Portland Cello Project feat. Thao – Beat (Health, Life and Fire)
New release from venerable indie label Kill Rock Stars matches this rather lovely group of cellists with two very fine indie-folksters, Thao and Justin Power. Here’s their reworking of Thao’s “Beat (Health Life & Fire),” one of my favorite songs of 2008.
24-Carat Black – Brown Baggin’
I thought I’d commemorate the release of 24-Carat Black’s Gone: The Promises of Yesterday, with a quick Dig Deep post on the first record. (more…)
24-Carat Black – I’ll Never Let You Go
For the second time in as many years, a musical dream of mine has come true. In 2008, I learned that there were instrumental versions of the records that David Axelrod recorded with the Electric Prunes. I was nothing short of amazed. This collection of recordings from the legendary 24-Carat Black tops that find significantly.
Some 35 years after it was recorded, the Numero Group has dug up the long lost recordings for the second album by 24-Carat Black. The 6 songs on this collection aptly titled Gone: The Promises of Yesterday are very much in the spirit of the debut, sonically, but not thematically. While some of the members in the group had changed, the core returns, Dale Warren, Princess Hearn and a seriously funky drummer Tyrone Steels. Based on the songs on this collection, it appears that band-leader Dale Warren was interested in presenting another concept record, but instead of one focused on the urban condition, he was broadening his scope to focus on love. (more…)
The Purpose – Dustcracks, Bugs and Roaches
The Purpose – Give In
The Purpose – Life of Love
Picked up this endearingly scratchy record maybe a month ago in San Diego at a spot that O-dub of Soul-sides recommended, B.A.O. Records (as in By Appointment Only). I’m particularly drawn to integrated groups from the 60s and the look of the group plus the fact that the lead singer’s name is John John McDuffy, the guitarist’s name is “Fluffer” and the drummer goes by “Chocolate” pretty much sold me without even listening.
I had my portable turntable with me that day, so I WAS able to check out the sounds as well, cause after all, you shouldn’t judge records just by their covers. The Purpose played what could be described as a mix between urban blues and soul…along with a far too apparent deep love of nursery rhymes. Seriously. (more…)
The Good Foot goes down every 2nd and 4th Friday at Temporary Spaces in East Hollywood. We play soul, funk & rare grooves. End to end burners all night long, keeping it hot, funky & sweaty…from 10pm – 2am, No cover, 21+. Just FYI, Temp. Spaces doesn’t have a ton of street parking surrounding it, but there is a little valet across the street. Expect it to be packed inside by Midnight…
UPCOMING GUEST DJS FOR THE GOOD FOOT:
August 14th: Jeremy Sole (Afro-Funke/Musaics/KCRW)!!!
August 28th: O-dub (Soul-sides/Boogaloo[la]) & Rani D (Soul In The Park)!!!
Oumou Sangare – Wele Wele Wintou
This record has actually been out for a fairly long time, but I only recently discovered it after hearing in on Tom Schnabel’s show at KCRW. Great contemporary sounds out of Mali from perhaps the reigning queen of African music. Rhythm king Tony Allen is a guest on one track and sounds like he could be on this one too, a bit of modern Afro-beat that is a lyrical critique against child marriage pratices.
Our first post in this new feature is a sweet bit of indie-rock from Atlanta, GA (my hometown) based group Deerhunter. This song, “Agoraphobia,” was featured on their 2008 album Microcastle, one of the best releases from last year. “Agoraphobia” is defined as an abnormal fear of open or public spaces. On the face of it, much of that comes across in the lyrics to the song, where it seems the subject wants to be locked away, perhaps in an asylum, isolated from the world.
However, when I listen to this song, especially the way Bradford Cox sings the beautiful use of alliteration in the opening, I’m strangely reminded not of a person who is scared of being in public and wants to be alone, but instead someone who is madly, blindly, obsessively in love (more…)
I am very pleased to announce that I’ll be starting up a new weekly at a legendary spot in downtown Los Angeles, beginning Sunday August 2nd. The night is called “Gris Gris,” and it will go down every Sunday night from 10pm-2am at La Cita, located at 336 S. Hill St.
This night will feature a variety of styles, Soul, Funk, Latin Bugalú, Salsa Dura, Yé-yé, Mod, Beat, Psych, Proto-Punk, Tropicália, Ska, Rock Steady, Reggae, and other Rare Grooves to recharge your mojo and start the week off right. We’ll primarily focus on original sounds from the 1960s & early 1970s, but also include contemporary artists that channel the spirits of the past.
This breakdown turned out to be longer than I thought it would…couple of important things to note about the first set. The opening song from Gary Bartz, “JuJu Man,” is not only one of my favorite tracks from him, but it’s also an apt song of celebration for the new weekly that I’m starting at La Cita in downtown Los Angeles, called “Ju Ju” on Sunday nights, 10pm-2am, starting August 2nd (full post on that coming shortly). (more…)
Sly & the Family Stone – Mother Beautiful
Sly & the Family Stone – Can’t Strain My Brain
Sly & the Family Stone – Time For Livin’
This record from Sly & the Family Stone isn’t a particularly rare record in general, but this particular copy is somewhat rare (more on that below). By this time, Larry Graham had split as had Greg Errico, replaced by Rusty Allen & Bill Lordan, respectively. My original reason for buying this record from Wax’n’Facts in Atlanta in the mid 1990s was “Loose Booty” which was sampled nicely by the Beastie Boys on Paul’s Boutique for their song “Shadrach.” (more…)
CéU- Bubuia
CéU had a busy 2008, basking in the after-glow of her debut record, touring all over the world and releasing collaborations with Sonantes & Tres Na Massa. Here in 2009, she’s released her second album Vagarosa. The album, with its mix of samba funk, reggae, jazz and samples, builds on everything she’s done so far and cements her status as one of the best in the current movement of new music out of Brazil. Highly highly recommended (and yes, that double “highly” is by design…).
Flamin’ Groovies – Headin’ For The Texas Border
Flamin’ Groovies – She’s Falling Apart
Flamin’ Groovies – Jailbait
I found a slightly warped, but otherwise clean, copy of this record at that store in Barcelona I mentioned in a prior post, Wah-Wah. Along with the Stooges’ “Funhouse” & the MC5’s “Back in the USA” (which strangely enough I also have a slightly warped copy of) this record completes what I consider the trinity of American Rock ’n’ Roll records from 1970. (more…)
Quantic – The Dreaming Mind Pt. 1
It seems like it took forever and a day for this album to finally be released. I think we had an advance copy of it a full two months before it came out. Now, Oliver at Soul Sides actually just did a nice write up on the record, so my words are minimal except to say that “The Dreaming Mind” is one of the best things I think Will Holland AKA Quantic has ever put down, all the elements just beautifully put together, especially the strings arranged by Arthur Verocai and of course Malcolm Catto’s drums. A perfect introduction to his greatest album to date.