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 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

Plastique Petit

Do you ever wonder what might happen if there was a musical amalgamation of Spank Rock and 2 Live Crew? Well do yourself a favour and stop wondering… Plastic Little have landed. This Philadelphian five piece have actually been around since the Summer of 2001, a period of time sadly remembered for less musical reasons, however, PackOfRats, Squid, No Body’s Child, Jon Thousand and DJ Si Young are about to hit your radar big style.

The Spank Rock and 2 Live Crew analogy was to give you a partial idea of their sound, but don’t be mistaken, these are no copy-cats, they’re fresh and unique. The first thing I noticed about Plastic Little was their jump-up style of hip-hop, it’s energetic for sure, but once your ear begins to fully tune in, you’ll notice that these hip-hop layers run deep. You wont be able to hide from the sick flows and lyrical content - it’s crude for sure, but tongue in cheek and delivered in that unmistakable “we just don’t give a fuck” kinda way. Before this you had Spank Rock, before that The Beastie Boys, 2 Live Crew, but before that there was Clarence Reid (aka Blowfly), so it isn’t necessarily the shock-factor of such upfront and blue lyrics that make Plastic Little stand out, but more their approach and technique.

The first full Plastic Little LP is due out sometime soon and it’s called She’s Mature. Coming up first though is the release of an EP featuring the tracks Crambodia (feat. Ghostface Killah), The Jump Off, Foil, and a Pink Skull remix of Crambodia. You may have spotted the name of a little known emcee in that last sentence, yup, Ghostface Killah. Serious names take note of serious business and Ghostface doesn’t like to waste his time! The dudes also feature some production by Diplo and some rap rap rapping by Spank Rock himself on the album, so no doubt it’s gonna be a banger. The last track on the aforementioned 12″ EP was a Pink Skull remix of Crambodia and you can give it a little listen here…

Plastic Little - Crambodia (Pink Skull Remix)
>> download track
>> buy album @ ShesMature.com
This download link will expire on 10th May.

Also, if like me you are totally addicted to collecting 7″ vinyl, then there is the single of Crambodia available too, it features a Hot Chip remix on the B-side. Want some more media? Okey doke, check out this video for the track The Jump Off…

You can listen to some more tracks on the Plastic Little MySpace page, I’m particularly feeling the sort-of-cover of Close To Me by The Cure, aptly named Get Close. So really, all that remains is for you to add these dudes to your MySpace friends list, then buy their album, oh and tell all your friends about them so they can do the same… obviously!

Useful Links:

• Plastic Little website
• Plastic Little MySpace page
• Download - Plastic Little - Crambodia (Pink Skull Remix)

It’s been a long time…

…I shouldn’t have left you without a dope beat to step to.

Today I just wanna chuck in all the info, condensed stylee, that I should have really been giving in detail over the last couple of months. I’m falling desperately short with the amount of ‘meaningful’ blog entries on here, and for that I am sorry. I’m juggling my 6 working days a week and this blog, and the blog is getting a pasting by the opposition; the merciless 6 day working week. The thing, however, I am most guilty of is realising I don’t have time to do a full track by track review of a new album, and so not even mentioning it at all, which isn’t really fair. So I’ll start by listing some good new stuff that has either come out recently or is about to come out soon.

The new Wax Tailor album Hope and Sorrow has literally just dropped. The French cut’n'paste hip-hop producer extraordinaire gave us Tales of the Forgotten Melodies back in 2005 and his new 2007 effort is just as heavy! The 15 track album delves deeper into the mind of a man with an obvious fascination with nostalgic story telling and rich beats. It also features some fantastic artists on the collab, including; Sharon Jones, Marina Quaisse, Charlotte Savary, and Ursula Rucker, to name a few. Already being a big fan of the Tailor’s work, I was instantly drawn to Hope and Sorrow, but like a fine wine it does indeed mature with age. Repeat listens will only strengthen your love for these exquisite beats and samples. One track I am totally hooked on at the moment is this one…

Wax Tailor - Alien In My Belly feat Charlotte Savary
>> download track
>> buy album @ Amazon US / Amazon UK
This download link will expire on 4th April.

Also recently released was the iTunes exclusive Kovas EP The Arrogance Of Youth. If you have been reading this blog for a while then you may remember the Chocolate Swim feature I did last September. Well Kovas featured on that with the track Up In Here, but now he has released a full EP of material. This is hip-hop with real attitude, but more in the style of ripping it up on the dancefloor than shooting the place up on the streets. Kovas makes tight, addictive beats to get yo’ ass movin’! Give this track a go for starters…

Kovas - Say What
>> download track
>> buy album @ iTunes
This download link will expire on 4th April.

