So…it seems it’s taken me a bit longer than I originally thought it would to get through all of that vinyl I picked up on my recent trip, but now that I’ve been through all of it, there definitely are a few records and tracks that stand out (most of which will end up in a mix I’ll post in the next couple of days), but probably the single track I’ve come back to the most in the two weeks I’ve been back home has been this one from the Czech band Modrý Efekt (Blue Effect), led by guitarist Radim Hladík. Part of why I was so excited to return to Spain, and especially to Discos Wah Wah in Barcelona, was access to not only Spanish, but other European music that we rarely see here in the States. Yes, most of these records can be found on the web somewhere, but nothing beats being able to browse the physical records, hold them, gaze at the artwork and ponder the sounds. “Cajovna” is perhaps the group’s most famous song, and deservedly so as you’ll hear, with it’s breezy proggish feel. It’s a song that sounds VERY familiar to me, and something that though I can’t confirm it online, must have been sampled previously by someone (a buddy of mine thought perhaps an Oddisee instrumental, something in me leans towards Madlib though), perhaps hearing it will cause one of you to recognize who has used it before, if so, let me know, so I can stop losing sleep over it…
I know 2016 hasn’t exactly been the year of consistency for the blog, but things are on the upswing, I promise…I just got back from an exceptional trip to Spain, with brief stops in Philly and London, where I picked up a crates worth of vinyl. I’ll be spending most of the weekend going through all of these records and you can expect a mix of the different sounds soon, as well as some posts dedicated to the trip and the stores (especially Discos Wah Wah, pictured above)!
Last night I went to sleep early after a long day teaching classes, grading and watching some election coverage…I woke into a world without one of the most iconic MC’s of the Golden Era of Hip-Hop, Malik Taylor, affectionately known as Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest. At 45 years old, it seems unbelievable that Phife is gone. I’m sure a lot of people hoped, as we moved closer to 25th anniversaries for “Low End Theory” (later in September) and “Midnight Marauders” (in November 2018), that the members of Tribe would be able to put aside their differences and bless us with a proper reunion tour performing these albums, but that now will never happen. Q-tip dominated the first Tribe record, not just on the mic, but also on production, with Phife doing some guess work, but soon Phife became an integral part of the group and the talents that we got a glimpse of on that first record shone through brightly on the albums that followed. All day long on social media there have been many many many many many many tributes to Phife, a real tribute to how important he was to those of us who had the privilege of growing up with Hip-Hop in the 1990s. These five tracks feature my favorite moments from his work with Tribe…
“Buggin’ Out”
“Yo, microphone check one, two, what is this?
The five foot assassin with the roughneck business,
I float like gravity, never had a cavity,
Got more rhymes than the Winans got family,
No need to sweat Arsenio to gain some type of fame,
No shame in my game cause I’ll always be the same,
Styles upon styles upon styles is what I have,
You wanna diss the Phifer but you still don’t know the half…”
Like a lot of people, I first heard “Buggin’ Out” at the tail-end of the “Jazz (We Got The)” video, and when I finally bought a copy of Low End Theory, I was surprised that the two songs weren’t back to back on the album. It’s really hard for me to separate the song from the video and how the visual performance of Phife works so perfectly with the vibe of the song and of the group. While I can’t entirely remember where I was when I first saw/heard this, I can guarantee that my response to it was pretty similar to a lot of other people’s, “WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!!!!” Those moments of complete and utter shock and surprise are a rare thing indeed.
“Scenario”
“Heyo, Bo knows this, (What?) and Bo knows that (What?),
But Bo don’t know jack, cause Bo can’t rap,
Well what do you know, the Di-Dawg, is first up to bat,
No batteries included, and no strings attached,
No holds barred, no time for move fakin’,
Gots to get the loot so I can bring home the bacon,
Brothers front, they say the Tribe can’t flow,
But we’ve been known to do the impossible like Broadway Joe, so,
Sleep if you want, NyQuil will help you get your Z’s, troop,
But here’s the real scoop,
I’m all that and then some, short, dark, and handsome,
Bust a nut inside your eye to show you where I come from,
I’m vexed, fuming, I’ve had it up to here,
My days of paying dues are over, acknowledge me as in there (Yeah!),
Head for the border, go get a taco,
Watch me wreck it from the jump street, meaning from the get-go,
Sit back relax and let yourself go,
Don’t sweat what you heard, but act like you know.”
