Archive for January, 2012

Calling all vinyl junkies!  If you do not buy this box set, you are stupid, dumb, and lame.  10 7inch singles, plus downloads, plus a bonus CD, plus a BOOK?!  At a freakishly low price of $50?!  This was released in November 2011, and I’m completely baffled as to why they are not sold out already.  “Wheedle’s Groove” is an extremely well told story of the Seattle funk scene of the 1970’s.  Thanks to Mr. Supreme aka Supreme La Rock for doing the digging, and Light in The Attic for putting this out.  Again, for $50, you get the following:

• Only 2,000 hand-numbered copies worldwide
• Ten 45rpm singles featuring original label art and housed in a gorgeous custom made magnetic flip-top box
• 96 page book with new liner notes interviewing the musicians and key players, unseen photos, endless ephemera, replica Seattle SuperSonics trading card, countless photos, and loads of other archival gems
• CD of “lost” Robbie Hill’s Family Affair session, circa 1975
• Meticulously remastered
• Free Download Card for all songs

Stumbled on this group, killin the reggae covers.  Not only do they have their 45’s selling for SUPER CHEAP, but they also have a free download of their steppers version of Vince Guaraldi’s “Christmas Time Is Here.”  You can’t go wrong with a reggae version of anything, and it’s good to see Redbud putting this out.

Peep their cover of Nu Shooz’s “I Can’t Wait,” featuring one of my favorite vocalists, Cecilia Stalin.

Make no mistake, this one is not to be missed!  Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Venice Dawn, DJ Spinna, and Theo Parrish.  A fresh and unexpected bill that will no doubt be another one for the books.  ArtDontSleep is behind this, who organized the Roy Ayers & Thundercat show back in November, so you can be sure that this is a well thought out, carefully curated event.  Limited early bird tickets are on sale now for $25.  I can’t say I can recall the last time HBB was on the west coast, if at all.  Their name is well earned, with heavy horn harmonies, and cleverly arranged songs.  Their last EP, “Heritage,” features amazing covers of some of your favorite

classics, from Fela to Art of Noise (yes, Art of Noise).  Add DJ Spinna & Theo Parrish to the bill, plus local favorites Sean O, Expo, Rani D, and Anthony Valadez, and you’ve got a great night planned out at one of Downtown LA’s freshest venues, Exchange LA.  Enough gushing, let’s get to the sounds…

I’m a big fan of Mark de Clive-Lowe‘s live show, and have been playing his music on Forward Listening for quite sometime, so I was geeked that he was coming down to the KCRW studios to rock, as well as promote his new album on Tru Thoughts, “Renegades.”  Along with a few live musicians & Nia Andrews on vocals, Mark can piece together a vibe and make it sound so simple!

My man Endo came through The Straight Ahead last week and mentioned that he had some 45’s in the car for sale, so I politely exited the spot and proceeded to follow the man to a parking structure down the street.  After sifting through some goodness, he handed me this 7-inch.  A fine cover of The Jackson Sisters rare groove classic.  UK soul & latin bands always come with the heat.  Hearing this record reminded me how excited I was when I heard about Grupo X quite a few years back.

Shafiq En’ A-Free-Ka was my favorite record of 2009, hands down.  I still play tracks from this record as if it were brand new, and can’t wait to hear this new project, called “The Loop.”  Shafiq taps into the cosmos with this stuff, man.  Lots of live instruments and great vocalists, but still what seems to be a very simple approach to beat making.  I think that’s the beauty of the whole Sa-Ra movement, though.  It sounds very stripped down, but, in my opinion, it could be an extremely complex production process.

Peep one of my favorite tracks from Shafiq En’ A-Free-Ka.

I had a blast making this one.  All year I’ve been compiling this list, and I ended making Forward Listening 22 a 2-hour and 40-minute show.  Music from all around the globe, released in 2011.

Enjoy!