Japanese turntablist DJ Kentaro has finally dropped his debut album Enter. For anyone that pays attention to the turntablism scene, you would’ve probably heard all bout Kentaro when he won the DMCs back in 2002. Or maybe you heard of him when he dropped that wicked Solid Steel mix CD for Ninja Tune in 2004. But either way, all that matters is that his album is finally here! I’ve gotta say, it has lived up to all the expectations. There’s a distinct volume of drum ‘n’ bass sounds throughout the album, but between Kentaro’s fantastic production and the impressive guest appearances on the album, it is much more than your average d’n'b record. Enter features the likes of; The Pharcyde, Spank Rock, New Flesh, Hifana, and Fat Jon. A subtle blend of hip-hop and d’n'b sounds presented in an intelligent turntablist style will leave you wanting more, so here’s a little something to get those taste buds tingling…

DJ Kentaro - Rainy Day (Ft. New Flesh)
>> download track
>> buy album @ Amazon US / Amazon UK
This download link will expire on 4th April.

It’s been just over a year since the sad passing of J Dilla, but to celebrate that anniversary, Stones Throw have re-issued his 2003 EP Ruff Draft into a full LP. The new version is available on both vinyl and CD (as well as the super-rare cassette tape that has been kicking around) and features 14 tracks as well as a bonus ten instrumentals with the CD purchase. It’s funny cos I knew of J Dilla long before his passing, so I always had an idea of his sound and what he had done. So when I heard relatively new fans saying “oh this is way more ghetto than I was expecting!”, I was left thinking “ghetto?!”. The truth be told (and it is fitting with the fact this stuff originally came out in 2003) it reminded me a lot of the McNasty stuff, which was I guess slightly ‘ghetto’, but not in a huge way - some people just don’t realise that Dilla was also an emcee with attitude, not just a production guru. Ruff Draft shows this side of Dilla, and with classics like Wild, The $, and Make’em NV, you cant fail to fall in love with Dilla all over again. Give Make’em NV a listen right now…

J Dilla - Make’em NV
>> download track
>> buy album @ Amazon US / Amazon UK
This download link will expire on 4th April.

One half of People Under The Stairs, Thes One has released his first solo album Lifestyle Marketing and it is strictly instrumental hip-hop. Although it goes one step further than that: the entire album is reworkings of Herb Pilhofer’s back-catalogue. Now, you are probably wondering who the hell Herb Pilhofer is. He was a producer from the 60s and 70s that made a lot music for commercials. So Thes One decided to rework the original material into some heavy sample based instrumental hip-hop tracks. But just so you can try to work out exactly what Thes has done, the CD comes with a bonus disc that includes 33 of Herb Pilhofer’s original pieces. Don’t be put off by any gimmick feeling you may be having, this is some seriously good stuff right here! Shop Hy-Vee everybody…

Thes One - Hy-Vee
>> download track
>> buy album @ Amazon US / Amazon UK
This download link will expire on 4th April.

Still waiting for your ‘weird’ fix? Well CocoRosie have a new album and it is called The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn. It will freak you out, amaze you, surprise you, baffle you, and so on and so forth, but somewhere amongst all of these reactions and emotions, CocoRosie have dropped a real killer of an album. Not as cinematic as Joanna Newsom’s Ys, but just as addictive and quirky, this new album combines all the elements necessary to present a folk-indy-pop-avant-garde masterpiece. There’s singing, wailing, beatboxing, instruments, samples, and plenty of other unexplainable noises, but give it half a chance and there is every possibility is will take you in its grasp. Hearing is believing folks…

CocoRosie - Werewolf
>> download track
>> buy album @ Amazon US / Amazon UK
This download link will expire on 4th April.

I think that’s enough for now, don’t want to overwhelm anyone! But, I also want to say, although I have been a little slack on the blog for a while, I have been regularly releasing new volumes of my podcast. Don’t you be sleeping on the Just Like Music podcast now! There’s nothing difficult bout downloading podcasts and it wont cost you a penny, so no excuse really. Plus it’s another good way to discover good music, both new and old. Check out the list of other cool podcasts in the sidebar of the blog too.

Look out for my extensive review of the new album Rawville by The Bamboos. I hope to put it up on here within the next few days - you wont want to miss it, it’s a cracker of an album!