“Scenario” might be the best posse cut of the 1990s and Phife is the one who bats lead-off and just like Rickey Henderson did back in the day, leads it off with a home run.
“Check The Rhime”
“[Q-tip] Yo, Phife, you remember that routine,
That we used to make spiffy like Mr. Clean?
[Phife] Um um, a tidbit, um, a smidgen,
I don’t get the message so you gots to run the pigeon.
[Q-tip] You on point Phife?
[Phife] All the time, Tip.
[Q-tip] You on point Phife?
[Phife] All the time, Tip.
[Q-tip] You on point Phife?
[Phife] All the time, Tip.
[Q-tip] Well, then grab the microphone and let your words rip.
[Phife]Now here’s a funky introduction of how nice I am,
Tell your mother, tell your father, send a telegram,
I’m like an energizer cause, you see, I last long,
My crew is never ever wack because we stand strong,
Now if you say my style is wack that’s where you’re dead wrong,
I slayed that buddy in El Segundo then Push it Along,
You’d be a fool to reply that Phife is not the man,
Cause you know and I know that you know who I am,
A special shout of peace goes out to all my pals, you see,
And a middle finger goes for all you punk MC’s,
Cause I love it when you wack MC’s despise me,
They get vexed, I roll next, can’t none contest me,
I’m just a fly MC who’s five foot three and very brave,
On job remaining, no home training cause I misbehave…”
“Can I Kick It”
“Boy this track really has a lot of flavor,
When it comes to rhythms, Quest is your savior,
Follow us for the funky behavior,
Make a note on the rhythm we gave ya,
Feel free, drop your pants, check your hair,
Do you like the garments that we wear?
I instruct you to be the obeyer,
A rhythm recipe that you’ll savor,
Doesn’t matter if you’re minor or major,
Yes, the Tribe of the game we’re a player,
As you inhale like a breath of fresh air.”
I can’t improve on what I wrote to friends this morning when I first heard the news, so I’ll just quote myself on this one…”I hope I never fully understand the magic and mystery of why certain songs, sounds and musical moments move us more than others…every time I hear this song I’m transported back to my 15 year old self listening to this for the first time and having my mind blown at how fresh it all sounded…the wordplay and flow, that Lonnie Smith break mixed with Lou Reed and especially Phife’s closing rhymes on his verse, one of the few he had in that first record. For whatever reason it always gives me chills in the way that last line is said, right before the scratching and Lonnie Smith’s organ grinds out “Spinning Wheel,” EVERY.SINGLE.TIME!”
“Electric Relaxation”
“I like ’em brown, yellow, Puerto Rican or Haitian
Name is Phife Dawg from the Zulu Nation…”
Hip-Hop has always had some salacious moments, “Sex rhymes” have been a major part of the genre at least since the Fantastic Freaks got on the mic, but I’m not sure there’s a better moment of wordplay in “Sex rhyme” history than Phife’s closing verse in “Electric Relaxation,” with it’s legendary Double Entendre that’s I’m sure boosted sales for Seaman’s Furniture for a couple of years, at least on the east coast.
“If my mom don’t approve, then I’ll just elope,
Let me save the little man from inside the boat,
Let me hit it from the back, girl I won’t catch a hernia,
Bust off on your couch, now you got Semen’s Furniture.”
Whatever place there is for “Beyond Classic,” that rhyme belongs there along with Phife…truly, there will never be another. Rest In Power…
I’m generally a pretty mellow dude, and definitely don’t consider myself a hateful person. But, if there is one thing in this world that I truly hate, it is Daylight Savings Time, the completely arbitrary movement of time forward that happens just as Spring approaches. There should be a special place in Hell for whoever came up with this idea (preferably one where they perpetually wake up and find that they are an hour late for every important thing that they could experience). To try and make up for the lunacy of DST, and the ill-mood that it puts me in, I decided to share a few things that I’ve picked up here in 2016. I haven’t bought too many records thus far, mostly because I’m saving up for a couple of trips in the Spring, but I did have a little spell where I bought a couple handfuls of 45s, and these are the best of the bunch.
