn't find many of quality. So here are the best of the bunch. Sam Taylor slows down Judas' opening solo into a funky soul number, while Roy Ayers strips Mary Magdalene's trademark torch song into the sort of intimate, sensual jazz he's known for:

"Heaven On Their Minds" - Sam Taylor (from Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal)

"I Don't Know How to Love Him" - Roy Ayers (from He's Coming)

And finally, here is a nice blue-eyed soul platter from the Joe Meek-produced Honeycombs. This track is mostly notable for being remarkably un-Meeklike. It's quite straitforward, actually, with a soulful instrumental break featuring a jazzy sax solo and an echoed guitar. Enjoy:

"I Can Tell (Something's Up)" - the Honeycombs

Move over, Bing.

2009-12-24T15:07:00.004-05:00

Here's the obligatory Go-Fi holiday post:

"Groovy Christmas" - the Tropics

Despite the lyrics, I'm fairly certain these guys didn't have a clue about running in the snow. They were from Florida. I lived in Florida for 26 years and saw snow flurries twice.

"Merry Christmas" - Frank Cosmos

This is one of the few Jamaican ska tracks to feature an electric piano. It fits perfectly, though. Love the harmonica solo too.

Speaking of Jamaican Christmas tracks, I love this one:

"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" - Johnny Clarke

And yes, there is a "Santa Claus Dub" out there somewhere.

I'll leave you with a slightly less joyful take on the season:

"In the Hot Sun of a Christmas Day" - Caetano Veloso

If you're in dire need of more holiday goodness, check out Funky16Corners. They've been posting some fantastic stuff. Also, peep my buddy Gavin's holiday mix over at Unfashionably Late.

It's that time of year.

2009-12-15T23:52:00.001-05:00

We apologize for the lack of substantive posts, but we're both swamped with finals this week. So in honor of the mad end-of-the-semester rush, here's an appropriately melodramatic song with "school" in the title:

"The School Bus" - Lalo Schifrin

I'm currently finishing up my final paper, so hopefully Go-Fi will resume regular posting shortly.

Syntho-birds!

2009-12-08T08:20:00.002-05:00

Some of you may remember this post from waaaaay back in the history of Go-Fi. While watching MST3K a few nights ago, I noticed some familiar music in the background of this scene from the truly awful "Pod People" -

(It begins at 2:56.)

Yep, that's Georges Rodi's "Morning Song" being ripped by Joel and the Bots. Awesome.

Dillon in Dub.

2009-12-04T10:18:00.001-05:00

Phyllis Dillon, although a truly sublime artist in her own right, isn't exactly known as a popular source for versioning. That's part of the reason why I was so blown away when I finally heard Treasure Dub, Volumes 1 and 2. These two albums--which are currently out of print--contain dubs of classic Treasure Isle material from John Holt, Dobby Dobson, the Techniques, and others. Versions of Dillon's work show up on both volumes in characteristically spacy fashion. Dillon's voice--always the focus of her Jamaican hits--appears only sporadically here. Perhaps that's what makes these dubs so striking. We normally take her for granted as a cooing, simmering songstress. The echo bath demonstrates just how powerful (and mesmerizing) her voice is - it's an essential rhythmic element, not just a tool for melody.

I've included both the originals and the dubs in this post. Enjoy:

"Don't Touch Me Tomato" - Phyllis Dillon
"Touch A Dub" - Duke Reid

"The Love That a Woman Should Give to a Man" - Phyllis Dillon
"Love Chant" - Duke Reid

"Midnight Confessions" - Phyllis Dillon
"Midnight Dub" - Duke Reid

Note: These releases are typically credited to Jamaican music impresario (and Treasure Isle boss) Duke Reid, but I'm guessing that he wasn't the one at the mixing board. Anybody know who actually remixed the Treasure Isle stuff?

A Tuneful Turkey Day.

2009-11-23T21:41:00.009-05:00

Well, Thanksgiving is nearly here and you know what that means: lots of food. In the spirit of the season, we here at Go-Fi thought we'd share a number of tasty musical morsels with you.

We all begin Turkey Day hungry (gotta save room, after all), so an empty stomach seemed like an obvious place to start:

"Hungry Belly Dub" - King Tubby

Next up is Grandma's mouth-watering dumplin(g)s, served in a bouncy ska dish:

"Dumplins (1960 Version)" - Byron Lee & the Dragonaires

We'll fill our plate with a number of side dishes, including the ubiquitous cranberry sauce - made even sweeter by Shirley Scott's smooth organ:

"Soul Sauce" - Shirley Scott

Don't forget to add some string beans! (They're good for you.) John Patton makes them more palatable if you happen to be a picky eater:

"String Bean" - John Patton

And now the main course - succulent roast duck prepared by Uncle Lee! He's a bit crazy, but a damn good cook:

"Roast Duck" - Lee "Scratch" Perry

And what would a Thanksgiving meal be without dessert? It's always important to end on a sweet note:

"Sugar, Sugar (Featuring Junior Byles)" - Big Youth

Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving!

Josie vs. Jackson

2009-11-10T15:45:00.004-05:00

There have been quite a few twee funk compilations released lately and most of them contain a fair share of glorious Jackson 5 rip-offs. The artists included are kids, of course, so these comps tend to miss out on some of the J5 facsimiles created by adults.

