IMPORTANT INFO

JLM moved, innit?

Took bloody long enough, but the blog has moved. There was an accident during the move where by I managed to smash the ‘t’ clean off the end of the word ‘just’… oops. Anyway, please update your links/shortcuts/feed readers to…

http://www.juslikemusic.com

Also, the podcast has changed feed address, so please update your iTunes (or equivalent) to…

http://feeds.feedburner.com/juslikepodcast

Oh and please don’t be shy, feel free to share the new link with friends. Such info can be a very powerful bargaining tool. I once heard a story where a guy managed to get fellatio by sharing the link to JLM. I don’t condone blackmail and I cant possibly confirm the validity of the story, but you get the idea I’m sure.

Anyway, I’ll see you on the other side. I’m sure you’ll like it, it’s very fancy!

LIVE: Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings

James Brown was known as the hardest working man in show business, the Godfather of Soul, and generally one funky mutha - so the events of Friday 7th March 2008 in Brisbane, Australia would then surely have made him an immensely proud man. I’m talking about Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings playing live at The Tivoli in Brisbane.

I’m still pinching myself even now, well over a week after the amazing event.

Touring off the back of their latest release ‘100 Days, 100 Nights’ on the label Daptone Records, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings had arrived in Australia to play several gigs, including appearances at some local festivals. I had been anticipating this for over six months and then as if by magic, the date was upon us.

Brisbane can be a fickle town for live music. There is an obvious bias towards rock and dance music and you never can tell how many people might actually leave the house for certain gigs on certain nights. When Breakestra came to Brisbane, there were probably around 300 people at the modestly sized club The Colombian. Late last year around the same number had turned out for Ohmega Watts at The Step Inn. But exactly who in Brisbane was really a Sharon Jones fan? Prior to the gig I knew around half a dozen people that were fans, so you’d understand my curiosity with regards to how many people would actually go. A friend had told me that one ticket outlet had sold over 100 tickets on their own and we came to the conclusion that if 500 people turned up, that would be a good result for Brisbane.

Doors were due to open at 7:30pm and as I was driving I really wanted to get a parking space, so I was there right on the dot! Found a spot easily and navigated myself to the back of the queue waiting to get into the old theatre. At this point there was about 50 people in the queue, all of varying ages and backgrounds - this seemed encouraging enough. Once inside I marvelled at the historical venue. As previously mentioned, The Tivoli is an old theatre, but now a venue for live music. I gazed around my surroundings and couldn’t help but crack a wry smile. I knew this would be the perfect venue for such a gig: the raised stage, huge draping deep red curtains, large dance floor and a massive balcony.

I grabbed a shirt from the merch table and a drink from the bar. After mingling with a few familiar faces (Brisbane is a small town!) I realised that I still wasn’t sure who the support act was. There were rumours of a Beat Junkie, but what we got was something altogether ‘different’. The curtain raised and out walked a man wearing an Evil Kanevil style blue jump-suit and a flight helmet with something attached to the front of it near the mouth. It turned out to be a guy named Bob Log III and the item attached to the front of the helmet was a telephone handset!

Bob is an Arizona native and one funny bastard! The telephone handset is plugged into an amp and he uses it as a mic. He also has a steel guitar, a huge kick-drum, a hi-hat and an effects machine. Basically, Bob Log III is a one-man electro-blues thrash band! It was fucking loud. Once my brain had settled and learnt to accept what it was being exposed to, I started getting into it. The style of Bob’s vocals reminded me slightly of Kings Of Leon (who I love). But the country overtones and crazy lyrics, coupled with Bob’s charismatic persona, was an experience to behold.

Bob also relies heavily on audience interaction and, as I mentioned, he is one funny bastard. His songs all seemed to be about alcohol and women, but they were extremely tongue in cheek and the crowd absolutely loved him. He played for a good hour before finally taking a bow. In hindsight, despite how different Bob is to Sharon and the boys, I think such an up-tempo and raucous support act worked perfectly to hype the crowd for the main spectacle.

Around an hour later than advertised, the Dap-Kings made to the stage. I knew it would be something special from the outset. There is always the worry that hyping something in your mind so much before an event can make it a bit of a let down, but the next two hours of my life did nothing but exceed all expectations.

Binky Griptite announced the band and proceeded to play the part of master of ceremonies for the evening. The band started by playing some of their instrumental numbers, including ‘Mellowmatic Mood’. Then finally they invited Sharon Jones out onto the stage. Wow, what a reception she got - and I should mention at this point, as I turned around the place was absolutely packed. Easily 800+ in The Tivoli. Brisbane had done me proud.

Sharon jumped straight into it. She is a fiery live wire if ever I’ve seen one. A true entertainer. She oozes talent and class - she was clearly born to do this. So much energy, she didn’t stand still once all night. Like Bob, she loves to include her audience and immediately set about collaborating with us for her live rendition of ‘Nobody’s Baby’, enticing us to fill in the ‘ooo-ooh’s’. The crowd lapped it up - she had us wrapped around her little finger.

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - Nobody’s Baby
>> download track / YSI
>> buy 100 Days, 100 Nights @ Daptone Records
This download link will expire on 25th March.

I was only about 30 feet from Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, but they were so on key and so perfect, that I had to keep rubbing my eyes to make sure I wasn’t actually watching some sort of 3D movie. The Dap-Kings are immense. They had two sax players, a trumpet player, a drummer, a guy on the congas and three different guitarists. Not forgetting Sharon, what a voice - ridiculously strong. The live show sounded easily as tight as the studio recordings, it all just seemed to come so naturally.

They played a large selection of their back-catalogue, but Sharon added stages to the performance too. At one point she decided to tell the story of her ancestors. Stating that one side comes from West Africa, this culminated in her doing an African peace dance. Then the other set of ancestors were Native American and she did a Native American peace dance. The crowd went absolutely spastic. There is no way just anyone in their fifties can do what Sharon does, she is incredible.

The show also included two separate occasions where people were invited up on to the stage. Sharon invited a few guys on stage for a dance and then at the pivotal points in the accompanying song she nudged them towards the edge of the stage with a snappy “bye-bye!” Then it was the turn of the girls and around six were invited up. Each had a little go at doing their dance piece - it was very entertaining!

Around two hours after the start, the band wrapped things up, they thanked Brisbane for coming out and they all left the stage. The applause that came straight after was the loudest I’ve heard in a long time and seemed to last forever. After what was actually about two minutes, Binky Griptite came out and declared that they were informed this was meant to be an early show and they thought they just had to come out, play a few songs then go home and go to bed. He asked “oh you want more?!”. Yes, Brisbane did want more. So the band assembled once more and Binky invited Sharon to come back out.

What followed was a near on hour-long encore that focused around James Brown covers. I started this article by stating that the late great James Brown would be extremely proud of what occurred on the night of Friday 7th March 2008, and this was why. Now Sharon Jones is originally from the same town as James Brown (Augusta, Georgia), but I don’t think any of this can be attributed to there being something in the water in those parts, this is something different, something very special indeed. Sharon sang ‘It’s a Man’s World’ and I think the collective number of goose pimples in the audience probably reached well into the millions.