Don’t know much of anything about Dwight Houston, or his group “The Ghettos,” except that they put out this funky instrumental double sider on the Equator label. The flipside is an upbeat number labeled “Ghetto Stroll,” but something about the way this song struts it’s stuff in mid-tempo that gives me the feeling that the other song was meant to be called “Trippin'” and this is actually “Ghetto Stroll.” I know when I hear this, I immediately want it to be my soundtrack music for when I’m strolling through LA.
Ricardo Marrero’s A Taste is a true Holy Grail album, something that when it is sold, fetches prices more than twice my rent here in LA. It’s not likely to be a record that I ever own, but I’m happy to at least have this 45 featuring a couple cuts from the same group. The thing about this 45 is that there 4 different versions of it out there! Marrero and his group cut the first one as music for a soundtrack. Not entirely happy with the results, they went back into the studio to cut a second version of both “Babalonia” and “My Friend.” They then, much to the consternation of record collectors everywhere, promptly released the second version on their own Yu Qui Yu record label, with the exact same catalog number as the first. This version was later released on Don King’s Don record label and then there is apparently a fourth version, which features music from this second session, but in unedited form. Whichever one you find, if you find it, hold on to it. As you can tell from the breezy “My Friend,” featuring vocals by Angela Bofill, this one is a record that absolutely lives up to it’s reputation.
Also don’t know a whole lot about Calvin Owens, though I suspect he’s from the Texas area. “The Cat,” is an extra super greasy instrumental with a long break that would make folks in New Orleans happy.
Speaking of New Orleans sounding records that turn out to not be from New Orleans, there’s this cut from Betty Adams. “Make It Real” has all the feel of NOLA Soul, but is actually an Ohio record. I’ll probably look for a mintier version of this one, because the song is just straight up Party-Startin’ Extra Sassy Sister Funk. Ride On indeed…
Finally we come to Odyssey. Like a couple of the other records in this post, there’s not a lot of information I have about this group. They sound like George Clinton and Funkadelic stopped off in Memphis to hang with Willie Mitchell for a hot second. “No One Else,” sounds like no one else on the Hi Record label, just an epic slice of Psychedelic funk with a keyboard/piano line that you’ll likely have in your head for days and days after hearing this. The first time I heard this song I must have played 20 times back to back. According to Mr. Funk, Rickey Vincent, Donald Burnside of Chicago’s Captain Sky. What’s less clear (though someone I know said that Dante Carfagna confirmed it) is whether this is the same Odyssey that recorded for MoWest in the 1970s (Odyssey was apparently a popular name, as there are four or five other groups with the name that put out solid music around this time). The groups sound wholly different to my ears, so hopefully one day someone will not only clear this up, but also find the full session with the full take of “No One Else.” It’s the kind of thing that I spend hours thinking about, but since I lost that whole hour due to Daylight Savings Time, I’ll just use the time I got to keep dropping the needle, over and over again, on this gem.
While it’s been four years since Adrian Younge released the first volume of “Something About April,” you can forgive the man for taking that long on a sequel, because he has been a truly busy fellow. Multiple collaborations with Ghostface Killah, Bilal, Laetitia Sadier and others have graced our ears in the ensuing years between these albums, and in that time Younge’s music has taken on a very specific retro-funk sound, very specifically read through a Hip-Hop mindset. This has led to Younge being one of the few contemporary artists who music is routinely sampled in Hip-Hop. But you could make a case that Younge’s music is best when it is completely his own vision. Something About April II certainly seems to provide ample evidence to that assertion, with more than a few songs that sound nothing like anything that Younge has produced thus far. The particularities of his sound are all there, but when you hear “Sandrine,” or “La Ballade” you could be easily convinced that it is another artist’s work, that’s how new and fresh some of this music sounds. I don’t know if we’ll have to wait another four years for Part 3 (lately Younge has been busy getting ready to open up a new Artform Studio in Highland Park, which now I think will now bring the total to six of LA’s finest record stores being within 5 minutes of each other), but I sincerely hope he doesn’t wait that long to immerse us within his own personal musical world. This album is definitely a strong early contender for my “Best of 2016.”