Forward Listening 22 – Best of 2011

1. Charles Bradley – Golden Rule [ No Time For Dreaming; Daptone ]
2. The Stepkids – Shadows on Behalf [ The Stepkids; Stones Throw ]
3. Toro Y Moi – Still Sound [ Underneath The Pine; Carpark Records ]
4. Aischa Traidia – What’s Going On [ Single; Melting Pot Music ] bandcamp.com
5. Seun Kuti & Africa 80 – You Can Run [ From Africa With Fury: Rise; Knitting Factory ]
6. Tunde Mabadu – Viva Disco *Instrumental [ Nigeria 70: Sweet Times; Strut ]
7. Bibio – Light Sleep [ Mind Bokeh; Warp Records ]
8. Thundercat – Boat Cruise [ Golden Age of Apocalypse; Brain Feeder ]
9. Pharaoh Monche – Still Standing *feat. Jill Scott [ W.A.R. ; Duck Down ]
10. Amerigo Gazaway – Breakadawn [ Fela Soul; Gummy Soul ] bandcamp.com
11. Sebastian – Embody *DJ Premier Remix [ single; Ed Banger ]
12. Robin Hannibal – Transit [ Bobby EP; Plug Research ]
13. Grace Jones – This is Life [ Hurricane; Play It Again, Sam ]
14. Stac – Head on Me *Blue Daisy Remix [ Turn That Light Out: The Remixes, Vol. 2; Wah Wah 45’s ]
15. Little Dragon – Nightlife [ Ritual Union; Peacefrog Holdings ]
16. LDFD – Outtacontrol [ Outtacontrol EP; Magical Properties ]
17. Thievery Corporation – Where It All Starts [ Culture of Fear; ESL ]
18. King – Hey [ The Story EP; Self Released ]
19. Wild Cookie – Serious Drug [ Cookie Dough; Tru Thoughts ] Freddie Cruger & Anthony Mills
20. Kraak & Smaak – Wasted With A Smile [ Electric Hustle; Jalapeño ]
21. Bombino – Tar Hani (My Love) [ Agadez; Cumbancha ]
22. Tinariwen – Tenere Taqhim Tossam [ Tassili; Anti ]
23. Mongo Santamaria – Mongo’s Mambo *Joe Claussell Remix [ Africa Caribe; Hammock House/Fania ]
24. Captain Planet – Get You Some [ Cookin’ Gumbo; Bastard Jazz ]
25. Chris Berry – Lari’s Theme [ OKA!; Oka Productions ]
26. Michael Kiwanuka – Tell Me A Tale [ Tell Me A Tale: The Isle of Wight Sessions; Communion ]
27. The Echocentrics – Crescent Sun [ Sunshadows; Ubiquity ]
28. Garfield Adams – For My City *feat. Josh Koslow [ 1st Things First; Self Released ] band camp
29. Jesse Futurman – I Love You So [ Super Basement EP; Jus Like Music
30. Agnes Obel – Close Watch [ Philharmonics; Play It Again, Sam ]
31. DJ Shadow – Enemy Lines [ The Less You Know, The Better; Verve Forecast ]
32. Dengue Fever – Ugu [ Cannibal Courtship; Fantasy ]
33. Daedelus – Penny Loafers [ Bespoke; Ninja Tune ] Inara George Bird & The Bee Living Sisters
34. Chrissy Murderbot – Bussin Down [ Women’s Studies; Planet Mu ]
35. El Rego – Vimado Wingman [ El Rego; Daptone ]
36. Ikebe Shakedown – Tujunga [ Ikebe Shakedown; Ubiquity Records ]
37. Bing Ji Ling – Dreaming [ Shadow to Shine; Tummy Touch Records ]

BIG TUNE!

Anthony Mills & Freddie Cruger aka Red Astaire team up for some goodness that is Wild Cookie.  I can’t tell if this is an official video, but all I know is the big reverb on Anthony’s voice is what caught me.  Amazing language all around, from the chorus to the lyrics.  I need this on vinyl asap…

 I got to hang out with my man, Khalil, over the holidays and we reminisced on our days as Fresh Air, an independent hip hop group I joined around 2003.  Long story short, I ran into Khalil at an afterhours spot playing beats.  We exchanged cards, and that was that.  A few months later, I was DJ’ing at a spot and Fresh Air was scheduled to perform, but their DJ couldn’t make it.  I filled in and we rocked it.  Khalil hit me up a few days later to ask me to join the group, and the rest is history.  In 2006, we released our first EP, “Slowly Coming Along.”  It was fun and stressful at the same time.  There were days where I had no desire to go in to the studio to help Khalil with the mixdown, let alone go in and do my part, which were the scratches.  Then there were other days where we’d be all together and just vibin to our project, making plans to do shows and what not.  It was definitely a good time.  I hit up Khalil recently to suggest that we put up the EP for free download, and he agreed it was a good idea.  So here it is, folks.  Enjoy!

Music in Los Angeles is definitely doing well in 2011-2012!  I’m very excited to be around so much talent in our city, and TheImagination & E Reece, better known as T.iM.E, are  creating progressive sounds combined with fresh lyrics.  I’ve been a fan of E Reece since around 2007, when his album “A New Breed,” was released.  He even came out to the crib when I was first podcasting after leaving the CSUF radio studios.  His early work was a straight ahead hip hop vibe, but now, as T.iM.E, the duo dives into space.  TheImagination sounds like he’s very much at home with this sound, with soulful and heavy beats to accompany E Reece’s dependable rhymes. Their new EP, “The T.iM.E Is Now,” is available on bandcamp now.

In the meantime, check out this free download of “Breakthrough,” remixed by The Beat Ventriloquists, and featuring vocals by Joy Jones.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/26391247″]

Let’s get nostalgic and check out one of my favorite tracks from an old E Reece record, “Make A Change.”