The show finally concluded and a sea of people was left in complete awe of what they had just witnessed. I’ll state it once more: I’m still pinching myself.

I bumped into a few mates after and they looked like Santa had brought them all of their wildest dreams, but with some added interest. Then out the corner of my eye I spotted Binky Griptite walking my way. I seized the opportunity, and whilst trying not to sound like a crazed teenage girl at a Backstreet Boys concert, I shook his hand and told him exactly what I thought of his band and what I had just seen. Binky is truly a gentleman, and a humble one at that. We spoke for a few minutes bout music, vinyl and the future - oh, of which he divulged that there will be more Binky Griptite podcasts, so look out for those. I told him that what I had just witnessed eclipsed the amazing Breakestra gig I had attended in November 2006. I could tell that these words were accepted as a big of a compliment as they were intended. Others were waiting to speak with him, so we shook hands again and I wished him a pleasant remainder of his stay in Australia.

What more can I say?! I suppose like I said in my Breakestra article after seeing their live show, I’d just advise each and every one of you to ensure that if you ever get the opportunity, you have to see Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings live. They blow their contemporaries out of the water. Even people that don’t listen to soul or funk have been hypnotised by the Daptone effect. Get involved!

Up-coming tour dates:

• UK & Ireland
  • Thursday April 10 - Button Factory - Dublin, Ireland
    -
    Friday April 11 - Mint Lounge - Manchester, England
    -
    Saturday April 12th - Concorde 2 - Brighton, England
    -
    Sunday April 13th - The Yardbird - Birmingham, England
    -
    Wednesday April 16, 7pm
    Thursday April 17, 7pm
    Friday April 18, 7pm - Jazz Cafe - London, UK
    -
    Saturday April 19 - The Sage Gateshead - Gateshead, England
• US
  • Friday April 25th - Coachella Music Festival
    -
    Saturday May 31st - Mountain Jam Festival
    -
    Friday June 6th - Toyota Park - Bridgeview, IL
    -
    Saturday June 14th - Bonnaroo Festival
    -
    Sunday July 20th - KCRW’s World Festival @ Hollywood Bowl

Useful links:

• Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings MySpace
• Daptone Records website

Invisible Superstars

One would presume that this name was in direct reference to the fact that this compilation is made up of tracks created by amazing artists that many people will simply never have heard of before. Minus Controller 7 (of recent “Get Ready For The Young Folks” 7″ fame) I honestly had never heard of anyone featured on this release before.

The Secret Life Of Sound presents Invisible Superstars Volume 001. The Secret Life Of Sound is a record label owned by Rob Seeman and he enlisted the help of Controller 7 to create a sort of beat tape/sonic experiment featuring a host of their favourite electronic beat producers, all to be released; digitally, on 1000 pieces of limited vinyl and also 300 pieces of extremely limited GOLD vinyl. They wanted to create a unique record that could give the listener an insight into a world of diverse analog samples generated through non-traditional means of music composition and instrumentation. I have the said sought after gold vinyl, and I can tell you right now that it is something special indeed.

For starters, here is the tracklisting:

1. Miles Tilman - Chicken Salad Beats
2. Scott Matelic - Thoughtless
3. Controller 7 - Consumer
4. Tenshun - Mindfuck
5. Zombie Mountain - Heretic
6. Meatsock - Another Place
7. Mormon Freegan - Seeing n=0
8. Corsic - Romoxy
9. Buddy Peace - Slow Gang Funeral
10. PNS - Storm
11. Skoweyajeed - Papal Brakedance At 23.33
12. Thomas Dimuzio - Tire Damage

As soon as I heard the opening bar of Miles Tilman’s Chicken Salad Beats I knew this LP was gonna be good. Really gritty bass driven electronic beats - proper head nod stuff, whilst not being too overwhelming or overbearing. Like an up-to-date continuation of some of the early Coldcut material. Exquisite production and layering, this one would go down just as well in the car as the club. Next up is Thoughtless by Scott Matelic, no word of a lie, my favourite track right now, just incredible. So understated, yet so pure. Check it for yourself…

Scott Matelic - Thoughtless
>> download track / YSI
>> buy Invisible Superstars Vol. 1 @ TSLOS
This download link will expire on 2nd March.

The third track is a guitar driven heavy beat track by Controller 7, flexing that musical muscle and opening further the wide array of sounds Controller 7 can produce. Following that is a cinematic Wu-Tang’esque piece by Tenshun that breaks down into a real moody piece indeed. Many purists will want to seek out further Tenshun work after hearing this one!

Heretic brings us a more downtempo, yet trippy track. Enriched with details but light enough to just chill to. Keeping it relatively chilled, but switching the tempo up, Meatsock presents an almost drum ‘n’ bass tune with big props to Boards Of Canada and other such contemporaries. Mormon Freegan then flips the whole thing on its head and gives it some mash-up styles, somewhere between sci-fi soundtrack and gameshow in a steady beat style. Romoxy then brings everything back into line with a beautifully paced hip-hop beat laced with ethereal keys and brass. Just lie back and immerse yourself in this one.

The last quarter of the LP is a little more off the beaten track and commences with Buddy Peace’s Slow Gang Funeral - an eclectic blend of jazz-hop beats, vocal samples and electronic bleeps. It has a great rhythm to it and in ways reminds me of some of the more courageous Skalpel efforts. Following on is PNS with Storm, a downtempo head nodder for the head nodders. Often it can be the most simple sounding tracks that are the hardest to perfect - to create something so open can take great levels of detail and technique, well this PNS track hits the nail on the head, music for musicians or productions for producers?!

Skoweyajeed provides the penultimate track, an out there soundscape that Four Tet would be proud of. The final track is by Thomas Dimuzio and if nothing else just goes to show what can be achieved with sound. Thomas is a “sound designer” and will sample anything to create a desired sound. It’s hard to label exactly what he does, but it is bloody interesting.

I have to doff my cap to The Secret Life Of Sound, as with this release they have really gone out of their way to share with us such incredible talents that seem to have been overlooked previously. It has been good to see Controller 7 records being raved about of late and perhaps now some of the other artists on Invisible Superstars Volume 1 will also achieve some further recognition, they definitely deserve it. If you can, definitely try and cop a copy of that gold vinyl… if you still can!

Useful links:

• The Secret Life Of Sound website
• The Secret Life Of Sound MySpace
• Controller 7 website
• Controller 7 blog

Dilla: Gone But Still Strong

James Yancey would have been 34 years of age Thursday just gone. That is no age. But as someone once said “when your chips are up… your chips are up” and James left this crazy casino of a world two years ago tomorrow (Sunday). Jay Dee was an incredible talent and a hugely respected artist amongst his peers, taken from us prematurely, leaving a legacy that has gone from strength to strength.

Each Dilla fan jumped on the Yancey-Express at different stations along his musical journey, but it is pleasing to see so many people getting joy out of his work, both recent and from way back. For many it has been a cathartic experience, and an exploration, to work their way back through his credited work with a diverse array of artists. If I had a penny for every time I heard someone say “I had no idea Dilla worked with Pharcyde!”, I’d nearly have as much money as Kanye West!