So, lately, since leaving the regularity of a weekly radio show (or semi-regularity as was often the case at KPFK), I’ve had some difficulty getting motivated enough to put together a show from home. For a period of time, it felt like I was in existential swamp, not sure what to do, where to go, feeling a bit stuck. During a bit of re-organization ’round my place, I knocked over some older mini-disks, which way back in the day I used as an archive means before the days of MP3’s and WAV’s. On a few of those, I remembered there were a few mixes that I had put together after I had moved to the Bay Area and had begun to spend a little more time on mixing and DJ-ing. These mixes were original for cassettes (it was after all back in the day when “mixtapes” were actually put onto tapes), so they end up being about 45 minutes a piece, and coming out of radio and a being a Southerner, it’s hard for me to just chop things up, so there’s only about ten songs on each. I’m thinking that there were more of these, but seems that I only archived these three sides, perhaps because I didn’t really think the others were up to snuff.
Even looking at these 16-17 years later, they ain’t half bad. I kinda wish I’d spent more time developing my mixing skills, to be able to beat juggle and match, instead of the somewhat jarring jump cuts that I employed at this time or the simple cross fade I do nowadays. Some of the songs are familiar, some a bit deeper, but there’s quality on the them all. Most importantly, I feel like listening to these snapped me out of my funk (pun intended) and helped me to get myself back on track so that I can regularly post new mixes and “Melting Pot Radio Hours” in the weeks to come. So, here you go, Funky Treats For Funky Peeps, volumes 1-3. The title now strikes me as being a little hokey, but I might resurrect it in the future…Enjoy!
1. Jimmy Castor Bunch – It’s Just Begun
2. Harlem Underground Band – Smokin’ Cheeba Cheeba
3. The Fatback Band – Mr. Bassman
4. Lee Dorsey – Occapella
5. The Chubuckos – House Of Rising Funk
6. Jimmy Smith – I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little Bit More Babe
7. Cymande – The Message
8. Blue Mitchell – The Message
9. Rusty Bryant – The Fire Eater
10. Albert Ayler – New Generation
11. Ernie Hines – Our Generation
1. King Curtis – Memphis Soul Stew
2. S.O.U.L. – Soul
3. Sir Joe Quarterman & Free Soul – I’ve Got So Much Trouble In My Mind
4. Detroit Emeralds – You’re Getting A Little Too Smart
5. Jimmy Smith – Root Down (And Get It!)
6. Herbie Hancock – Watermelon Man
7. Leon Thomas – China Doll
8. Cymande – Fug
1. Archie Shepp – Attica Blues
2. Buddy Rich – Big Mac
3. Mandingo – The Headhunter
4. Manu DiBango – New Bell
5. Gary Bartz – Follow The Medicine Man
6. The Black Byrds – Rock Creek Park
7. James Brown – A Blind Man Can See It
8. Larry Coryell – Morning Sickness
9. Miles Davis – Black Satin
10. Earth Wind & Fire – Bad Tune
Because of some (fingers-crossed) big-ish plans for the 7th anniversary of this blog in July, I’ve recently tried to map out and plan some of my posts a bit more than I really ever do. As I was running through records that I wanted to share here I almost missed this album, thinking that I’d already posted something about it. What must have been in my mind was the though to post this up shortly after Don Blackman passed in 2013. Given that at the time my marriage was falling apart, it’s highly likely that that played a part in my decision at that time not to post this record. The reason for that is fairly simply. “I Love You” is perhaps my single favorite song from the 1970s. It’s an absolutely perfect, unabashedly romantic song and something that I’ve always wanted to sing to the woman I love. To date, I still haven’t had a chance to, but I’m posting this up on Valentine’s Day as a pledge to that woman, whoever she may be, that she’ll know when she hears this song exactly what it means.
In addition to the perfection of “I Love You,” Sinbad presents a cross-section of Irvine’s talents as a performer, bandleader and songwriter, with a large group including Blackman, Cornell Dupree, Eric Gale, Steve Gadd and Randy & Michael Brecker. There are crowd pleasing covers of Stevie and Marvin, funk/disco vamps like the title cut, pensive pieces like “Here’s Where I Cam In,” and Spiritual funk with “Do Something For Yourself,” and “Music Is The Key” that are representative of what I appreciate most from the career of Weldon Irvine. But ultimately it all comes back to “I Love You,” which is just one of the most absolutely perfect listening experiences from the decade of my birth. Valentine’s Day is every day with music this lovely.