Useful links:

• Wax Tailor MySpace page
• Kovas MySpace page
• DJ Kentaro MySpace page
• J Dilla MySpace page
• Thes One (Tres Records) MySpace page
• CocoRosie MySpace page
• The Bamboos MySpace page

Get In The Seven Inch Scene

A confession: I’m totally addicted to collecting 7″ vinyl. I just cant get enough of the little bastards. Got over 60 of them now, and that is less than three months of collecting. If you love your music and have a few coins to spare, buy a turntable and get collecting 7s! Your vinyl collection doesn’t take too much looking after, it’s not like a pet fish that will die of hunger. You just need to make sure you keep it stacked upright (not on top of each other) and out of direct sunlight, and it will be yours for (nearly) ever. Nothing beats the warmth of the vinyl experience. I think it is the culmination of senses used to experience, not just the music, but the whole vinyl package, as it were. It’s very hands on, requires your respect not to damage it by manhandling too much or generally mistreating, and gives such an authentic listening experience. There really is no need to get technical with the whole “vinyl versus CD” debate, no-one cares anymore - if you want a CD instead of vinyl, just buy the CD… I buy both formats anyway.

Anyway, this leads me on to my next point. The Bamboos, those funked up Aussies on Tru Thoughts, are dropping their new 7″ on 9th April. The A-side is Get In The Scene feat. Ohmega Watts, and the B-side is the instrumental version. This track is taken from their upcoming second album Rawville that is due out in May. The track is an upbeat funk affair with a laid back style. It features some funky guitar work with a catchy brass and wood melody - not to mention Ohmega Watts’s consistently wicked flow - a great blend. Get In The Scene is beautifully structured and really pays homage to those classic laid back funk sounds, whilst still sounding fresh as a daisy. Catch a clip of the track below…

From what I understand the new album will feature quite a few vocals on the tracks, unlike the debut album on Tru Thoughts from The Bamboos, but if they work anything like as well as this track does… then I cant wait!

Useful Links:

• The Bamboos website
• The Bamboos MySpace page
• Tru Thoughts website
• EtchShop

6 Questions: with… Bless 1

I’m back with another edition of 6 Questions. This time I have Bless 1, an emcee (and producer) from Chicago. First time I heard Bless 1 I was instantly impressed with his flow. He raps intelligent, smooth, soulful, and catchy rhymes. I was also surprised to see how little exposure he seemed to have so far, criminal! So, on the cusp of his debut album release Starving Artist, I have the answers straight from the man himself…

1. Who are you? Bless 1 from the west side of Chicago.

2. What do you do? I’m a hip-hop artist. I rap and produce tracks.

3. Why do you do it? I’ve had a love for hip-hop since high school. Writing rhymes came natural for me and I used to love to freestyle in ciphers.

A couple years back I tried to link up with local producers to create some music, but nothing was working out. I began getting into production myself, and the learning process was exciting to me. I started to understand how some of my favourite songs were created. Creating beats was like falling in love with the music again, and I began to have tracks to flow over.

The funny thing about it is that once I started to post my songs on MySpace, different producers began contacting me to work together.

4. So what’s new? Well I just finished recording the songs for my first album called “Starving Artist”. A French producer, Rythm From Art, produced the entire album except for two tracks that I did myself.

The album will be available for free download probably by the end of this month. If I don’t have my website by then, it will be linked on my MySpace page.

5. Who are you listening to at the moment? I listen to a lot of different music, but I’ve got a couple of favourite hip-hop songs that get repeated play, Devin the Dude - “What a Job”, Nas and Jay-Z - “Black Republicans”, Lupe Fiasco - “Dedicated”, and Talib Kweli - “Black Girl Pain”.

I’ve been bumping Rythm’s beat tapes and a song called “My Existence” off of my album too.

6. What’s your best nugget of wisdom? I don’t know where I heard it from, but about a year ago I heard the saying, “Prayer without works is dead”. Living in the hood you see as many churches as liquor stores, but progress has escaped us. I’ve seen too many people rely only on going to church and praying but not putting the hard work into changing their situation.

I’m a firm believer in the Creator, but I also believe that you need to work hard as well as keeping the faith for Him to bless you with an increase.

Our rewards are not always in arms reach, but they are always reachable.

Bless 1 was also kind enough to share the title track from the upcoming debut LP Starving Artist…

Bless 1 - Starving Artist
>> download track (YSI)
>> find out more @ Bless 1 MySpace page
This download link will expire on 25th March.