One group that straddles the kiddie/adult line is Josie and the Pussycats. (No, seriously.) In 1970, "they" released a full-length album of excellent pop-soul directed at the animated series' pre-teen audience. The "group" was fronted by the very adult Patrice Holloway, sister of steamy soul chanteuse Brenda Holloway. The album contains a faithful cover of "I'll Be There," but the influence of the J5 is felt throughout. "You've Come A Long Way Baby" obviously uses "The Love You Save" as a blueprint, while "Stop, Look and Listen" is based around the the main riff of "ABC." Far from being mere copies, though, these tracks are fantastic in their own right. Indeed, the Josie and Pussycats record is without a doubt one of the most enjoyable releases of the bubblegum era. The pre-fab genre was big on singles, of course, but bubblegum albums were often cluttered with filler. In contrast, the Pussycats' album is lean--a mere 10 tracks--but all are quite good. Track it down if you can. In the meantime, enjoy these:

"You've Come A Long Way Baby" - Josie & the Pussycats

"Stop, Look and Listen" - Josie & the Pussycats

A Go-Fidelity Halloween.

2009-10-30T19:27:00.003-04:00

And now, a few terrifying tunes to complement your hellish Halloween experience.

First up is an enjoyably creepy Poppy Family song, "Where Evil Grows." That minor-keyed melody and disturbing subject matter should be just enough to make your skin crawl:

"Where Evil Grows" - the Poppy Family

Lavern Baker makes black magic sound downright appealing in this next track. The girl's got boogie in her bones:

"Voodoo Voodoo" - Lavern Baker

This is a zany Joe Meek production (weren't they all?) featuring fuzzy guitars and a multitude of graveyard sound effects. Like all great works of horror, this recording was followed up with a sequel, "Return of the Vampire."

"Night of the Vampire" - the Moontrekkers

Speaking of instrumentals, this rocked-up arrangement of "In the Hall of the Mountain King" is a true lost classic of the British Invasion - even the Beatles were fans. In fact, this band's horn section ended up on "Good Morning Good Morning." See if you recognize them:

"In the Hall of the Mountain King" - Sounds Incorporated

I'll leave you with a song that I consider one of the creepiest ever. Pat Hare's "I'm Gonna Murder My Baby" is so sonically disturbing that Robert Palmer (no, not that one) discussed its distortions in his essay "The Church of the Sonic Guitar." Lyrically, though, it's just as violent. We listen as Hare pleads his case, proclaiming that he's "gonna kill her tomorrow." The kicker? He soon went to jail for--you guessed it--murdering his baby.

"I'm Gonna Murder My Baby" - Pat Hare

Happy Halloween!

Scopitones!

2009-10-20T23:48:00.005-04:00

Believe it or not, I had never heard of a Scopitone before today. As you can see from the picture above, a Scopitone is basically a primitive video jukebox. There are a number of excellent sites on the web dedicated to archiving Scopitone films, but the best for novices (like me) is probably Scopitones.com. They're doing a fantastic job unearthing and posting these early music videos. Here are two of my favorites so far:

(In a just world, the Tornados would be as famous as the Ventures.)

(Risque!)

Gankin' from the Godfather.

2009-10-16T16:46:00.006-04:00

After the success of our last covers post, I figured we'd turn it into an occasional series. (BTW - if you've got suggestions, email me or leave a comment.) This week we are sharing a number of artists covering the Godfather of Soul himself, James Brown.

Just as we began with two covers of "Eleanor Rigby" last time, we're starting with two markedly different versions of JB's classic "I Don't Want Nobody." The first is by jazz guitarist Grant Green, whose laid back, muted version of the song pretty much exemplifies why he's a jazz-funk legend. In contrast, Randy California's version (from the aforementioned Kapt. Kopter & the (Fabulous) Twirlybirds) rocks hard. If Hendrix ever covered James Brown, I'm fairly certain it would come out something like this:

"I Don't Want Nobody" - Grant Green

"I Don't Want Nobody" - Randy California

Next up is the Blues Magoos' typically garage-y, blue eyed soulish take on "I'll Go Crazy." Structually, it's quite similar to JB's original. The prominence of the (Farfisa?) organ sets it apart, however, and the "you got to live" sections (with gang vocals) are particularly exuberant:

"I'll Go Crazy" - the Blues Magoos

The Kashmere Stage Band have certainly seen a revival of notoriety lately. Their material has finally been remastered and rereleased - deservedly so. Their version of "Super Bad" is brassy, fully orchestrated, but unrelentingly funky. Also, I love the organ solo near the end:

"Super Bad" - the Kashmere Stage Band

Gene Chandler's cover of "There Was a Time" is well known to Northern Soul fans and dare I say it, his amped-up version is even better than the original. Just try not to dance to this:

"There Was a Time" - Gene Chandler

And finally, we have Arthur Brown's manic version of "I've Got Money" (from 1968's brilliant--and vastly underrated--The Crazy World of Arthur Brown). Brown used to perform in a flaming helmet, but you don't need gimmicks to appreciate this:

"I've Got Money" - Arthur Brown

Enjoy and send me your suggestions for our next covers post!

Nasty Gal.

2009-10-10T01:43:00.002-04:00

Here's some exciting news. After 33 years in limbo, feminist funkateer/sex goddess/all-around-badass Betty Davis' lost record "Is it Love or Desire?" is finally being released. You can download a free mp3 and order the record here.

Oliver Wang (of Soul Sides fame) wrote the liner notes. He's got a post on the album (and more free music!) here.

John Cale & Terry Riley - "Church of Anthrax"

2009-10-04T13:47:00.006-04:00

John Cale famously played violin and bass for The Velvet Underground before Doug Yule replaced him in 19 68.