When KING debuted their self-released video and music for “The Story,” they started a legitimate phenomena. At that time, all the way back in 2011, it seemed that all of the best new indie/future soul music was being made by Europeans like Quadron and Little Dragon. KING’s music and their vocal harmonies set thousands of people’s hearts aflame, and they garnered quick and deep appreciation from heavy-hitters like Phonte Coleman, Erykah Badu and even his purple highness Prince. One of my absolute finest and most cherished moments was bringing in the trio to record a session on KPFK, and of all of the sessions we did, there is no doubt that that particular one was the most downloaded and most shared on the web. The world had to wait a seemingly endless four years after “The Story” dropped for the full-length debut to finally be released, but that wait is now finally over with the release of We Are King. It’s fitting that the release came just ahead of Valentine’s Day, since virtually every song covers matters of love. The band has re-recorded new versions of most of the songs we knew already, adding new elements to “The Story,” “Hey” and “Supernatural” and introducing us to other songs that fans had only previously heard in their live performances in LA and elsewhere. Sometimes I find it hard to describe exactly why a certain son or artist moves me in a particular way…that is not the case with KING. Musically there are definitely elements in Paris Strother’s production that recall the late 1980s/early 1990s, but the way she weaves layer upon layer upon layer of sound is distinctive and a wonder in it’s own right. The vocal harmonies produced by Amber, Anita & Paris are some of the absolute sweetest I’ve ever heard…EVER! The result is a music that envelops the listener completely, into silky pillows of sound, softly soothing but never allowing you to drift away. The music of KING holds you in it’s lovely embrace and now that we’ve finally gotten our first release, the only question is when we’ll get more, because that ultimately is the feeling you get when the debut has finished, please let there be more…and please, Paris, Amber and Anita, don’t make us wait quite so long for what comes next.
{I know I’ve been away for a month, been going through some personal things, but I think I’ve got everything sorted out and should get back to regular posting, including a couple of mixes each month and a couple of “radio” shows here on the blog…promise.}
The past couple of months have been devastating for music fans the world over. I can’t recall a period of time during my life where so many iconic figures have passed away so close to each other. Every time I thought I might get together a tribute post, someone else passed away, and so it seemed best to pay tribute to them all at once.
Clarence Reid aka Blowfly – Masterpiece
Clarence Reid is perhaps best known by his alter-ego, Proto-sex rap innovator Blowfly, but for fans of 1960s/1970s soul, the influence of Reid is almost impossible to fully grasp. Like his contemporaries elsewhere, such as Allen Toussaint, Willie Mitchell, Reid was a prolific song writer and arranger, who lent his talents to an extraordinary amount of songs. “Masterpiece” is maybe my favorite song of his, sampled to great effect by the Jurassic 5, and one of the best crowd pleasing mid-tempo dance floor fillers I’ve ever had the pleasure to drop the needle on.
Lemmy with Motorhead – Ace Of Spades
Like Keith Richards, you kind of had the feeling that Lemmy might be beyond death. He certainly seemed larger than life during his time here. The first time I came into contact with Lemmy, his persona and his sound, was while watching the UK comedy series “The Young Ones” on MTV in the 1980s. It’s an iconic moment from the best single episode of the show’s run, “Bambi” and one of my favorite media moments from my childhood, something that likely had a major effect on my Rock tastes as I grew older.
David Bowie – Ziggy Stardust (Isolated Vocal)
I really had planned to do several posts connected to Bowie when he passed, but it was such a huge loss I couldn’t fully wrap my head around the work necessary to write them up. Instead I just listened to Bowie. One of the things that I discovered in those early days after his passing was this track. Hearing this reminded me of being young in Georgia and making tapes of music from 96 Rock’s “Psychedelic Saturday,” when I first heard this track. I never considered that it could be the same guy who sang “Let’s Dance” and “Ashes To Ashes.” Instead I was sure it was a band, not a single vocalist. My little brain back then couldn’t comprehend the different ways that Bowie was using and manipulating his voice to give it such different sounds as if it were different people singing about “Ziggy” instead of just that one lovely man.