My thanks go out to Bless 1 for making me aware of his music, taking his time to answer the 6 Questions, and also sharing a track from the LP. Now please take your time to visit his MySpace page, add him to your friends, and cop Starving Artist when it comes out shortly - it will be free, everyone’s a winner baby!

Useful Links:

• Bless 1 MySpace page
• Rythm From Art MySpace page
• Download - Bless 1 - Starving Artist

Not Too Late

Jones is back! That’s Norah Jones with her third album Not Too Late. It’s coming out on Blue Note on 29th January 2007 and I’ve been lucky enough to hear a few snippets… it’s sounding good. By this time the deal is simple with Norah Jones and you surely either like her or you don’t, pretty clear cut I’d say. I happen to like her very much, and tracks such as; Don’t Know Why, Come Away With Me, Turn Me On, and Sunrise, will stay with me forever - so some more of the same in the form of a third album sounds good to me! Check out this track from the new album…

Norah Jones - Thinking About You
>> download track
>> pre-order album @ Amazon US / Amazon UK
This download link will expire on 4th January.

Make sure you get your pre-orders in at the above links, cos I think this one is gonna fly off the shelves. I’ll bring you more details of this 13-track badboy as and when I get them. For now you can listen to a stream of clips from the new album here (asx), here (mov), and here (ram).

Useful links:

• Norah Jones website
• Blue Note website
• Download - Norah Jones - Thinking About You
• Pre-order Not Too Late @ Amazon US / Amazon UK

Track of the Week

What can I say about this past week? Well between long days and long train journeys, this blog took the back-seat. But, in the words of Yazz; the only way is up! Just needed to get into the swing of this new routine - I have a track of the week for you though. One track I have been listening to loads recently is Peach, Plum, Pear, from Joanna Newsom’s 2004 album The Milk-Eyed Mender (it’s better than the version found on Walnut Whales) - I just love the track. I think it is the self-confessed harper’s skills at their best. If you aren’t familiar with Joanna Newsom’s work, then I guess you could call it alternative folk with a heavy emphasis on the harp - give this a listen…

Joanna Newsom - Peach, Plum, Pear
>> download track (YouSendIt)
>> buy album @ Amazon US / Amazon UK
This download link will expire on 17th November.

However, Joanna’s new album (Ys) is to drop shortly and I have a track to share with you also. The new album (out on 14th November) contains just five tracks, but the running time is just short of an hour. This new album has seen Joanna work with Van Dyke Parks for the orchestral arrangement, and I have to say it really does sound beautiful. To look back now in hindsight it does seem like a natural progression to take her harp-folk onto a more cinematic level. It may take a few listens to get into Ys, but the time invested pays huge dividends - I think so anyway. Give Cosmia a go…

Joanna Newsom - Cosmia
>> download track (YouSendIt)
>> buy album @ Amazon US / Amazon UK
This download link will expire on 17th November.

I’m thinking that maybe for now I’ll aim to post blog entries on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday - see how I go with that workload. Enjoy the Joanna Newsom tracks and have a great weekend!

Useful links:

• Joanna Newsom Fansite
• Download - Joanna Newsom - Peach, Plum, Pear
• Buy The Milk-Eyed Mender @ Amazon US / Amazon UK
• Download - Joanna Newsom - Cosmia
• Buy Ys @ Amazon US / Amazon UK

Adventure Time!

Are you familiar with the dublab podcast? They are your future roots connection, don’t you know?! Well, the URL to that podcast has been in the sidebar of this blog for some time now, but I mention dublab as two artists from there are working together to release the 11th incarnation in the Aim-Records Jukebox Series. Daedelus and Frosty are Adventure Time, and they are just about to drop Jukebox Series number 11 on 7″ vinyl. It contains the tracks We All Agree It’s Grand and on the flip side Our Paws Applause. Give the former a listen mp3 stylee…

Adventure Time - We All Agree It’s Grand
>> download track (YSI) / >> download track (FL)
>> buy @ aim-records.com
This download link will expire on 7th November.

The guys from dublab have coined the term “future roots” to describe their angle on the electronica genre - essentially it is real leftfield electronica with a heavy emphasis on organic sounds, although I’m sure many of you will be familiar with the sounds of Daedelus, anyway. It’s a pretty fresh sounding track and this 7″ wonder will no doubt become a collectors dream (or nightmare, depending on which way you look at it!), as only 500 copies will be pressed - so if you want it, be quick sharp and get on over to the Aim-records website!