Terry Riley was among the pioneers of minimalism (along with Steve Reich and La Monte Young). He published and performed "In C" in 1964. Many other versions would follow, and In C's mathematical approach to improvisation not only set the groundwork for minimalism, but influenced many other genres as well.

In 1971, Cale and Riley released this collaboration which somehow sounds like both musicians while being very different from what either had done before. At times, the music recalls later Soft Machine. "Church of Anthrax" is a unique, hard to find record.

strongly recommended.

download "Church of Anthrax"

Fuzzy Bubblegum Goodness.

2009-10-03T21:07:00.004-04:00

And now - the versatility of the fuzz pedal, as demonstrated by three bands that only existed inside the teevee:

"Melody Hill" - The Archies (Tastefully utilized in a pop format.)

"I'm Gonna Find a Cave" - The Banana Splits (No one raves-up like four anthropomorphic animals.)

"Dark Part of My Mind (Part 1)" - Captain Groovy & His Bubblegum Army (Alright, so this group never quite made it to TV - perhaps the depravity of this cut explains why.)

Incidentally, "Part 2" ended up on the b-side of Crazy Elephant's "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'." You can hear it here.

Yeah, I'm doing research for a paper. Still awesome.

Pre-fabricated awesomeness.

2009-10-01T23:40:00.001-04:00

Here's a surprisingly funky tune from the kings of late 60s bubblegum:

"Creations of Simon" - the 1910 Fruitgum Company

(Well, at least until 1:55 or so.) Love the 6/8 breaks.

Also, because it's awesome:

Submitted without comment.

2009-08-11T16:02:00.001-04:00

"America the Beautiful/The Times They Are A'Changin'" - Spirit

(from 1975's Spirit of '76)

Modifying the Mopheads.

2009-08-04T21:27:00.002-04:00

I thought it would be fun to share a bunch of Beatles covers that I love. I figured we'd begin with two wildly differing covers of "Eleanor Rigby:"

"Eleanor Rigby" - the Nite-Liters
"Eleanor Rigby" - the Ventures

The Nite-Liters' version is characteristically funky, with a heavy emphasis on horns. The Ventures' version, however, is understandably guitar-based. The track begins with the original's famous string arrangement, but their cover comes into its own as soon as the lead guitarist engages his fuzz pedal at :38.

In the early 1970s, Randy California took a break from Spirit to record the succinctly titled Kapt. Kopter and the (Fabulous) Twirlybirds, his first solo effort. Upon its release in 1972, the album's druggy acid rock seemed badly dated and the record promptly sank without a trace. California recorded a number of covers for Kapt. Kopter, including James Brown's "I Don't Want Nobody" and Paul Simon's "Mother and Child Reunion." Neither of these touch his wonderfully deranged cover of the Beatles' "Rain," however:

"Rain" - Randy California

In contrast, Davy Graham's subdued take on "Mother Nature's Son" combines the folky atmosphere of the original with a distinctly impromptu, after-hours feel:

"Mother Nature's Son" - Davy Graham

And what kind of post would this be without a samba-fied Beatles track?

"Michelle" - Os Sambeatles

El Guincho - Folìas

2009-07-30T10:53:00.000-04:00

Last year El Guincho released what was supposedly his "debut" album. Many people fell in love with his blend of tropicalia, dance influenced looping, and generally sunny melodies. It's certainly a good record, but many aren't aware of this self released album from 2006. I personally prefer it to Alegranza, as the songs seem a little more developed and less monotonous. This record is long out of print, as it was only a cdr release to begin with. His record label has apparently O.K.ed the free downloading of this record, so enjoy!

Download "Folìas"

Various things.

2009-07-29T10:43:00.002-04:00

"Angel of Air - Angel of Water" - Alice Coltrane & Carlos Santana
"Angel of Sunlight" - Alice Coltrane & Carlos Santana

Recorded during Carlos Santana's jazz fusion period, Illuminations (1974) is sometimes regarded as the lesser counterpart to Love Devotion Surrender, his 1973 collaboration with John McLaughlin. That's a shame, though, because re-examination reveals Illuminations to be an unusual, intriguing, and occasionally excellent album. Alice Coltrane's string arrangements are particularly striking and function as a smooth complement to the ensemble's (occasionally free) soloing. Eastern motifs occur frequently, particularly on the noisy modal jam "Angel of Sunlight," while "Angel of Air - Angel of Water" embodies the blissful, contemplative tone of much of the record.

"Time" - The Tropics
"You Better Move" - The Tropics

In the mid to late 1960s, the Tropics were supposed to be the next-big-thing, at least according to other Floridians. My dad mentioned this band when I got into garage rock in high school and believe it or not, they're actually pretty good. They kinda devolved into a poor man's Vanilla Fudge by 1969, but their earlier recordings are enjoyable, particularly if you're a Nuggets obsessive like me. "Time" is a Zombies-style minor keyed pop number, while "You Better Move" is a harmonica-laden rave-up.

"Jaws" - Johnny Otis

The best part of this song is the totally unexpected vibraphone solo.

We who are bound to each other by love.

2009-06-02T09:10:00.001-04:00

Because I'm getting married in less than two weeks:

"Honeymoon Song" - Mary Hopkin

(!!!)