Steve Spacek - Let The Dollar Circulate
>> download track / YSI
>> visit Steve Spacek @ MySpace
This download link will expire on 16th February.

“Jay Dee was a producer’s producer, and not just in a press-release way. The dude made us all feel wack in a way that I can’t even explain to you. He was real black music with the soul out there on the floor, pushing every angle to take soul places it has never been before. He took sounds from other dimensions and infused soul into them. He made exactly what he wanted to hear and didn’t think of how it was gonna sound on an A&R’s table - and he walked away with every shred of credibility and creativity that we all wish we had.

Technically, he was a genius. Not a technical nerd (I wish he was), but really he was just that good - almost like he was from another planet. If God gives talent, Jay’s was hip-hop, and he even kept God guessing. Dilla invented trends, never followed ‘em.” - Diplo.

I don’t know if there’ll ever be another producer quite like Dilla, but he has influenced many. And don’t be mistaken, he was heavily influencing people way before his passing (like Diplo said above), it’s just like so many stories told, it can take a tragedy to open up some eyes.

“J is absolutely the most influential producer to bless the boards in the past decade, period. His talent spawned a whole new sound in hip-hop, R&B and soul music. I can honestly say that I have developed a bit of Dilla-ism in my approach to making beats at times. He was undeniably every producer’s favorite producer. He kept cats on their toes and was always ahead of himself. His vibe was infectious, electrifying and mystical. J. Dilla is an innovator and a true legend of our generation. I’m going to miss him.” - DJ Spinna.

DJ Spinna - Dilla is the G.O.A.T.
>> download track / YSI
>> buy Dilla is the G.O.A.T. @ Turntable Lab
This download link will expire on 16th February.

J.Rocc has released the third and final part of his mixes dedicated to the memory of Dilla. You can find links to the podcast and downloads at the Stones Throw website. Also check out this mural painted just outside Paris…

“Certainly one of the most important producers of our time. Apart from his incredible impact on music, which we all know about, my most poignant memory of Jay Dee was simply how humble and modest a fellow he was. Meeting him the first time I was filled with trepidation that he’d be this overbearing hip-hop monster, all blinged up and stuff, so you can understand how relieved I was when we got straight into a conversation about Cal Tjader. Pure music, man. He’ll be missed.” - Gilles Peterson.

The Roots - Dynamite!
>> download track / YSI
>> buy Things Fall Apart @ Amazon
This download link will expire on 16th February.

We’ll never forget. RIP James.

Useful links:

• J Dilla MySpace
• Mick Boogie presents Dilla-Gence free download
• Stones Throw website

Weapons Of Jazz Destruction

Sounds dramatic, doesn’t it? But relax, the only thing that is threatened with destruction is the ignorant belief that jazz music is dead. Jazz music isn’t dead, my friend - jazz music is alive and Ben Lamdin is here to testify. Who is Ben Lamdin?! He is Nostalgia 77, front-man of the Nostalgia 77 Octet and producer of the new Octet LP Weapons Of Jazz Destruction, out now on Tru Thoughts! That’s who!

Weapons Of Jazz Destruction dropped towards the end of November last year and kind of got sucked up into the end of year whirlwind vortex, so perhaps only the staunch fans had this register on the old radar. However, I’m not one to be committed to putting things in particular boxes and I believe that ones enjoyment from the arts does not have to be restricted by any boundaries. Fortunately in the case of this new album, I do think that it is very much accessible to anybody willing to relax and open their mind. The album is an hour long and takes the listener on an immense journey through time and styles. Inklings of legendary sounds, coupled with a fresh modern influence intended to stretch ones ear beyond its usual path. Of course, if you are actually a big jazz fan, then you are in for one hell of a treat.

Although not always an option, it really is advisable to listen to this record on a decent sound system. The array of instruments, and the sounds they obviously produce, is both rich and refined - it is a real sensory experience. You can close your eyes and invisage being dragged along a beautiful journey. Initially sounding like some powerful early Miles material, then later bounding through string laden lounge dreams, as soulful as they are hypnotic.

Ben Lamdin’s career thus far tells an interesting tale of a young man that started in the relms of hip-hop and funk, then made his journey back in time to find a more organic and hands-on sound that perhaps only jazz can provide. If one was to suggest that Danger Mouse or Dr. Dre were to head up their next project with an 8 piece jazz ensemble, you’d probably choke on your cheerios. Alas this is what Benjamin Lamdin did. Many hip-hop aficionados confess to a love of jazz and/or funk, but rarely do you expect them to output such material. I guess the closest we have come recently would be some of Madlib’s work, most of which was largely sampled and remixed. The Nostalgia 77 Octet is just that… an Octet.

This blend of electronic production techniques, paired with jazz and various soulful elements is perhaps what gives the sound such an edge. It would be easy to miss the target with something so bold - but Lamdin and his cohorts seem to pay a lot respect to the sounds they are crafting, no shortcuts are taken. The results are spectacular. Cliche as this might sound, Weapons Of Jazz Destruction truly makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. It is exquisite. Powerful, emotional. A set of 11 masterful compositions, that even in their infancy already sound timeless.

Nostalgia 77 Octet - The District
>> download track / YSI
>> buy Weapons Of Jazz Destruction @ EtchShop
This download link will expire on 10th February.

It’s all about the peaks - the highs and lows. From melancholy to inspiration, and back again. This album has a lot of depth to it, expressed in such an awesome fashion. Three quarters of it is instrumental, whilst the fantastic vocal talents of Sophie Smith are evident on a few tracks. As I said before, this already seems timeless. The only thing that could possibly better it would be to experience a live session of the said material. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for that. Weapons Of Jazz Destruction is in a similar vein to the previous Octet albums Sevens and Eights and Borderlands, although perhaps a bit darker. I’ve always felt that the best songs were the dark ones, and this just goes further to back up my theory. Well Ben, you’ve done it again.

Useful links:

• Nostalgia 77 MySpace
• Tru Thoughts website
• EtchShop website

Kutiman

If you read my Best of 2007 post last week you would have noticed that I included Kutiman’s self titled album. His soulful afrobeat creations, with a hint of Tel Aviv goodness, had those in the know grooving to the funk since the first 12″ (“No Reason For You”) dropped on Melting Pot Music last March (or maybe even the 45 (“No Groove Where I Come From / Chaser”) on Afro Kats back in 2006!). The full album then dropped in October, but for my Stateside friends, you will see an American release 12th February, so definitely look out for that.

Incase you missed the track I posted on last week’s entry, here it is again…

Kutiman - Music Is Ruling My World
>> download track / YSI
>> pre-order Kutiman @ Amazon.com
This download link will expire on 2nd February.

Also, a new video has been made for that very track. Directed by Gotam Gendelman, it features both Kutiman and the vocalist Karolina. The video pays homage to Blaxploitation films, but in a Tel Aviv style - it’s very cool!

If you are in Israel then you should be aware of a very special gig coming up soon, because Kutiman, Karolina and Sabbo will premiere their new soundsystem show on 2nd February, as the opening show for Erykah Badu’s first concert in Tel Aviv!

