Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Stone-cold 1980 Funk - Jackson Jones
I first heard part of this jem on the James Murphy Fabriclive CD but I had to hunt down the original. Put your pants on? This track will have your pants off in about 5 seconds and I doubt you'll ever wear them again.
LISTEN
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Fes, Morocco: Gnawa Music
I first heard something that sounded like Gnawa music when Ed Kent loaned me and then gave me a bunch of cassettes that he had brought back from Morocco years earlier. One really stuck out, and as Andrew Whiteman will remember, it not only stuck out, it rocked our collective world.
I was walking here in the medina in Fes last week and suddenly heard something that sounded almost exactly like that old tape of Ed's. I stopped and asked what it was. 'Gnawa' replied Mohammad, who was bombing the music really loud in his tiny fabric shop. The next day was my birthday, so when asked what I wanted to do, there was no question that it was high time to hunt down some serious Gnawa (guh-nawa). We went back to Mohammad's shop and I ripped a bunch of cd's. He then told me that he knows some Gnawa musicians and asked if we'd like to arrange a concert. No-brainer. The next day we were in Mohammad's house with his family, being served mint tea and snacks, and rocking out to some serious Fessi Gnawa. What an experience!
That's what I love about Fes... it has the most friendly people I have ever met, and a great local tradition of music.
Gnawa is essentially Sufi music, since all of the lyrics are referencing God or about serving God. The band (and traditionally the audience) tends to get really high smoking Kef and drinking Berber whiskey as the music builds intensity. I personally love the call and response style the best.
Unfortunately none of the cd's had track listings...
LISTEN
Friday, December 26, 2008
Gnawa music from Morocco
Stay tuned for a few posts from Morocco. I'm here now and have collected a bunch of great music to share with you...
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Funk
Great track:
from the Soul Jazz 'Miami Sound' LP
Unfortunately you can't buy any of the Soul Jazz LPs on iTunes... Check out the whole series though...
NeoSoul - Musiq
Some will say, this is a travesty. All I know is that when I play this for a crowd, the girls get sexy, the crowd starts moving. As a DJ, I would say that this is a ten out of ten.
NeoSoul - The Foreign Exchange
If you don't love D'Angelo then stop reading.
If you can't handle crazy weird shuffle beats, and the snare sounds off, I dig.
But otherwise, this is great great shit.
LISTEN
Thanks Steven Mann
M.I.A. Remix
I must have listened to this 20 times today...
Inna dancehall style... no slackness...
LISTEN
Monday, December 01, 2008
Classic early soul - complete with talking section... Beautiful vocal performance...My Wife Has A Blackbelt In Crazy...
In honour of getting her Blackbelt last weekend, here is a fitting tribute from the great Bo Diddley.
I Love This Song...
Dripping with phase, haunted with Lee Perry-esque animal sounds and heavy reverb and delay, this is a classic Wackies Rhythm cut. Wackies is a Brooklyn label that was in it's prime in the mid to late 70's and still puts out re-issues through our friends in Berlin at basic channel (Rhythm & Sound). Sunday, November 30, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Losing My Edge - Althea & Donna
Young Jamaican singers Althea Forrest (17), and Donna Reid (18), were are worldwide sensation in 1978 with their classic, "Uptown Top Ranking". It was produced by Joe Gibbs using a re-recording of the riddim of the 1967 Alton Ellis' song "I'm Still In Love", which had already been re-popularised in the 1970s by Marcia Aitken's cover "I'm Still In Love With You Boy" and the deejay track "Three Piece Suit" by Trinity.
The original Losing My Edge Post is here
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Saturday, November 01, 2008
African Scream Contest
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Clearly I have won this round. The first round however went squarely to Gabo Brown & Orchestra with their fucking great track 'It's a Vanity'.
I had to mail away to Dusty Groove to get it. Totally worth it. It's also on LP which I also bought.
Samy who put this record out has a great blog
LISTEN
Friday, October 31, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Rock - The Black Keys
It's nice to find a good rock record that's not The White Stripes. Hailing from Akron OH, this LP was produced strangely by Danger Mouse. I like it. You like it.