Mort Garson - Electronic Hair Pieces

2009-03-28T15:34:00.000-04:00

As ridiculous as this may sound, this is an electronic re-imagining of the Hair soundtrack by the same mastermind that brought us "Lucifer - Black Mass." For the most part it's another kitschy electronic artifact from the late sixties, but Walking In Space is a legitimately great track. And come on, that artwork is awesome!

Download "Electronic Hair Pieces"

More Eddie Harris/Melvin Jackson

2009-03-20T07:09:00.002-04:00

This is a video of Eddie Harris performing "Listen Here" at Montreux in 1969. You can actually see him flip on the Echoplex at around 3:20 in the video. Just listen to the difference it makes in the texture of the song. The track goes from being a funky soul-jazz number to a spacy--even avant garde--excursion. Harris' bassist for the Montreux performance was longtime collaborator (and fellow electric jazz pioneer) Melvin Jackson. Jackson's Funky Skull album was thankfully reissued by Dusty Groove in 2007. If you enjoy Harris' work, you'll love this:

"Funky Skull, Pts. 1 & 2" - Melvin Jackson

"Dance of the Dervish" - Melvin Jackson

John Martyn

2009-03-05T08:11:00.002-05:00

John Martyn was originally an English folkie active in the late 60s/early 70s scene that birthed Pentangle (bassist Danny Thompson was a lifelong collaborator) and Nick Drake (one of Martyn's best friends). At some point in the early 70s, however, Martyn discovered electronics and began experimenting with phase shifters, fuzz pedals and the Echoplex. Martyn's experimentation came to full fruition on 1973's Inside Out which combined his virtuosic acoustic guitar technique with cutting edge electronic innovations. The first track on that album ("Fine Lines") is a subtle, quiet beginning that embodies the record's seemingly idiosyncratic combination. Martyn's slurred vocal and acoustic guitar continue throughout the entire song, but an electrified guitar solo (at about 1:35) lets us know that this isn't exactly Pink Moon.

Martyn's experimentation with spacy electronics continued throughout the decade. He even collaborated with Lee "Scratch" Perry on the seminal "Big Muff." Martyn's interest in world music and electrified jazz is particularly evident on "Root Love" from Sunday's Child (1974), a track which (to my mind, anyway) shows the influence of Miles Davis' On the Corner album. Also, I absolutely adore this song's gritty guitar riff.

Sadly, Martyn died earlier this year. He will be missed. Take a listen:

"Fine Lines" - John Martyn

"Root Love" - John Martyn

Also, check out this video of Martyn performing "I'd Rather Be the Devil." Note his rhythmic use of the Echoplex:

Sunday Songs.

2009-02-19T09:37:00.002-05:00

After Soul Sides featured Blossom Dearie's "Sunday Afternoon" and Mixtape Riot featured Margo Guryan's "Sunday Morning," I thought it might be fun to post a few other "Sunday songs."

"Sunday Date" - the Flee-Rekkers

Produced by Joe Meek, this song has all of his signature gimmicks: tremelo, treble-y guitars, cheap tape echo and wordless vocals. So good, it almost makes you forget that he murdered his landlady. (Incidentally, another of Joe Meek's groups, the Moontrekkers, recorded a track called "Sunday Sunset.")

"Black Sunday" - the Skatalites

I'm still trying to figure out which Black Sunday this song is referencing. Personally, I think the Skatalites were inspired by Italian director Mario Bava.

And because I think it's completely over-the-top and therefore strikingly different from Margo Guryan's recording, here's a cover of "Sunday Morning" by Spanky & Our Gang:

"Sunday Morning" - Spanky & Our Gang

Enjoy.

Slow Jam of the Moment

2009-02-07T18:18:00.002-05:00

For some unknown reason, I've only recently discovered the work of electric saxophonist Eddie Harris. This is strange for a number of reasons, particularly my unhealthy obsession with delay and echo units (Harris used the Echoplex) and my interest in electrified, spacy jazz (a la Donald Byrd's Electric Byrd album). In any case, I've been lovin' me some Eddie Harris lately - especially this quiet, sensuous track from Is It In (1973):

"Space Commercial" - Eddie Harris

I love the delayed, (probably) Uni-Vibed guitar work and Harris' electronically treated solo. Supposedly the mechanism used for this song was built by Bob Moog, which should give you some idea of Harris' cred among the 1970s' electronic music community. Bonus points for the early drum machine.

Enjoy.

Funky Foundations.

2009-01-29T15:33:00.002-05:00

Despite three major pop hits in two years, the Foundations were floundering by late 1969. Their final Top 10 hit ("In the Bad, Bad Old Days (Before You Loved Me)") had fallen down the charts and two subsequent releases had fallen largely on deaf ears. Fearing that their pop-soul fusion was becoming irrelevant, the group (a septet at this point) began to incorporate funkier, more contemporary sounds into their sets. In June of 1970, they released "I'm Gonna Be A Rich Man" b/w "In The Beginning," the latter track an instrumental incorporating funk drumming as well as a middle section featuring jazz flute and a harpsichord. Unfortunately, the single went nowhere and the intriguing b-side remained mostly unheard. The group was all by defunct within a few months.

Just before their breakup, however, the Foundations recorded a track entitled "Where the Fire Burns" that remained unreleased until their material was reissued on CD in the 1990s. Like "In the Beginning," its relatively obscurity is unfortunate, given that the song's cinematic jazz-funk looks forward to the blaxploitation soundtracks then still a few years in the future. Indeed, it's hard to believe that this track was recorded by the same group who brought "Build Me Up Buttercup" to the top of the U.S. charts only a year earlier. Take a listen:

"In the Beginning" - the Foundations

"Where the Fire Burns" - the Foundations

(Much of the information from this post can be found in Roger Dopson's liner notes to the Foundations' Baby, Now That I've Found You release on Sequel Records.)