Useful links:

• Kutiman MySpace page
• Melting Pot Music website
• Afro Kats website

The Best of 2007

I heard a few people say that 2007 was a bad year for music, specially compared to 2006, but I have a list of 84 titles that beg to differ. I’m gonna detail 30 of my top picks, then I’ll just list the rest in no particularly special order. There isn’t enough hours in the day! In an ideal world I’d have mentioned all of the below albums at some point over the last year, but 84 albums is nearly one album every four days - even if by some miracle I did give a semi in-depth review of each one, I doubt you’d have enough time to read them all. I do often substitute my lack of prose with a slot on my podcast for new stuff that I dig, so try to catch that if you can.

Anyway, here’s my definitive Top 30 albums…

Pepe Deluxé - Spare Time Machine [mp3][ysi]
Beastie Boys - The Mix Up [mp3][ysi]
CocoRosie - The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn [mp3][ysi]
4hero - Play With The Changes [mp3][ysi]
Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra - Voices And Choices [mp3][ysi]
Y Society - Travel At Your Own Pace
Nostalgia 77 Octet - Weapons Of Jazz Destruction
Antibalas - Security
Me&You - Floating Heavy [mp3][ysi]
The Sweet Vandals - The Sweet Vandals
Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights
Ohmega Watts - Watts Happening
The Quantic Soul Orchestra - Tropidelico
Speeka - Bonfire
The Cinematic Orchestra - Ma Fleur
The Heliocentrics - Out There
The Bamboos - Rawville
Little Dragon - Little Dragon
Nostalgia 77 - Everything Under The Sun
Jay Bharadia - The Yeti Cave [mp3][ysi]
Sia - Lady Croissant
Jazz Addixx - Oxygen Refreshed
Bullion - Pet Sounds: In The Key Of Dee
Cookin’ On 3 Burners - Baked, Broiled & Fried
Kid Acne - Romance Ain’t Dead
Amon Tobin - Foley Room
Jumbonics - Talk To The Animals
Flevans - Unfabulous [mp3][ysi]
Thes One - Lifestyle Marketing
The Dynamics - Version Excursions

And the fantastic rest (in alphabetical order)…

2Tall - Beautiful Mindz (feat. Dudley Perkins & Georgia Anne Muldrow)
Battles - Mirrored
Blockhead - Uncle Tony’s Coloring Book
Bonde Do Role - With Lasers
Bumps - Bumps
CunninLynguists - Dirty Acres
Diesler - The Rhythm Station
Dinner At The Thompson’s - Lifetime On Planet Earth
Distance - My Demons
DJ Day - The Day Before
DJ Kentaro - Enter
Dntel - Dumb Luck
Dyno - Dyno is Sol Waters [mp3][ysi]
Elizabeth Shepherd - Besides
Feist - The Reminder
Fink - Distance and Time
Flow Dynamics - Flow Dynamics
Grieves - Irreversible [mp3][ysi]
Hot 8 Brass Band - Rock With The Hot 8
Husky Rescue - Ghost Is Not Real
Intellectually Sound - Beats and a Poem Vol.1
J Dilla - Ruff Draft
Juba Dance - Orange
Kidkanevil - Problems and Solutions
Kings Of Leon - Because Of The Times
Kutiman - Kutiman [mp3][ysi]
Lack Of Afro - Press On
Lefties Soul Connection - Skimming The Skum
Lotus Tribe - S.E.L.F.: The Art & War Of Misanthropic Philanthropy
Lou Rhodes - Bloom
Lukid - Onandon
M.I.A. - Kala
Madlib the Beat Konductor - Beat Konducta in India Vol 3-4
Norah Jones - Not Too Late
Orgone - The Killion Floor
Prefuse 73 - Preparations
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Robert Glasper - In My Element
Rup - Rup On Zebra
Saul Williams - The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!
Scianka - Secret Sister
Sia - Some People Have Real Problems
Speedometer - Four Flights Up
The Budos Band - The Budos Band II
The Haggis Horns - Hot Damn!
The Heavy - Great Vengeance & Furious Fire [mp3][ysi]
The Polyphonic Spree - The Fragile Army
The Shape Of Broad Minds - Craft Of The Lost Art
The Sound Stylistics - Play Deep Funk
Thief - Sunchild
Unkle Ho - Circus Maximus
Voice of the Seven Woods - Voice of the Seven Woods
Wajeed - The War LP
Wax Tailor - Hope and Sorrow
Yesterdays New Quintet - Yesterdays Universe

See, plenty of great albums came out in 2007. If you have the time, I’d advise you to check out any of the above if you haven’t heard of them before. Not every artist has millions of dollars worth of marketing push behind them, but that isn’t a measure of quality by any means what-so-ever. The Police have reformed and are taking Fergie (?!) on tour with them to sell out crowds around the globe. Sure, The Police were good in their day, but Fergie as SPECIAL guest?! Meanwhile Ohmega Watts played to a couple of hundred people in Brisbane. If enough commercials said so, some people would spread shit on their toast in the morning and wear condoms on their ears. Mass marketing and advertising doesn’t mean shit. However, it means that if you genuinely want to get your hands on decent music, then YOU have to put the effort in. Do your research, spend that extra five or ten minutes rather than waiting for your big FM station to ram some shit down your throat. Don’t settle for second best, get up off your arse and find the best yourself. The good stuff is there and is more accessible than you think, so go get it.

Belated Happy New Year!

Useful Links:

• The Best of 2006

Twelve of Twelve

So here is December - a symbolic month if nothing else. The last month of the year, an opportunity to look back on the last twelve months. I will write an obligatory “best of 2007″ style post, but most likely in January - before then I have a bit of catching up to do, or more specifically, I need to help you do some catching up! I’ve been so busy of late, but I have listened to so much good music, I just need to spit it all out over this here blog.

Before I get into listing talented artists and their respective wares, just wanted to give a shout-out to Ohmega Watts and DJ Manwell. I met those two the other week in Brisbane and they are two sound fellas. Spent a fair amount of time talking to Ohmega Watts before his performance. Couldn’t have met a more humble and approachable guy. I asked him if we were likely to see any more Lightheaded material any time soon and he told me that they owe Tres Records one more album… so it is coming… I just don’t know when! Anyway, he was in town to promote his new album Watts Happening and the live show was brilliant. Supported by the excellent DJ Manwell, Ohmega Watts performed a wide array of tracks from his new album as well as some older material too. The dude has great stage presence, and for someone who (and I quote) says he is “mainly a producer”, he certainly is a formidable emcee! Make sure you cop Watts Happening, out now on Ubiquity Records.

Radiohead and Prince have been giving their latest efforts away, but what about those poor souls still trying to actually sell their music? Well this is some of the stuff I’ve been digging of late…

Cookin’ On 3 Burners - Australian funk trio that includes Lanu of The Bamboos. A sort of ground down blend of organ driven funk with jazz stylings, this talented group have just released their debut LP on Freestyle Records, it is called Baked, Broiled & Fried. Check out their mean cover of Feel Good Inc. originally by Gorillaz.