LISTEN
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Indian Classical - Ustad Kamal Sabri
I shot this footage of Kamal the night before he left. For those of you who saw his concert, you know how powerful it is to see this instrument (the Sarangi [Sa-run-gi]) live in person. The audio is very high quality. It is formatted for iPhone.
Subscribe to my Sabri Academy podcast for the iPhone/iPod
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Oliver Schroer - R.I.P.
Now I don't really listen to Classical music much, though from time to time I really enjoy it. And you know what, I'm not even comfortable calling this music classical since it is really quite experimental. When I first heard Schroer's music on the CBC in early June 08, I immediately tried to get tickets for the show that turned out to be his last, but to no avail.
Schroer's Camino was recorded in various churches during a 1,000 km journey Schroer made along the pilgrims trail 'Camino de Santiago' that runs between France and Spain. Google it if you want to know more...
Please buy this record and help support Schroer's family.
LISTEN
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Dirty Blues
I love the 50s and 60s euphemisms for fucking. Here's two dirty dirty tracks for you. (Now a 'back door man' isn't necessarily what you might think. It IS the 60s, not the 90s remember...)
LISTEN
Some Slim Harpo notes from a web site:
As cool rocking names go, Slim Harpo is in the freezer. His sonic stylings are just as frigid. A narrow minded man would say he sounds too much like Jimmy Reed. An eloquent man would talk about his lazy-sounding vocal style, the sinewy guitar, the backbeat you can drive a Cadillac through, how less is most deliciously more. But I’m neither of those.
Instead I’ll mention some titles: ‘I Need Money’, ‘Shake Your Hips’, ‘Baby Scratch My Back’….What economy and directness. The lyrics are just as straightforward, stories of simple pleasure that often contain well-observed truth.
Did he make this up right before the tape rolled? --
Ohhh, I dig those crazy clothes Let me feel those fishnet hose Cut low at the top And high at the bottom In fact, I don't see How we ever did without 'em
Slim is from Louisiana. Maybe that explains his magic.
As cool rocking names go, Slim Harpo is in the freezer. His sonic stylings are just as frigid. A narrow minded man would say he sounds too much like Jimmy Reed. An eloquent man would talk about his lazy-sounding vocal style, the sinewy guitar, the backbeat you can drive a Cadillac through, how less is most deliciously more. But I’m neither of those.
Instead I’ll mention some titles: ‘I Need Money’, ‘Shake Your Hips’, ‘Baby Scratch My Back’….What economy and directness. The lyrics are just as straightforward, stories of simple pleasure that often contain well-observed truth.
Did he make this up right before the tape rolled? --
Ohhh, I dig those crazy clothes Let me feel those fishnet hose Cut low at the top And high at the bottom In fact, I don't see How we ever did without 'em
Slim is from Louisiana. Maybe that explains his magic.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
VFest 2008
I had another great year playing at Toronto's Virgin Festival. Got the 'thumbs up' on my set from Paul Weller and Oasis and no, it was not me that shoved Noel. Stop asking.
My set list is here
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Pop - Electronic - butchersomething
This is a great pop-electronica record. It’s nice to hear actual songs, rather than just building a song around a loop. I like this record because its influences are such a great combination of familiar and obscure.
LISTEN
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Happy Anniversary!
It's hard to believe that it's been two years already. I think I've made it past the milestone that seems to stop most weblogs. Hopefully this year I will be adding a couple of new contributors and we can bring you even more of the music we love.
Cheers,
Eric
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Are you up for the challenge? Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffitti
If I worked in a coffee shop, I would probably play this record over and over. Separates the men from the boys it does.
Sounds like: Wham!, Guided by Voices, Ween, Beefheart, Hall & Oats, Mantler
LISTEN
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Echo Rock - Beach House
I'm totally in love with this record. A mix of Yo La Tengo and Nico with lots of great echo-y guitars, organ and drum machine. It's beautiful. Victoria Legrand's vocals take you on a trip to far-off fairy tale lands.
LISTEN
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
California Post-Rock - Fleet Foxes
Actually, they're from Seattle. Riding the seemingly unending wave of bands sounding like The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, The Zombies etc.., Fleet Foxes have made a record that is really really interesting to listen to. Especially the first half of the record. You hear all of the influences, but are still pleasantly surprised at each new turn of melody. Interesting arrangement. Produced by Seattle's Phil Ek (The Shins, Built To Spill, Mudhoney LP's) It's a really good record.