Local Atomic-Age Paranoia.

2009-01-07T07:09:00.001-05:00

Here's a slightly morbid bit of musical trivia from Polk County's past:

"Fallout Shelter" - Billy Chambers

(Incidentally, "Fallout Shelter" was recorded with a chorus of backup singers from my undergraduate alma mater, Florida Southern College.)

And while we're at it:

"This Cold War With You" - Floyd Tillmann

Enjoy.

2008 Playist

2009-01-04T12:01:00.000-05:00

the rules I've imposed on myself are as follow: I can only pick one song from each record I've listened to or enjoyed from 2008. some records only have one track that I liked, so those were easy to pick. others were harder (especially from records that worked together as a full album, such as microcastle). anyway, I'm sorry for the lack of download links, but if you come across these tracks, they're all pretty good (even the vampire weekend song!).

Chopped N Skrewed (Feat. Ludacris) by T-Pain (Thr33 Ringz)

Kim & Jessie by M83 (Saturdays = Youth)

Time To Pretend by MGMT (Oracular Spectacular)

Things I Did When I Was Dead by No Age (Nouns)

Water Curses by Animal Collective (Water Curses)

A Milli by Lil Wayne (Tha Carter III)

Live-Long by Abe Vigoda (Skeleton)

Sabali by Amadou & Mariam (Welcome To Mali)

My Life (Feat. Lil Wayne) by The Game (L.A.X.)

Recent Bedroom by Atlas Sound (Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel)

All The Years by Beach House (Devotion)

I'll Be Glad by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (Lie Down In The Light)

Rode Null by Hauschka (Ferndorf)

The City In The Sea by Crystal Stilts (Alight Of Night)

Strange Overtones by David Byrne and Brian Eno (Everything That Happens Will Happen Today)

I Decided by Solange (Sol-Angel & The Hadley St. Dreams)

Gobbledigook by Sigur Rós (Me› su› í eyrum vi› spilum end)

Never Stops by Deerhunter (Microcastle)

Old Old Fashioned by Frightened Rabbit (The Midnight Organ Fight)

Oliver James by Fleet Foxes (Fleet Foxes)

Waves of Rye by Department Of Eagles (In Ear Park)

Weekend by The Sea And Cake (Car Alarm)

Wrestlers by Hot Chip (Made In the Dark)

Lights Out by Santogold (Santogold)

I’m Watching You by Jay Reatard (Matador Singles ‘08)

Another Day by Times New Viking (Rip it Off)

Tane Mahuta by The Ruby Suns (Sea Lion)

Black Rice by Women (Women)

A-Punk by Vampire Weekend (Vampire Weekend)

The Snow Leopard by Shearwater (Rook)

2008.

2008-12-29T12:21:00.002-05:00

Well, it's list-making time. Here are a few of the songs that I played endlessly in 2008:

"Campbell Lock" - Don "Soul Train" Campbell

A funky dance number from the creator of "locking" (soon to be paired with "popping"). Campbell was a founding member of The Lockers, a pioneering dance troupe that also featured a young Fred "Rerun" Berry and a pre-"Mickey" Toni Basil.

"Thrills and Chills" - Helene Smith

This is one of my favorite tracks from the Eccentric Soul: The Deep City Label compilation. There's something about the insistent beat and reverberative organ that makes this track instantly memorable.

"The Shadow of Your Smile" - Jack McDuff

Speaking of reverberative organ, this song oozes with sensuality thanks to Jack McDuff's fluid mastery of the Hammond organ. I first heard this on the What it is! Funky Soul and Rare Grooves box set, but it's originally from McDuff's Tobacco Road album. If you love soulful jazz, pick it up.

"Ice Cube Island" - Merrell Fankhauser & H.M.S. Bounty

I read about Merrell Fankhauser in high school (Richie Unterberger's Unknown Legends of Rock and Roll, again) but his stuff is so obscure that I didn't hear much of it until recently. "Ice Cube Island" is from the 1968 Things album, which is really just a great folk-rock record with slight psychedelic tinges here and there. This song, however, embraces the album's druggy subtext with a dreamy, sighing vocal and gloriously vague lyrics. (Why, for instance, does she "hate us all?") I also love the sunshine pop-esque backing vocals.

"Yokomo" - Yamasuki

I learned about this record from Oliver Wang's Soul Sides blog. Yamasuki was, apparently, a bizarre French project aiming to fuse Japanese culture with funky soul. There's a whole album of this stuff, most of it really freaking awesome. This is my favorite track from the record.

What did you keep on repeat this year?

La Monte Young & Marian Zazeela - The Black Record

2008-12-29T11:15:00.000-05:00

This is an incredibly rare record from one of the original minimalist composers. La Monte Young was a little more out there, a little less formal than Philip Glass, or even Steve Reich. He spoke in interviews about the first sounds he remembered hearing. He was a pretty far out there guy.

This record, however, is captivating. The first track is the real reason to download it. It's very eastern influenced. In certain ways it's almost a space rock record, but it's also so completely stripped down to the basics. The second track is very much a noise composition. It's almost an early incarnation of industrial (think Einsterzende Neubauten, not nine inch nails). Anyway, download this gem and enjoy it, because God knows none of us can afford to buy it (I've seen copies go for as high as $650!).

download "The Black Record"

In the holiday spirit...