Cookin’ On 3 Burners - Feel Good Inc.
>> download track / YSI
>> buy Baked, Broiled & Fried @ Amazon.com
This download link will expire on 17th December.

The Dynamics - Soulful dub act based in Paris, France. The Dynamics shot to the forefront of the DJ radar with their seven inch release of 7 Nation Army, obviously a cover. They then followed this up with a few other covers on seven inch vinyl, including a cracking one of Miss You by the Rolling Stones. Recently signed to the Groove Attack label, their debut album Version Excursions has literally just dropped. Here is that Stones cover…

The Dynamics - Miss You
>> download track / YSI
>> buy Version Excursions @ Amazon.com
This download link will expire on 17th December.

Little Dragon - Based in Sweden, you might recognise the vocalist from this ethereal act from her appearances with the Koop. Little Dragon’s downtempo jazzy slant on r’n'b is aurally soothing, whilst reassuringly refreshing. These guys have been around for a while but struck a cord with the recent seven inch double a-side release of Twice and Test, then subsequently their self-titled album on Peacefrog. Check the dreamy chasms of Twice…

Little Dragon - Twice
>> download track / YSI
>> buy Little Dragon @ Amazon.com
This download link will expire on 17th December.

The Sweet Vandals - A Spanish funk outfit, mixing elements of afro-beat and soul, signed to Unique Records. Their emphasis on creating a live, raw sound, fueled with powerful brass and mesmerizing keys will be sure to attract any funky mutha. Not forgetting, of course, the absolutely beautiful vocals of Mayka Edjo - she simply has a voice to die for. Listen for yourself…

The Sweet Vandals - Beautiful
>> download track / YSI
>> buy The Sweet Vandals @ Amazon.com
This download link will expire on 17th December.

Speeka - Hip-hop boys Rob Mac and Matt Smooth combine with instrumentalists and vocalists to create a loungey nu-jazz feel on Wah Wah 45s similar to lots yet also…nothing - a roundabout way of describing uniqueness I suppose! The point with Speeka is that their debut album, Bonfire, is packed with sounds edging on various genres, but each track is packaged up in quite a sincere way, the execution is remarkable…

Speeka - Rag Doll
>> download track / YSI
>> buy Bonfire@ Amazon.com
This download link will expire on 17th December.

Really just a small taster of some great records that have come out recently. Before I forget, if anyone has yet to check out the latest release by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings on Daptone Records, 100 Days, 100 Nights, then you want your head checking! Need I say more?

Coming up shortly will be a full review of the new Nostalgia 77 Octet LP Weapons of Jazz Destruction on Tru Thoughts, so look out for that. Also, I am well overdue releasing another JLM podcast. It currently stands at around 42 tracks long, so once I’ve whittled it all down to something a bit more appropriate, I’ll get it released!

Useful links:

• Cookin’ On 3 Burners MySpace
• The Dynamics MySpace
• Little Dragon MySpace
• The Sweet Vandals MySpace
• Speeka MySpace

Long Players

LPs, albums, whatever, we get the picture. More and more come out every week and there are no signs of this growth slowing down. I wonder when and where it will all end? As it is record shops simply don’t have the space to stock all of these new releases - if you’ve got a new album coming out, I hope you have a good marketing team behind your release. Anyway, with my bionic eagle-eye vision for new music, most the hawt stuff falls under my radar, so I just want to give a quick rundown on new (and relatively new) releases.

Patrick Watson - Close To Paradise (Secret City Records)

The reason ignorant bastards said the latest Cinematic Orchestra album sounded like Coldplay. If only those people had stopped to realise that even if parts of that album did indeed sound remotely like Coldplay, it would have been Coldplay at the top of their freakin’ game! Patrick Watson is an immense vocalist. I’ve not experienced anything as good in this ilk since the debut release from Damien Rice, only imagine this under a more adventurous pop guise ala Gotye perhaps. Strictly speaking this was originally released about a year ago, but I wont let that get in the way of a good review! It’s 13 tracks of indie-folk goodness, chock full of haunting vocals and beautiful music. There is something pretty indescribable about the atmosphere created by this album, you really need to hear it to fully understand.

Patrick Watson - Luscious Life
>> download track
>> buy Close To Paradise @ Amazon.com
This download link will expire on 28th October.

The Heliocentrics - Out There (Now Again)

A UK funk collective signed to the Stones Throw imprint Now-Again. That first sentence alone should be enough, but I’m never shy of a few words, so have some more… This stuff is heavy! These dudes backed Shadow on one of the only decent tracks on his latest album, that track was This Time. Madlib loves them, Egon loves them, Peanut Butter Wolf loves them - and not for no reason either. Their blend of psychedelic, dark melodies to the funkiest hip-hop’esque beats is just sublime. Guilty Simpson also lends a cypher or two on the 12″ release of Before I Die, so try to catch that while you can.

The Heliocentrics - Distant Star
>> download track
>> buy Out There @ Amazon.com
This download link will expire on 28th October.

Ohmega Watts - Watts Happening (Ubiquity Records)

Fresh from guest appearances on the latest Bamboos album and also from last year’s The Find album, Ohmega Watts is back! The first album had on point rhymes and flowed nicely, but this follow up stings hard! It is brimming with raw energy and I would say is actually better than his previous material. The beats are tight and the mic action is strong, this is one for all the real hip-hop heads. Flying that Ubiquity flag nice and high, Ohmega Watts wins again.

Ohmega Watts - Eyes and Ears
>> download track
>> buy Watts Happening @ Amazon.com
This download link will expire on 28th October.

Me&You - Floating Heavy (Tru Thoughts)

One of the albums of the year right here! Rob Luis and TM Juke of Tru Thoughts send an eclectic storm of creation right in your direction with Floating Heavy. Designed to blast the dancefloor in an authentic Tru Thoughts manner, heavy things done go on in Brighton this year! The jazzy cover of Roni Size’s Brown Paper Bag is pure class, whilst the blend of 1950s early Lord Kitchener style calypso/ska and high powered drum ‘n’ bass on Last Night will shake you to the core. There’s something for everyone on this album, but despite the eclectic array of sounds, what impresses me most is how consistently on point the whole thing is.

Me&You - Space Lizards
>> download track
>> buy Floating Heavy @ EtchShop
This download link will expire on 28th October.

Y Society - Travel At Your Own Pace (Tres Records)

Thes One is one half of People Under The Stairs, he is also heavily involved with the Tres Records label of which Y Society are signed to. Travel At Your Own Pace is a fantastic hip-hop album that manages to combine the raw sound of old skool beats with modern production techniques and sick flows. This is chilled hip-hop with a confident attitude. But don’t confuse confident with arrogant, cos it most certainly isn’t that - it’s well produced and reminds me of a sort of blend between Pete Rock & CL Smooth and The Procussions, but naturally with their own unique elements and techniques.

Y Society - How Many Of Us?
>> download track
>> buy Travel At Your Own Pace @ Amazon.com
This download link will expire on 28th October.