It also got me to go back and listen to Bundy K Browns 'Directions In Music' - a classic. Thanks to Kev for tipping me to the FF record.
UPDATE
wtf, FF cancel Toronto show July 16th to drive to Chicago to do pre-Pitchfork party. Bummer.
LISTEN
edited - please buy it
edited - please buy it
buy it at iTunes or go to your local record store for fucks sake.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Montreal Rock - The Besnards Lakes
Running in the same circles as fellow Montreal bands like Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade, this BL record came out last year but I only just heard it on CBC late night radio and went right out and bought it.
Falling right smack dab in the middle of my current Beach Boys/Cali Rock obsession, this is a beautiful and quite experimental record. Reminds me also of The Flaming Lips, and at times Yo La Tengo.
LISTEN
also listen to Rides The Rails
Monday, June 09, 2008
Rock - Sebastian Grainger & The Mountains
Sebastien is former of Death From Above 1979. His EP came out yesterday. Only $3.99! Looks like the album will have quite a few treats on it. I love this Way To Come Home track. Once you dig it, you should buy it, then listen to the demo which is fucking great too.
LISTEN
I also liked the hot little funk track SG released last year "When You Go Out"
Also, go buy this lovely track on a record dedicated to Bellwoods Park. Young Mothers
If you like the heavy sounds of DFA 1979 more, try this one: Let's Make Out
Friday, June 06, 2008
Bootleg - Zakir Hussain show feat Niladri Kumar on Sitar
I told a few of you about Zakir Hussain coming to town. I managed to catch up with his tour in Vancouver when I was out there shooting. I was really taken by his sitar player. Here is a clip taken from my stills camera. It's poor quality but really worth a listen. Reminds me of 'Brothers' from the Paris, Texas soundtrack by Ry Cooder.
LISTEN
READ
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
More Beach Rock - Grizzly Bear
I'm still liking this Beach Boys influenced post-rock, done very nicely by indie darlings Grizzly Bear.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
African Funk - Nigeria Special
With nary a Fela Kuti song in sight, Soundway Records has brought out another astounding collection of Afro-Funk and Highlife. I'm speechless.
Go buy a copy in your local record store - it's a great looking package.
LISTEN
Rock - The Kills
This record is a new direction for duo The Kills and sadly I'm not a fan. But I like these tracks:
LISTEN:
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Reggae - Bim Sherman
One of my favourite vocalists, he sang on some seriously deep rhythms.
Slummy Ghetto + version - 1982 (10,000 Ethiopians Rhythm)
10,000 Ethiopians
Fit To Survive
buy
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Experimental Pop - Panda Bear
I love this new track from Panda Bear, a NYC'r transplanted to Lisbon, Portugal. Dreamy Beach Boys melodies. Love it.
LISTEN
Monday, March 31, 2008
Hip Hop - Cool Kids
Though I've long felt like hip hop is so ten years ago along comes this pair of killer beat makers from Chicago: Cool Kids. I heard this song in a store and tracked it down as soon as got home. Get this: they don't have a record and although the hype on them has been HUGE since last summer, you can barely buy any of their stuff. This track is supposedly coming from their new EP, but up until now there is only one track for sale at iTunes called Black Mags, but this one is the shit.
LISTEN
Mikey Rocks
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Losing My Edge - Exploded!
You might know the song from two summers back, but admit it, are you really hip enough to get all of the references to obscure bands listed in this song? I had really only heard of half of those bands so I have taken on the task of looking up the ones I don't know and linking to them here. This will be an ongoing series so let's start with the full version of the original track (please buy it if you like it). I will post the lyrics and link a band each month to its post on this blog.
LISTEN
Losing My Edge - LCD Soundsystem
LYRICS (and links - updated monthly)
Yeah, I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
The kids are coming up from behind.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge to the kids from France and from London.
But I was there.
I was there in 1968.
I was there at the first Can show in Cologne. (post)
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge to the kids whose footsteps I hear when they get on the decks.