2008-12-12T08:20:00.000-05:00

The Star Wars Holiday Special

The Rising Storm.

2008-12-11T07:01:00.002-05:00

One of the books that I tore through as a teenager was Richie Unterberger's Unknown Legends of Rock 'n' Roll. I learned about oodles of obscure and wonderful artists from this book. It pretty much established me as a record geek. It's worth getting.

Anyway, the book has a chapter dedicated to sixties garage rock. One of the groups that Unterberger profiles is Andover, Massachusetts' the Rising Storm. Composed of six prep school students, the band recorded and pressed an album just before their graduation. Recorded in a week for $1000, the record largely consists (typically) of covers.

Calm Before, however, also contains a few original compositions which are truly sublime. One of these cuts, "Frozen Laughter," was included on the CD that came with Unterberger's book. Quiet, mysterious, and vaguely gothic, these folk-rock originals sound otherworldly - especially for 1967. I've included three of them for your listening pleasure:

"Frozen Laughter" - the Rising Storm

"To L.N. Who Doesn't Know" - the Rising Storm

"The Rain Falls Down" - the Rising Storm

Enjoy.

Edit: Updated links. Apparently two of them weren't working. My bad.

Walking Catfish - The R.I.A.A. Took My Baby Away

2008-11-23T14:55:00.000-05:00

Download "The R.I.A.A. Took My Baby Away"

This is a collection of songs I've recently recorded. It's sort of a b-sides companion piece to the record I've really been working on. I just decided these tracks did not fit, so I'd give them their own home. they also seem to have a slightly more experimental feel to them. If you're interested, here's a track by track rundown.

1. I Can See -
This is an entirely vocal recording about someone who rubs me the wrong way. I recorded this song in 20 minutes, and for all its imperfections, I didn't want to go back and change anything for fear of losing any of the authenticity. It was sort of written in the aftermath of an altercation with this person.

2. Song For Jeff Mangum (slow tape phase mix) -
this is a version of a song that will be on "zero...", but in this version it's been filtered through a tape recorder and slowed down on two seperate mono tracks, which go slightly in and out of phase with each other due to the inconsistent speed of the tape player. this version of the song has a different feel from the other. that doorbell sound is a kalimba.

3. Am I A Sedative? -
here is an old song from probably 8 or 9 years ago that I always liked and never did much with. I used some of an old recording and tracked new vocals and added more guitar, as well as ukulele.

4. Giant Midgets From Outer Space -
this is an old fashioned instrumental in the vein of the ventures or the wrecking crew. my goal was simply to make it sound old.

5. A Day In The Fog -
this is a tin pan alley styled cheesy little song inspired by the goofy voices paul mccartney would sometimes use. this song makes me feel like I've become my father a bit, but here it is in all its hokey glory.

6. Happy Song Blues -
I wrote and recorded this song in 4 hours... the first time. that recording was lost, so I tried to recapture what I had done before. I think it turned out quite alright, but I'm a horrible whistler.

7. Two By Two -
I wrote the lyrics with my friend Robbie about 4 or 5 years ago. I had these samples grouped together and no lyrics to put to them. when Robbie and I had originally written it, we were combining noah and the flood, the great depression, and some post-apocalyptic scenario into a weird little story song. when I went back to read the lyrics, I was surprised by how relevant they are now. the samples are from a spaceman three song, a harry nilsson song, and a jimmy cliff song.

Gibbons continued.

2008-11-21T07:51:00.001-05:00

Alright, so this is a bit of a continuation from last week:

In 1978, Walter Gibbons mixed a single by the Luv You Madly Orchestra, "Rocket Rock" b/w "Moon Maiden." The "orchestra" was basically an attempt at combining Duke Ellington compositions with the current disco rage (seriously). Novelty aspects aside, the single is spacy as hell and unmistakably the work of Mr. Gibbons. Both sides contain phased strings, odd sound effects and latin rhythms galore. "Moon Maiden" is arguably the more unusual of the two, but "Rocket Rock" isn't exactly mainstream material. Occasionally the songs (particularly "Moon Maiden") remind me of James Chance during his Off White period.

Take a listen:

"Rocket Rock" - Luv You Madly Orchestra
"Moon Maiden" - Luv You Madly Orchestra

And since I mentioned it:

"Contort Yourself" - James White and the Blacks

Walter Gibbons.

2008-11-13T15:21:00.002-05:00

I've been researching the career of Walter Gibbons lately. His work remains largely unknown, but his unorthodox remixes of disco hits paved the way for house, trance, and the various electronic dance musics of today. Gibbons, like Kool Herc, used two turntables (and two copies of the same record) in order to extend drum breaks ad infinitum. Dancers went nuts and Salsoul Records understandably hired him to remix their disco releases. Gibbons was influenced by dub reggae and (as David Toop points out in Ocean of Sound), his remixing techniques came to be known as "New York Dub."

Gibbons later remixed a number of tracks for Arthur Russell, a cellist whose work runs the gamut from avant garde compositions to funky dance songs. I've included one of those pieces here.