Useful links:

• Aim-records website
• Download - Adventure Time - We All Agree It’s Grand

Paleo’s Amazing Song Diary

David Andrew Strackany is Paleo, a lo-fi indie folk musician on a mission. He has been performing on the road since Easter of this year and wont stop till Easter next year. But what makes this year long tour so special is the challenge Paleo has set himself; to record a new song every single day of the tour. The project is known as the Song Diary and will result in 365 songs being written, arranged, recorded, and then posted on the internet in 365 days. So far 185 songs have been created and they are all available on the Paleo website for everyone and anyone to download.

Paleo has also set himself some strict rules for the project:

• The songs must be original, and written over the course of the day they’re credited to.
• A day’s song must be recorded, mixed, and uploaded to the Internet by sunrise.
• Every Sunday, he must rewrite the lyrics to the Sunday Prayer, the Diary’s first song.
• The day Paleo fails to complete a song, the experiment is over.

Being the cynic that I am, my first thoughts were that if somebody was creating so much new material, so frequently, then surely it would be at the cost of quality - but, I’ve listened to a handful of Paleo’s tracks and pretty much loved them all. There’s a real grit to his songs, they are arranged beautifully, and his lyrics really steal the show - a very creative individual. Generally speaking the fans of lo-fi folk will appreciate this the most, but everyone should give them a go, check out his MySpace page for some tasters.

Here’s one of Paleo’s early Song Diary tracks, written, arranged, recorded, and uploaded on 25th April…

Paleo - The Beach Ball of Ages
>> download track
>> hear more @ paleo.ws
This download link will expire on 4th November.

All that remains now is for me to make enough space of my wimpy hard disk to handle all 365 tracks - I really do need an external hard disk! Natural time constraints and the aforementioned lack of hard disk space mean that I haven’t exactly been able to listen to all of the tracks currently available from the Song Diary project, so it would be good to hear from fans telling me what their fav Paleo tracks are. Happy listening!

Useful links:

• Paleo website
• Paleo MySpace page
• Download - Paleo - The Beach Ball of Ages

Rockstar Rice!

Nearly a month ago I brought you news of new Damien Rice material and shared his new track 9 Crimes from the upcoming album 9. Now I have two more new tracks from 9, and one at least might surprise you. To recap, 9 will be Damien Rice’s second full LP, after 2003’s O - this new album is due out 6th November and the full track listing can be found on last month’s blog entry.

So, the new tracks. First one is called Elephant and it starts off in a typically Damien Rice manner. Actually sounds a little like The Blower’s Daughter early on - it truly could be a ballad for the self-harmers, but in true Damien Rice form it is really beautiful. It’s a long old track at just under six minutes and around 4:20 it breaks into a full orchestrated song, like Monsieur Rice is suddenly breaking away from acoustic shackles, alas merely for twenty seconds or so before crashing back into the whispers. It’s a nice touch in what it is a great song. Give it a listen…

Damien Rice - Elephant
>> download track
>> pre-order album @ Amazon US / Amazon UK
This download link will expire on 2nd November.

The other track is called Me, My Yoke And I. This is the one that might surprise you a bit. Now in past Damien Rice tracks there have been moments of unleashed chaos, but generally we all know him as a slightly more calm and sombre acoustic artist - but although this track starts pretty calm, it very quickly escalates in to an all out rock extravaganza. By Rice standards this is extremely heavy, but I think it is very good. Leaves me wondering how many of the other tracks on the new album will be in a similar vein. We shall have to wait and see…

Damien Rice - Me, My Yoke And I
>> download track
>> pre-order album @ Amazon US / Amazon UK
This download link will expire on 2nd November.

I’ll bring you more Damien Rice details as and when I get them.

Useful links:

• Damien Rice website
• Download - Damien Rice - Elephant
• Download - Damien Rice - Me, My Yoke And I
• Pre-order 9 @ Amazon US / Amazon UK

Remixed and Reimagined

As you are no doubt already aware, I have quite varied tastes at the best of times. The plus point to having diverse and eclectic tastes is that you get to hear so much great music, but the negative point is just simply trying to find the time to discover and listen to it all. I wouldn’t want it any other way though, and so today I bring you news of a new Nina Simone remix album. It’s being put out by Sony BMG Legacy and is entitled Remixed and Reimagined. The album is 13 tracks long and features remixes from artists such as; Coldcut, DJ Logic, and Tony Humphries.

The album sees Nina’s work from her RCA days remixed by some of today’s top club DJs, and the album does indeed have quite a “club friendly” feel to it. I’m not usually one to go for solid dance club tracks, but from what I’ve heard, these guys have done a good job remixing Nina Simone’s original tracks. Have a listen to this…

Nina Simone - Turn Me On (Tony Humphries Vocal Mix)
>> download track
>> pre-order @ Legacy Recordings
This download link will expire on 25th October.