Maurice White with Earth, Wind & Fire – Bad Tune
So much of my childhood was shaped by the music and message of Earth, Wind & Fire. Funky and fiercely uplifting, their hits crossed across all boundaries and much of their sound was directly connected to Maurice White. While I love the albums from the group in the mid and late 1970s, it’s that first full-length record as a group (not counting the soundtrack to Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song) and shows their unique blend of Kool & the Gang, Sly Stone and Jimmy Castor’s psychedelic soul. “Bad Tune” features White on one of the instruments that would give EWF a distinctive Afro-centric sound, the Kalimba. I don’t know where/when he picked up the instrument, though I imagine it was during his early years in Chicago, given the Africanist element of many Chicago groups, including those associated with Sun Ra and Phil Cohran. “Bad Tune” is truly that, hard and funky, with a sound that literally transports you away from wherever you are.
J Dilla – Anti-American Grafitti from Donuts
All of the icons above passed away recently, but today marks the tenth anniversary of the passing of another legendary iconic figure, James DeWitt Yancey aka J Dilla aka JayDee aka Dilla Dawg or just simply Dilla. IN the time since his passing, it’s become clear that Dilla is the Hip-Hop generation’s Hendrix, perhaps even it’s Coltrane, a true revolutionary, whose approach to beatmaking will likely influence many generations to come. This year also marks the 10th anniversary of Dilla’s magnum opus, Donuts. An album that continues to amaze and astound. My favorite song from that album continues to be “Anti-American Grafitti,” which floats some Wolfman Jack over a more complex than it seems sample from Tin Tin’s “Family Tree.” The basis of the beat occurs at the very end of the song, and isn’t full enough to exist as a loop all by itself, so Dilla chopped parts of it, extended it and gave it a song structure and logic that like so many of his samples, you’re surprised when you hear the original and realize how much care was put into creating the finished product. I’m not sure if we’ll ever get another Dilla, just like all of the other icons on this list, but I do feel thankful that I lived during their times.
At the end of 2014 I chopped things up with two of my favorite people, Anthony Valadez and Novena Carmel and earlier in the week I returned for more on their recently started “Champion City” podcast, which has already featured Chico Mann, Jeremy Sole, Dexter Story and Poetess Mayda De Valle. We talk about Cuba, the 2016 Election, some of my experiences teaching at Long Beach and the sad sad story of KPFK. You can subscribe to their podcast on Itunes or keep track of it on the Champion City page.
Final post of this week long look back last year’s music always belongs to the best songs I heard over the past year. As with 2014, with a lot of personal matters going on, it seemed like there was less new music rolling around in my mind. But what was in there was stellar, and that’s what you’ll find here in my Top 5 Songs of 2015!
***Honorable Mentions: Hiatus Kaiyote – “Building A Ladder,” Annabel (Lee) –“Suki Desu” (Live Version Recorded Live At KPFK), Ibeyi – “River,” Vieux Fakra Toure & Julia Easterlin – “Masters Of War,” Kamasi Washington – “Henrietta Our Hero,” Kendrick Lamarr – “How Much Does A Dollar Cost?”
5. Dungen – En Gang Om Aret – Allas Sak (Mexican Summer)
Allas Sak is such a good record that I almost think of it as a full document instead of a collection of songs. But from the very first time I heard the record “En Gång Om Året,” stood out. Perhaps more than any other song on this album, the individual pieces of Dungen’s sound come together fully as the song unfolds. But I think it’s Reine Fiske’s soaring guitar that is most responsible for why I love this song more than any of the others on the album and more than most every song I heard in 2015.
4. Oddisee – I Belong To The World – The Good Fight (Mello Music)
As I mentioned during the 2015 rundown, while enjoyed this song at earlier parts of the year, it really didn’t become one of my favorites until well into the Fall. I think that some of that might be related to my trip to Cuba and the kind of contemplation that comes from turning 40. The sentiment that is in the song, one of feeling both out of place and feeling that you belong to something much broader than yourself is one that resonates with me, deeply. The more I thought about that feeling in my own life the more I found myself seeing this song as one that might not only be a favorite for the year, but one that might a personal anthem for a long time to come.