"Doin' the Best that I Can (Walter Gibbons Remix)" - Bettye Lavette

"Salsoul 3001 (Mixed by Walter Gibbons)" - Salsoul Orchestra

"Let's Go Swimming (Walter Gibbons Mix)" - Arthur Russell

Looks of Love

2008-11-06T14:41:00.002-05:00

"Look of Love" - Sergio Mendes & Brazil '66

"Look of Love" - the Meters

"Look of Love" - Isaac Hayes

Here's a metamorphosis for you. "The Look of Love" is a fairly lightweight Burt Bacharach tune that was a huge hit for Sergio Mendes in 1968. It was soon covered by everyone and their mom - but a few of these covers ended up completely transcending the original. The Meters totally deconstructed the Mendes version, resulting in a soulful, gritty recording that's quite a bit moodier than a lot of their sides. They recorded the song in 1969, but it wasn't released until Sundazed started reissuing their material in the late 90s. Otherwise, one might wonder if it was an influence on Isaac Hayes' epic arrangement from 1970.

And now that you're an expert, name that sample:

"Stand Strong" - Smif-N-Wessun

Mirroribis - Let's K

2008-10-31T10:56:00.001-04:00

Here's another local who is making quality electronic music. You would think we would have some sort of venue to cater to all this local talent, but you'd be surprised how many people have made our particular local scene their enemy. If there WAS a way to promote the scene here, people would learn that not only is this a very diverse artistic environment, but that some of those among us are at least as good as anything you'll hear anywhere else (I'd have to say, sometimes better). Mirroribis makes very minimal electronic music that seems to tie the atmosphere and glitchiness of Oval together with driving Aphex Twin influenced rhythms that sound like they are made out of rough samples reminiscent of early Mum. Also, at times there is a playful toying with the very foundations of electronic music, not unlike Pan Sonic. I know I'm throwing a lot of names out there, and unfortunately minimal electronic music is one of those genres that seem endlessly wrought with reference points and "influenced by" sounds. For fans of this kind of music, it will be a welcome addition to their listening. For those who think they could scratch an Enya CD and it would sound just like Oval, this will probably be lost on you.

Download "Let's K"

Long Time Gal/Boy

2008-10-29T10:15:00.002-04:00

Here are two vastly different versions of the same calypso tune:

"This Long Time Gal A Never See You" - Monty Reynolds & the Shaw Park Calypso Band

(available on Mento Madness: Motta's Jamaican Mento, 1951-1956)

"Long Time Boy" - Nadia Cattouse

(available on Cult Cargo: Belize City Boil Up)

The first version is by Monty Reynolds & the Shaw Park Calypso Band. Technically, Monty Reynolds is a mento artist - mento being a distinctly Jamaican form of Caribbean folk music. His version of the song is upbeat - manic, even - especially in comparison to contemporary mento artists like the Jolly Boys.

In constrast, Nadia Cattouse's take on the song is slow, romantic, and folky. I love the flautist's emulation of birdsong throughout the recording. Go buy the entire Numero Group catalog - seriously.

Enjoy!

Os Megatons (self titled)

2008-10-27T16:25:00.001-04:00

Os Megatons were an instrumental rock and roll band from Brazil. This record was released in 1964. Much like The Ventures, they tend to lean toward surf on most of their tracks here. the quality of musicianship and production is pretty high, and their distance from the american scene seems to allow them a unique approach, free of the cliches that are commonly found in american surf rock. This is a tight, highly enjoyable record!

Download "Os Megatons"

the steel and brass band.

2008-10-23T12:37:00.001-04:00

i went to an estate sale a while back and found a really strange album called "steel & brass" in a stack of (mostly) worthless records. it was in decent shape and i was somewhat intrigued, so i bought it. turns out that "the steel and brass band" was directed by this guy, an influential steel drum player from trinidad. the record contains steel drum versions of popular songs from the late sixties and early seventies. the tracks are both bizarre and really, really awesome. enjoy:

"everybody's talkin'" - the steel and brass band (yes, the fred neil/harry nilsson song)

"aquarius" - the steel and brass band (from the musical "hair")

'nard - bernard wright

2008-10-18T11:56:00.002-04:00

bernard wright's 1981 album 'nard is an important document of an obscure and little studied era. in the early eighties, disco was over, funk was going electro and jazz fusion was starting to become really lame. the saving grace of dance music during this period was the rise of hip hop. bernard wright was not a rapper or a d.j. - he was, in fact, a sixteen year old jazz keyboardist - but this (his debut record) combined all of the innovations of seventies' funk and fusion with the latest sounds pouring out of ghetto blasters in new york city.

wright was an integral part of the jamaica, queens funk scene, which consisted of quite a few jazz players who weren't afraid to dabble in r&b. (one of the significant hits from this period - "funkin' for jamaica" - was by moonlighting jazz musician and queens resident tom browne.) 'nard is, in my opinion anyway, probably the best record to come out of that scene. it's been sampled to death, which ought to tell you about its popularity among collectors and d.j.s. check it out:

"haboglabotribin'" - bernard wright (sampled in snoop dogg's "gz and hustlas")

"master rocker" - bernard wright (slightly dubby jazz-funk number)

"just chillin' out" - bernard wright (apparently this was the single from the record.)

"spinnin'" - bernard wright (sampled in skee-lo's "i wish")

it's time for: REVIEW A REVIEWER!