Five albums for you to investigate. No doubt you may have already heard some (or all) of them, so feel free to share your thoughts. Just remember, even when thousands of really shitty records are being pushed in our faces all the time… there is still just as many quality ones out there too, you just need to spend a bit of time searching for them. It is worth it in the end though. The musical world doesn’t begin and end with what you hear coming across the airwaves, it’s a big ol’ world out there with music being spread through multiple mediums. Go find that good stuff, it’s waiting for you!

Useful links:

• Patrick Watson MySpace page
• The Heliocentrics MySpace page
• Ohmega Watts MySpace page
• Me&You MySpace page
• Y Society MySpace page

Tropidelico

Coming at you in full effect, The Quantic Soul Orchestra are back with a vengence… and a third album: Tropidelico. Duo for official drop 22nd October on Tru Thoughts, this one will knock your socks off with its latin rhythms and funky vibes.

Will Holland (the mighty Quantic) has been killing it live style with the QSO for a few years now, and as well as the aforementioned QSO album releases, there have been some sevens and also last year’s Spanky Wilson album, that was pure dynamite by the way. Now we are on the cusp of a third full QSO release and no doubt you want to know just what is in store. Perhaps I can help.

Tropidelico is both 12 tracks and fourty-eight minutes strong. There is a distinct latin sound throughout the album and that is immediately evident with the opening, self-titled, track Tropidelico. You’ll have to get your cha-cha on to this feverish starter. I love the paired extremes in this track - the subtleties and complexities. In ways it is understated with the lowkey approach, but the layers are exquisite, they entice and trap. For all its subtleties, it is at times a tad dramatic - in a good way, mind - even those less accustomed to such blatant latin sounds should appreciate the pure energy.

The second track is Panama City and this falls into slightly more familiar funk territory. The brass is strong, and the funky guitar stabs are hypnotic. An early theme to spot in this album, aside from the latin sounds, is the energy it exhumes. It’s addictive stuff indeed and Panama City will have you reaching for your dancing shoes! That said, you’d just as equally be comfortable listening to this in a more chilled state of mind or other relaxed surroundings.

She Said What? features J Live, the established and incredible hip-hop emcee. He flows nicely over the mixture of latin keys, cowbells, bass and drums. A definite head-nodder, and more evidence that the mood of this release is set not to change. Check it out for yourself…

The Quantic Soul Orchestra - She Said What?
>> download track
>> buy Tropidelico @ EtchShop
This download link will expire on 21st October.

Track number four is Melodious Wayfarer and it has some cool attitude going on. I’m particularly feeling the drum arrangement on this funk/latin effort. I can just imagine this one kicking arse live. It almost seems audacious in a way that the stylings of funk and latin could be blended in such a way, but then on the other hand… it sounds so damn natural. The rhythms, the brass, that damn energy again. Even if you wanted to hate this I doubt you actually could. I mean what’s not to like! Then it’s into Regi Bugalu, a slightly calmer, but moodier, deep affair. This is rich and smooth as silk. An album like this could turn anyone into a fan of latin music.

A short, but soulful Interlude takes us into Lead Us To The End (featured on #21 of the JLM Podcast). The sweet sound of Noelle Scaggs accompanies this funky ditty. Currently one of my favourite tracks on the album, although it is a bit like choosing a favourite child! The guitar riff gently dances around the infectious rhythm to the sweet swoon of Noelle’s on-point vocals. Simply blissful. San Sebastian Strut takes us deep into the Columbian quarter - an instrumental piece intent on possessing your hips against your own will. The instrumentation is flawless with its amalgamation of sounds - varying from piano to maracas to brass to congas to bass, it goes onwards and upwards.

Track nine of the scheduled twelve is Marrakech. I own a few tracks by that name, but none quite hit the spot like this one. Intentionally raw sounding, this could have come from Lalo Schifrin himself - had a Bruce Lee movie been filmed in South America of course. Who Knows will be recognisable to either jazz affeciandos, RJD2 fans or perhaps both. The bluesy vocal provided by Kabir is as strong as the music it follows. This has a real loungey feel to it, the brass over bass gives it such a powerful backbone.

Father may also leave you thinking “where do I recognise that from?”. The glockenspiel rides over guitar stabs and steady percussion to provide a gentle but energetic aural experience. I love the mood, sombre yet uplifting. It’s soulful and steady. The last track is totally latin: Los Olvidados closes the album in much the way it was started.

Tropidelico is a very strong album. There is no escaping the latin components, they make for 90% of the guts of this album, but alas no-one is trying to hide this fact. Sure if you don’t ordinarily dig such obvious latin tones, yeah you may not feel this, but as I said earlier: I feel that this album would have a greater chance of turning the most casual listeners into latin fans. I stand by a theory that says regardless of genre, with the right people behind the music, success will be met. Forgive me for the negative stance to this conclusion, as I do regret it, but I wanted to ensure that any skeptics would listen to this album and surely make an educated judgement. No doubt most will love this album as much as I do.

Useful links:

• Quantic website
• Quantic MySpace page
• Tru Thoughts website
• EtchShop website
• Download - The Quantic Soul Orchestra - She Said What?

Guess who’s back?!

Yup, it’s me. Sorry for the huge gap in posts, I hope my semi-regular podcasts have been keeping you entertained? So much great music coming out all the time, we truly are spoilt. Anyway, as this is the first post for a while it will basically be covering (briefly) a range of topics - there’s a lot of stuff you need to check out.

I featured one of the tracks on a podcast episode, but you really have to check out Leo Nevilo’s Beastie Boys Revisited project. As some of you may already know, the Beasties put up a load of a capellas a while ago for anyone and everyone to have a little play with. Leo’s project is fantastic and approaches the Beastie sound from a fresh, electronic, angle. It is very beat driven, but really gritty and inventive. You can download the whole thing here… http://www.archive.org/details/BeastieBoysRevisited - You can check out more of Leo’s work at his MySpace page.

With each musical genre come sub-genres and then mutations between genres and sub-genres, almost to the point now where it is becoming hard to classify certain music as one thing or another - sure it is shitty if you work in a record store, but generally speaking I love it. There are casualties along the way, but such trials must be taken and errors must be made to unearth something a bit special. Sometimes it is the subtle approaches towards a genre that can surprise and pay-off the most. Recently it was one such approach that came as the most pleasant surprise. I’ll cut to the chase: it was the new release by Lotus Tribe, the ‘S.E.L.F.’ project: The Art & War of Misanthropic Philanthropy. These guys are from San Antonio and decided it was time to shake up the hip-hop scene in Texas, and that they did. The rhymes are smooth, melodic and intelligent. The beats are strong, well produced and addictive. All the elements are on display to full effect, in a similar vein to Jedi Mind Tricks and Immortal Technique, only in a more laid back manner, these dudes really hit that fresh spot. Remember to check the Lotus Tribe MySpace page.

Lotus Tribe - El Fin
>> download track
>> buy S.E.L.F. - The Art & War Of Misanthropic Philanthropy @ CD Baby
This download link will expire on 15th September.