Few people (except perhaps the artist who is #1 on this list) had a better year than Anderson.Paak, who gained both widespread acclaim for being featured frequently on Dr. Dre’s surprise album Compton and set the indie world on fire with this collaboration with production guru Knxwledge. This song was so good that I pushed aside my usual requirement that a “Top” song is featured on a full-length album during that same year. But “Suede” is such an amazing song, with so many amazing lines and such an amazing sound that I had to include it here. I even quoted one of the lines in a class during a discussion of the many possible uses of the word “Bitch,” which rarely happens with contemporary music. More music from Anderson.Paak should be quickly approaching in 2016 and perhaps even a full-length album from NxWorries, but even if there isn’t, I’ll probably be listening to “Suede” through most of this year too.
2. The Sandwitches – Play It Again Dick – Our Toast (Empty Cellar)
It’s a bit of a tragedy that the single best thing the Sandwitches created is on their final recording as a band. Back in June I prophesized that this would be on this list and in the months that have passed, there isn’t a single part of what I said originally about this song that isn’t still true: ““Play It Again Dick” might stand as a signature tune from the group, featuring all the elements that endeared them to all who heard them and listened, slight country feel to Roxanne’s drumming, the twin harmonies where, in this case, Heidi sings in a lower register in between Grace’s lines and those mountains of lovely reverb on those twin guitars. Every time Grace belts out that “Honey aren’t you glad like me,” at the end it sends shivers up and down my spine.”
Even after hearing this song, now for hundreds of times, it still gives me chills during those final lines every single time. I will truly miss this band and the power Grace and Heidi were able to marshal through their voices.
1. Kamasi Washington – Malcolm’s Theme – The Epic (Brainfeeder)
With 17 tracks spread out over nearly 3 hours, all of it incredible, you might think it would be hard to chose just one favorite from The Epic. Pretty much from the moment I heard “Malcolm’s Theme” I knew there was no chance any other song was going to be at the top of this list. Malcolm X is a cherished hero, not only for his political beliefs and criticism of the American racial system, but particularly as a model of redemption and an example of possibilities of having a second chance. Kamasi and his band offer a rhythm worthy of the man, as vocalists Patrice Quinn and Dwight Trible sing the eulogy, delivered by Ossie Davis at Brother Malcolm’s funeral, with great spirit. The choice to include Malcolm’s voice, and to use an excerpt where Malcolm discusses his worldview, acting as a counter point to negativity often directed towards him and particular these days to Muslims more generally, is part of what gives the song a timeless quality. 50 years from now, it’s likely people will still turn to this song as a tribute to Malcolm. Truly a remarkable achievement…
2015 was another year of change for me personally. The many many troubles at KPFK finally caused me to leave my show there, and the pre-emptions throughout the year definitely affected my desire to track down as much music as I normally do. All that said, 2015 still had a number of really great new releases, including several from some of my favorite bands, including the following, my top 5 new releases from 2015.
***Honorable Mentions: Kendrick Lamarr – To Pimp A Butterfly (Top Rank Dawg/Aftermath/Interscope), Hiatus Kaiyote – Choose Your Own Weapon (Flying Buddah), Nicole Willis & the Soul Investigators – Happiness In Every Style (Timmion), Holly Golightly – Slowtown Now! (Damaged Goods), Oddisee – The Good Fight (Mello Music)
5. Annabel (Lee) – By The Sea…and Other Solitary Places – Ninja Tune
One of the first real surprises of the year was this record, technically the debut album from Annabel and Richard E as Annabel (Lee). Released on Record Store Day and a bit of a mystery until we were lucky enough to have the band perform on Melting Pot (as it turns out, the final performance on Melting Pot at KPFK). My thoughts on this album from back in May still ring true, “Annabel’s vocals don’t quite sound of this world, and the production work behind her, sparse, dark and at times downright ghostly, keeps the sound floating into the kind of space you’d think a dream-time collaboration between Billie Holiday and Geoff Barrow, both at their most melancholy, would produce.” A gorgeous listening experience from start to finish.