I'm losing my edge to the Internet seekers who can tell me every member of every good group from 1962 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Tokyo and Berlin.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Brooklynites in little jackets and borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered eighties.
But I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge, but I was there.
I was there.
But I was there.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
I can hear the footsteps every night on the decks.
But I was there.
I was there in 1974 at the first Suicide practices in a loft in New York City. (post)
I was working on the organ sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart (post) started up his first band.
I told him, "Don't do it that way. You'll never make a dime."
I was there.
I was the first guy playing Daft Punk (link) to the rock kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
Everybody thought I was crazy.
We all know.
I was there.
I was there.
I've never been wrong.
I used to work in the record store.
I had everything before anyone.
I was there in the Paradise Garage DJ booth with Larry Levan. (link)
I was there in Jamaica during the great sound clashes.
I woke up naked on the beach in Ibiza in 1988.
But I'm losing my edge to better-looking people with better ideas and more talent.
And they're actually really, really nice.
I'm losing my edge.
I heard you have a compilation of every good song ever done by anybody. Every great song by the Beach Boys (post). All the underground hits. All the Modern Lovers tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Niagara record on German import. I heard that you have a white label of every seminal Detroit techno hit - 1985, '86, '87. I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and an arpeggiator and are throwing your computer out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Yaz record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitars and bought turntables.
I hear that you and your band have sold your turntables and bought guitars.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records? This Heat, Pere Ubu, Outsiders, Nation of Ulysses, Mars, The Trojans, The Black Dice, Todd Terry, the Germs, Section 25, Althea and Donna, Sexual Harrassment, a-ha, Pere Ubu, Dorothy Ashby, PIL, the Fania All-Stars, the Bar-Kays, the Human League, the Normal, Lou Reed, Scott Walker, Monks, Niagara,
Joy Division, Lower 48, the Association, Sun Ra,
Scientists, Royal Trux, 10cc,
Eric B. and Rakim, Index, Basic Channel, Soulsonic Force ("just hit me"!), Juan Atkins, David Axelrod, Electric Prunes, Gil! Scott! Heron!, the Slits, Faust, Mantronix, Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines, the Swans, the Soft Cell, the Sonics, the Sonics, the Sonics, the Sonics.
I know what you really want. (x15)
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Losing My Edge - The Modern Lovers
Recoring their first album in 1972, it didn't hit stores until 1976 but it was perfect timing. A huge influence on the emerging punk movement, it's worth noting that the Sex Pistols first single was a cover of 'Roadrunner'. You can also here a similar vocal style in 'She Cracked'. I personally really love the Velvet Underground influence on their music. In fact, it was recorded by VU's John Cale. It also featured Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads on organ. Very cool.
LISTEN
Roadrunner (alt version)
She Cracked
buy at iTunes store
Check out this interesting article
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Losing My Edge - The Beach Boys
Most people don't knw that the Beach Boys were actually an experimental group because they were so hugely popular, but the rest of us know that they were really cool and far out when you dig a little deeper than the radio hits we all know (and sometimes cringe at). I'm not going to go to far with this post because there is way too much out there already about this band. I'm posting a few of the more unheard tracks for you to enjoy.
LISTEN
Little Bird
All I Wanna Do
Wild Honey
Meant For You
buy at iTunes
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Losing My Edge - Suicide
The first album from Suicide sounds a lot like the Silver Apples. Sounds pretty cool now in a early-punk nyc grungy way.
Rocket USA
Ghost Rider
open in iTunes
Wiki
Losing My Edge - Can
Can are one of my favourite bands. Hailing from Germany in the late 60's and with their best work in the early to mid 70's they are probably one of the most influential bands on indie rock and electronica. They inspired everyone from Sonic Youth to Kraftwerk. Mad drummer. I'm not a prog-rock fan whatsoever, but Can definately rocks my world. Please just go buy Ege Bamysi.
LISTEN
One More Night - buy
Vitamin C - buy
Future Days - buy
Can Wiki
Monday, December 31, 2007
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Ike Turner meets Papa Legba
Here's a great article on Ike Turner written by Steely Dan's Donald Fagen. While reading, I opened up iTunes and searched for the track that is mentioned to help put it in context. Good stuff. Did you know that Ike was one of the first people to hire Jimi Hendrix?