The album is officially released on 31st October, you can listen to more tasters and pre-order the album at the Legacy Recordings website. So if you like what you hear, make sure you get it bought!

Useful links:

• Nina Simone MySpace page
• Legacy Recordings website
• Download - Nina Simone - Turn Me On (Tony Humphries Vocal Mix)

Trans-Siberian Express

Choo, choo! All aboard the Trans-Siberian Express, with your host Tim Pare. “Who’s Tim Pare?”, well he’s an acoustic extraordinaire! Tim Pare is from Sheffield, England, but Sheffield is where it both ended and started - in 2004 Tim said good-bye to his life in England’s north and moved to China to teach. It was a year or so later that Tim found himself on the Trans-Siberian Express train in Russia, accompanied by 30 soldiers and 30 sailors, all returning from two years away. These fellas turned out to be a bit on the aggressive side and Tim felt sure something was gonna turn a bit nasty - however, Tim used his initiative and swapped a bottle of vodka for a battered old guitar with one of the guys and began to play. This turned out to be a master stroke in more than one sense.

During the intense boredom inducing 88 hours on that train, Tim decided to get writing, using an mp3 player as his means of recording these new songs. It was via this method that his new mini-album was born; Trans-Siberian Express. Things could have been oh-so different though - Tim was robbed in St Petersburg of all his possessions, but as fate would have it, he had left the mp3 player (by accident) at the hostel… so all was not lost. At this point Tim knew that he had to ensure these songs were recorded and so now Trans-Siberian Express is available for all to hear. You can listen to some of the tracks on both Tim’s website and his MySpace page, so make sure you get that done, but I’ve been lucky enough to listen to the whole mini-album and it really is fantastic acoustic stuff. You can read more about Tim’s amazing story on his MySpace page, but for now take a listen to one of the tracks…

Tim Pare - You’ve Got Your Work Cut Out
>> download track
>> pre-order album @ timpare.com
This download link will expire on 29th October.

Tim’s beautiful acoustic creations rest upon the melancholy understanding of familiar situations and experiences, the sort of content that many of us can, in one way or another, relate to - stories of life, love, and loss - all packaged in an ethereal, soothing acoustic guise. Music that that hits us in a very real manner, yet still manages to take us away to a safe, unreal place - that to me is an example of a ‘real’ musical experience. Trans-Siberian Express, the six track acoustic mini-album, can now be pre-ordered at Tim’s website, it is due for release on 13th November. In the new year Tim will be starting with his full band material, so make sure you look out for that too.

Useful links:

• Tim Pare website
• Tim Pare MySpace page
• Download - Tim Pare - You’ve Got Your Work Cut Out

Chrome Vids for Chrome Kids

You may, or may not, have copped the new Stones Throw CD/DVD Chrome Children - if you haven’t yet, it is worth getting for sure. On the CD side of things it reminds me of those Ninja Tune Zentertainment CDs that come out around once a year. They serve as a taster of what is going on within their label and often suck people in by offering tracks that are as yet unreleased. Well, Chrome Children is no different and offered up unheard Madvillain and a host of other rare or unreleased tracks - there’s a total of 19 tracks on the CD and the DVD contains footage from live performances in Austin, Texas.

However, the good fellow Shin~Shin linked me up to the Adult Swim website where they are hosting a video they created for a track that is on the Chrome Children CD by J Dilla called Nothing Like This. The track is unmistakeably Dilla and the video they’ve created for it is so fresh and creative. It features some bizarre aqua-alien creature in the search for love, and basically shows the tale of how one door closes… another opens. Check it out for yourself at the Adult Swim website.

As you will notice on that webpage, there are two more videos to tracks on the Chrome Children CD to come; one for Take It Back by Madlib, and one for Monkey Suite by Madvillain - cant wait to see those!If you like that Dilla track to the video above, give it a proper listen here…

J Dilla - Nothing Like This
>> download track
>> buy album @ Amazon US / Amazon UK
This download link will expire on 27th October.

As a side note, sorry for the lack of posts this week, STILL on the job hunt! But that will be resolved soon with any luck. Also, hope you like the new look >>just like music? Thought I’d try something different!

Useful links:

• J Dilla video @ Adult Swim
• Download - J Dilla - Nothing Like This
• Buy Chrome Children CD/DVD @ Amazon US / Amazon UK