2008-10-06T16:55:00.001-04:00

Scott Jensen - "Nothing Gold Can (or should) Stay"

the first thing I have to point out is that this outright unwarranted attack on Santogold comes to us from the same publication that gave the new kings of leon record 4 out of 5 stars (sorry scott harrell, but you admitted it was sort of biased, no?). to go on a rampage against mediocrity and celebrate it elsewhere is just inconsistent.

also, the piece in question assumes that to tear something down and spit on is to enlighten. santogold sounds nothing like either cyndi lauper OR lil wayne, but mr. jensen seems to think Santogold could be their lovechild. she has her similarities to a lot of folks, and no one is claiming her to be some sort of creative messiah. m.i.a. did the electronic stuff better, but I still think she's kicking gwen stefanie's butt in the rock arena. to site her dub influenced work as "sublime on acid (paraphrased)" not only misses the point completely, but also thinks that lee scratch perry and bob marley are the same thing. look, I don't even particularly enjoy any kind of reggae, but I still know there's a huge difference between the two. john (crayon) made sure I at least knew that.

I have another bone to pick with this article. it says that people only like Santogold's music because they're stuck up "pitchfork's ass". first of all, p4k didn't give her record the best review either. secondly, why try to set yourself apart from someone else who basically does the same thing you do? it's all radical statements to upset people into wanting to read your rag. get real. stop being such an attention whore.

-edited: correct link

Pride - Pride

2008-10-05T22:33:00.001-04:00

It may sound like some sort of pretentious music snob joke, but there actually HAVE been records by bands that never existed. This is one of them. It was actually a project put together by David Axelrod in 1970. The vocalist is rumored to have been a former member of Love. It's a spanish style influenced psyche record with really great production (this is a surprisingly good transfer for such an extremely rare record). Enjoy!

Download "Pride"

in the year 2005 a.d.

2008-10-01T18:56:00.000-04:00

(click to enlarge)

Lucifer - Black Mass

2008-09-24T10:50:00.000-04:00

now this may sound like a sinister title, but I assure you that it's no more frightening than waiting in line for space mountain. it's an odd little electronic record from 1971. for the most part it's fairly dated, but the second track gets pretty rhythmic and almost reminds me of IDM. there are lots of moog sounds here, so if you want something kitschy to put on for the holiday season, I highly recommend this one.

Download "Black Mass"

I know I've been putting lots of weird old electronic records up, but as far as things that are so obscure that I don't have to worry about people losing money from my posting, there's a whole lot of this stuff out there. I'll try to put up something a little more accessible next time. in the meantime, enjoy the creepy goodness!

Video - from the Joon scrap book

2008-09-24T10:47:00.000-04:00

this video is kind of old now (about a year and a half, I think), but it's a funny little artifact from our time as a three piece.

funky florida.

2008-09-18T07:28:00.000-04:00

lately, i've been sifting through a number of compilations dedicated to soul and funk from the sunshine state. i wanted to share some of my favorite tracks with you:

"don't make the good girls go bad" - della humphrey

"90% of me is you" - gwen mccrae

(from miami sound: rare funk and soul from miami, fl 1967-1974")

"funky fast bump" - the outlaw gang

"quit jive'in" - pearly queen

(from florida funk: funk 45s from the alligator state)

"thrills and chills" - helene smith

(from eccentric soul: the deep city label)

enjoy.

Georges Rodi - Electronic Sounds

2008-09-17T10:43:00.001-04:00

Here's a weird old record of library music. It's almost entirely electronic (one track has guitar) with some pretty cool arrangements. I think it's from Italy, but that's just a guess. I don't know anything about Georges Rodi, so if anyone has any information about him, please comment and let us know!

Download "Electronic Sounds"

Fine Journalism

2008-09-17T08:22:00.000-04:00

This morning I heard a news anchor use the phrase "a whole 'nother". I was confounded, really. I'm sure many of you could venture to guess which network I was watching. I'll give you a hint: it rhymes with rocks, as in "dumb as a box of..."

It's only a matter of time before Mike Judge's prophecy comes true.

Pierre Henry "Psyché Rock"

2008-09-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

this is just a really fun song. really far ahead of its time.

Synthesizers Unlimited - Electrik Bazaar

2008-09-15T14:00:00.002-04:00

Here is a bootleg of an unreleased, uncredited electronic funk fusion band from France. Apparently it was recorded in the early seventies (I think 1974). The Only name attached to it is Anthony King, of whom little is known. The music is surprisingly modern (especially the opening track!). Don't be surprised if you hear this sampled in the near future.

Download "Electrik Bazaar"

Missing No. - The Clatson Winic

2008-09-15T13:45:00.002-04:00

Missing No. record their own sample sources. I'm not sure how they do it, but they make incredible electronic music out of their own home recordings. I guess I'd call it bedroom IDM. Be sure to check out the track IDX, which is a personal favorite.

Download "The Clatson Winic"
1. Yellow Jacket
2. Outside Films
3. Suite B
4. Rose Broom
5. IDX
6. Jeighemm590
7. Kronos
8. Purple Jacket
9. Dan's Cup of Gems

Jay Tholen - Your Sonic Residence

2008-09-15T13:20:00.001-04:00

One of the more talented and prolific artists in our area is an electronic musician by the name of Jay Tholen. This is probably my favorite of his e.p.'s (he has a good handful of them). Download it and enjoy!

Download "Your Sonic Residence"
http://jaytholen.net

Go, Fi, Go, Fi, Go.

2008-09-15T13:13:00.001-04:00

I am Shayne. I play in a band called Joon. I am also in the process of starting a band called Walking Catfish, but that's sort of a slow-going process. I have a friend who plays with me in Joon. His name is John. He will be posting here as well. Together, we will tell you about music we love, music we make, and about other good music from our area. There will be lots of FREE MUSIC posted for download, but it will be posted with permission from the artists or will just be so darned old and/or obscure that copyrighting won't be an issue. Guilt Free Good Music, ya hear?