Continuing with the exploration of interesting hip-hop angles, the city of angels has been providing some heavy, heavy stuff for a while now. Two parts hip-hop and one part crazy, the L.A. sound has been gripping people from all corners. Last year we had the two Sound Of L.A. EPs from Plug Research and now ArtDontSleep presents the From L.A. With Love LP from Milan Records. This is hotter than the sun, so prepare yourself. The LP features an array of amazing L.A. based artists, including; Adventure Time, Exile, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Flying Lotus and The Gaslamp Killer. A blend of hip-hop, electronica, neo-soul and dub, this stuff is definitely for the beat loving head nodders. Full details are on the MySpace page, grab this while it’s hot. Kutmah has also made a megamix of the tracks and that can be downloaded via Dublab.

Flying Lotus - Its A Secret
>> download track
>> buy From L.A. With Love via Milan Records
This download link will expire on 15th September.

Lastly I have something for you that I think should be described as a remixtape. Whilst Sweden’s Mojib is trying to promote his upcoming debut album Whimsical Lifestyle on Canada’s Non-Existant Recordings label, he is also giving away a remix project he did of UNKLE material. Frankly, it is fantastic. A very creative mix and mash-up of all UNKLE related tracks, Mojib has furthered the classics and actually made good the infamous misses. I didn’t really have much in the way of expectations when I heard bout this, but as soon as I heard the first part of the four contained on the project, I knew it was pure dynamite. It is right up there with Skalpel’s Virtual Cuts as far as addictive mixtapes go - and that is saying something! Luckily for you, the whole thing is available for download…

Mojib - VS UNKLE
>> part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4
>> myspace @ http://myspace.com/mojibmusic
More info available @ www.mojib.net

Well, that’s your lot for now. I hope to pick things up and get cracking with more regular blog updates - I know I have said that before… but now I’m saying it again. Have faith y’all and don’t forget to subscribe to my mother-funking podcast, you know it makes sense!

Useful links:

• Leo Nevilo’s MySpace
• Lotus Tribe MySpace
• From L.A. With Love MySpace
• Mojib’s MySpace

Spare Time Machine

With over half of 2007 already been and gone, now is the time that we start to get an idea of what the top albums of the year have been. Spare Time Machine, the new album by Pepe Deluxé, dropped just last week and it is definitely one of my fav albums of the year by far. I wanted to make that perfectly clear within the first paragraph of my review - we can all get a bit lazy when it comes to reading reviews, so if there is one thing I’d like people to skim-read here… it’s that Spare Time Machine is one fantastic album.

If you haven’t a clue who I’m talking about, then shame on you, but don’t worry, you are forgiven. Pepe Deluxé are a Finnish duo signed to the British label Catskills. The fellas have been messing with electronic downtempo sounds since the mid nineties, but with this new album they have taken a new direction. The new album sees a venture into the more psychedelic pop and rock sounds, and it works oh so well.

The Mischief Of Cloud 6 is the opening track and I actually purchased the 7″ vinyl of this one the other day. This is an upbeat track comprising of a highly addictive melody and very retro vocals. The blend of electronic instruments and more organic instruments gives a good result. One thing I really like about this track is the drums - nothing beats raw sounding drums, and these certainly have attitude to boot. Overall it just sounds extremely well produced, the culmination of the psychedelic slant on the proceedings along with some great guitar riffs helps to give that well rounded sound - essentially it is retro-pop, but there really is nothing bad at all to say about it. Check out the video…

Next up is Ms. Wilhelmina And Her Hat, and already at this early stage in the album it becomes pretty obvious that the theme to the album, as mentioned earlier, is that whole slant on psych-pop/rock. Not usually a genre I’d find myself immersed in ordinarily, but hey, if it’s good music… it’s good music! This track goes from eastern chant like vocals into a really heavy bassline, this will be the one to get your foot tapping. For the group Spare Time Machine was also their first time experimenting with original lyrics and they are definitely in keeping with the musical style, give it a listen…

Pepe Deluxé - Ms. Wilhemina And Her Hat
>> download track
>> buy Spare Time Machine @ Catskills eShop
This download link will expire on 7th July.

Track three of ten is Go For Blue, one of the more ‘poppy’ tracks on the album, but it still maintains the level of depth held by its predecessors. I guess one theory would be that any genre or style can sound good if it is produced the right way, but not that many artists are actually brave enough (if brave is even the right term) to do it. Pepe Deluxé have shown their diversity and talent with this album - it all sounds so natural and complete. Heavy guitar and strong vocals marry with the melody to create another catchy tune.

I love the intro to Last Of The Great Explorers, slightly drawn out in an almost DJ Shadow style, then in comes the heavy guitar and gruff vocal - sublime. Albeit dipped in a certain level of retro, this sounds extremely fresh, perhaps this is just a good time to be reminded of certain sounds. I’m certain this will appeal to fans of all corners of rock, pop and dance music.

Pussy Cat Rock is the shortest full length track on the album and is straight up 60s high energy rock. It will get you dancing for sure, even as a sort of bridging track it contains enough to warrant repeat listens and interest. Seemingly a lot of effort was put into every facet of Spare Time Machine, nothing sounds rushed or incomplete.

The melodically sweet Apple Thief comes up next, a pairing of male and female vocals backed with guitars a plenty. Very downtempo and very uplifting. Fantastic use of rainfall bridges to the middle part of the song, a country sounding guitar ditty, it’s actually pretty beautiful. God knows what made the guys make music in this style, but I am so glad they did. Just like Joanna Newsom’s Ys caught everyone off-guard last year, this album has done the same but for 2007. The back end of Apple Thief gains a bit more energy, the chorus is addictive as hell and the drums are fantastic - great song.

Lucky The Blind is currently my fav song on the album, I say ‘currently’ because I am sure it will keep changing as the weeks pass, but that’s a great dilemma to have! This track is essentially split into two parts; Lucky The Blind and Vacuum Cleaning Monster. The first part is a catchy ditty that will keep you moving like you’ve got ants in your pants - brilliant instrumentation matched with shadowed male and female vocals, it’ll put a smile on your face. Then midway through, the track breaks down into ethereal electronic keys, then moody western’esque guitar and vocals, before the big crescendo - finally it pushes into the second half of the track, which sounds totally different but somehow fits like a glove. The drum break nearly pushed me over the edge. The chorus is cool too: “there’s another sideburn sucking blackhole… a vacuuming cleaning monster”.

The longest track on the album is Captain Carter’s Fathoms. You’d be forgiven for thinking the beginning sounded like one of the newer Prodigy tracks, it’s pretty full on. But very quickly that descends and a spine tingling guitar, pipe, and drum session builds into a steady but unstoppable machine. This is a tense and liberating piece of music, could be from a film score. It is very orchestral in a certain sense and definitely carries an air of theatre about it.

Forgotten Knights Prelude is a short prelude and pretty self explanatory. Sounds like it came straight from A Clockwork Orange! Right right brother! However, Forgotten Knights itself actually sounds more like a grittier version of a sort of crossover between Lenny Kravitz and Maroon 5. Hmmm, not entirely sure that sold the track very well. Anyway, trust that this is the least psychedelic track on the album, but it is still very good. A nice outro track indeed.

There are a few things to note about Spare Time Machine; I do genuinely believe it is accessible to just about anyone, but at the same time I don’t think everyone could just put it on and immediately appreciate it. It is a bit of a grower. Took me a few listens to truly start to digest it. This was the same with Joanna Newsom’s Ys, as mentioned previously, and that went on to be the best album of 2006. Definitely purchase this album and definitely give it the time it deserves. It is also one of those albums that is best listened to from start to finish, a bit like the new Beastie Boys album The Mix Up. Be sure to check out Pepe Deluxé and Catskills on MySpace, add them to your friends etc… We’re all friends after all!

Useful links:

• Pepe Deluxé website
• Pepe Deluxé MySpace
• Catskills MySpace
• Download - Pepe Deluxé - Ms. Wilhelmina And Her Hat
• Buy Spare Time Machine @ Catskills eShop

6 Questions: with… Ionik of Traveller Records

Via mailing lists, RSS news feeds, and word of mouth, I find out bout new 7″ records dropping half a dozen times a week. Sometimes I’ll know the artist or label and therefore know it needs checking out, or other times it just sounds cool or looks interesting and I am inticed to delve deeper. A recent excavation unearthed a gem hailing from Finland: Traveller Records. The relevant communication links were opened and before I knew it Masa (aka Ionik) from Traveller Records had sent me a couple of 7″ records. The needle dropped and so did my jaw, “this is the shit!”. Two hot hip-hop joints that have been lauded by the likes of Jon Kennedy, the boys at Fat Beats Records, and the good man Quantic. I grabbed a few words from Masa for this, the latest, 6 Questions…

1. Who Are You? Masa aka Ionik, owner of Traveller Records and a tireless fan of all things made of wax with a pinch of soul.

2. What do you do? Spin records, organize parties, snipe records at eBay, turn down requests, enjoy my new apartment, plus eat mostly this thing “lihis” which is kinda like meat pie but more exotic. I wish we had more snooker coverage on tv.

3. Why do you do it? I just LOVE good music.

4. So what’s new? We just got the Sun Rise Above single out, that’s going to be our last 7-inch. Next up is a two-part 12″ from Detroit that’s looking to be big. It’s our first step into more soulful side of things, that’s all I can say right now. Also in the works is a compilation that’s looking really promising right now, it should be out in late August. Another joint from Detroit also in the lab, so watch the skies people!

5. Who are you listening to at the moment? Mid sixties reggae, seventies soul, New Jersey garage, hip hop from back in the day, and I’m a big fan of late seventies/early eighties US boogie/disco/modern soul scene - the type of stuff that will get me to play louder than the club owners ever want! I just re-discovered my drum ‘n bass jewels recently, summer is here folks.

6. What’s your best nugget of wisdom? If not, why the f*ck not?

Sun Rise Above - Free Your Mind
>> download track
>> buy records @ Traveller Records MySpace page
This download link will expire on 22nd June.

Sounds like big things are going down in Finland! Thanks to Masa for taking the time to participate, much appreciated. Be sure to check out Traveller Records on MySpace and give Masa a shout at travellerrecords@hotmail.com if you have any questions or want to get your grubby fingers on some music!

Useful links:

• Traveller Records MySpace
• Download - Sun Rise Above - Free Your Mind

The Catch Up

Where does all the time go? Fear not, that was a rhetorical question. Alas today’s blog entry is a culmination of info I think you need to receive. Hence: The Catch Up…

Legendary jazz label Blue Note have released four new CDs celebrating their rich history via the music of; Lee Morgan, Grant Green, Jimmy Smith, and Thelonious Monk. I was lucky enough to receive the latter two. For anyone either too young to remember these fine artists, or just not familiar with the particulars of jazz, Blue Note is still going strong and currently holds Robert Glasper (amazing pianist) and a little lady called Norah Jones on their roster. But back in the hey-day of jazz, Blue Note was king and these artists were their proverbial princes. Each of the CDs in this Finest In Jazz series contains seven amazing classics. The artwork on the CD cases is really something too, plus the same designs are available on shirts, so make sure you check those out. If you have a moderate interest in jazz and want to delve a bit deeper, or even if you just want to be aurally reminded of these jazz greats, you’d be wise to check these releases. I’ll give you a small taster…

Jimmy Smith - I Got a Woman
>> download track
>> buy The Finest In Jazz @ Giant Step
This download link will expire on 17th June.

I think it is quite plain to see that Diplo is fascinated with Brazil and its music. But now things are progressing and the artists that he has previously worked with are getting their chance to shine. Up steps Bonde Do Role. This trio are a bit crazy, that has to be said. However, their fusion of baile funk, hip-hop, and punk’esque electro rock is nothing short of addictive. Bonde Do Role’s debut album (outside of Brazil, anyway) has just dropped and it is called With Lasers. You may have caught one of the tracks on the Just Like Music podcast, but here is another for good measure…

Bonde Do Role - Marina Do Bairro
>> download track
>> buy With Lasers @ Amazon UK / Amazon US
This download link will expire on 17th June.

Any regular readers will know I like a bit of funk, and what should turn up on my doorstep just recently? The latest album from The New Mastersounds. The funky fellas from Leeds bring us their 5th album, 102%. I’ve been loving the funk resurgence of late, but their is something special bout this album. It starts with the high energy funk you’d expect, then even goes into a cool cover of Witness by Roots Manuva, but as I listened to this album it seemed to mature and thicken in substance. This is no funk-by-numbers effort. It’s not 14 tracks long, it’s 14 tracks strong - 102% has depth that needs to be heard to be believed. Here is the Roots Manuva cover I was talking about…

The New Mastersounds - Witness
>> download track
>> buy 102% @ Amazon UK / Amazon US
This download link will expire on 17th June.

In other brief news…

The upcoming Pharoahe Monch album, Desire, is a bit of a let down - might be one for the Monch fanatics only.

The new UNKLE album, War Stories, tries hard, but it seemed a tad bland to me - best track is the first single, Burn My Shadow, check out the video on YouTube.

The new Beastie Boys album, The Mix Up, is fantastic. Strictly instrumental as they warned, this is indeed closer to Paul’s Boutique than any of their other releases. This one should appeal to anyone, so as long as you don’t hate instrumentals. I also feel like it could be a bit of a grower, so if it doesn’t get you first time round… don’t give up on it. It is tight as hell, they’ve done a brilliant job. Official drop date is 25th June, but you can take a sneaky listen here…

Beastie Boys - Freaky Hijiki
>> download track
>> pre-order The Mix Up @ Amazon UK / Amazon US
This download link will expire on 17th June.

That lot should keep you in check for a while. Also be sure to subscribe to the Just Like Music podcast (feed url is in the right hand bar of this page), that’s the quickest way to listen to what I’ve been listening to recently. Look out for more interviews on the blog soon and perhaps some other interesting new features, we shall see!

Useful links:

• Blue Note website
• Finest In Jazz website
• Download - Jimmy Smith - I Got a Woman
• Bonde Do Role MySpace page
• Download - Bonde Do Role - Marina Do Bairro
• The New Mastersounds MySpace page
• Download - The New Mastersounds - Witness
• Download - Beastie Boys - Freaky Hijiki