Much of the first part of 2015 was spent in anticipation of the full-length from Lisa-Kaindé Diaz and Naomi Diaz, French-Cuban twin sisters whose music perfectly bridges the seemingly far distance between traditional Yoruba chants and songs with 21st century production. After a teaser of an EP, we got it just after Valentine’s Day and that timing couldn’t have been better. One of my biggest musical crushes of the year and a group that absolutely delivers the same brilliant sound in live performance as on record. With the Diaz sisters only being 20 years old, we should have many more albums to marvel over in the years to come.
With the great anticipation of future music from Ibeyi as their career just takes off, 2015 marked the end of one of my favorite bands, Frisco’s The Sandwitches. The women of the Sandwitches will likely keep making money in their separate projects (Grace Sings Sludge, Roxanne Roxanne and Pruno Truman), but there was a truly special sound when the trio came together and especially in the harmonies from Grace and Heidi. The loss perhaps wouldn’t sting so much if Our Toast wasn’t such an exceptional album, the best the band produced and one of my faves of 2015.
I’ve said it many times, Dungen is my single favorite band of the 21st century. It’s been almost 5 years since the release of the last bands album and with the talent and musicianship of this quartet it was impossible that their latest album wouldn’t be on this list. Allas Sak continues a trend that’s happened since Tio Bitar, what might be described as a “mellowing” of the band’s sound. In our interview with Dungen, Gustav discussed how the changing sound might have to do with changes that happen as we age and mature. This period of time also marked changing dynamics with the group, as it moved from being primarily based around Gustav Ejstes and Reine Fiske to truly being a band, rounded out with Matias Gustavsson and Johan Holmegard. The closeness that the members have created, playing music together for almost a decade, is really on display on Allas Sak, a record that I enjoy as much as any other in this band’s discography.
When you decide to name your album “The Epic,” you better deliver with some epic sounds. Kamasi Washington delivers the goods in creating an album that showed that despite seemingly constant arguments to the contrary, jazz music appeals to contemporary audiences. Washington’s sound remains true to the larger spiritual jazz ensembles of the 60s & 70s, while never sounding derivative of those collectives and incorporates a variety of newer styles and sounds as if they were always a part of this genre. At the same time that I think it’s important to view this record as a “Jazz record” The Epic is an album that in some ways defies categorization. As Duke Ellington used to say, there really are only two types of music, “good” and “bad,” and Kamasi’s music is very very VERY good.
***honorable mentions: Unwound – Empire (Numero), Stark Reality – The Stark Reality Discovers Hoagy Carmichael’s Music Shop (Now-Again),Russ Huddleston & Robert Smith, Jr. – Original Soundtrack: Manos The Hands Of Fate (Ship To Shore), V/A – Hipshakers Vol. 4 (Vampi Soul), V/A – The Brasileiro Treasure Box Of Funk & Soul (Cultures Of Soul),
Ruben Molina of the Southern Soul Spinners first put the music of Dimas Garza and the Royal Jesters on my radar, during a guest DJ set back in 2013. When he dropped the needle on Dimas III’s “I Won’t Love You Again,” both myself and Oliver Wang (who also did a mini-set that day) gave each other “the look” and jumped out of our seats to see what was playing. Numero (with an assist from Ruben) did us all a solid in 2015 by releasing pretty much everything released by this San Antonio, Texas soul outfit and it’s all very necessary.
4. Gloria Ann Taylor – Love Is A Hurtin’ Thing (Luv’n’Haight/Ubiquity)
The music of Gloria Ann Taylor during the early 1970s, has been among the rarer bits of deep funk, generally only available to serious collectors. We had to wait a bit longer than we originally though, but late in 2015 Ubiquity released a comprehensive collection of Taylors work with her husband Walt “Wiz” Whisenhunt, recorded for his Selector Sound imprint. What’s most interesting to me about this collection is the comparison in sound between the sides that are just Whisenhunt directed, versus the two that we know without a doubt Dale Warren was involved in. While there are similarities, the way things are arranged on the 7-inch versions of “World That’s Not Real” or “Deep Inside You” bears all the hallmarks of the master of Dark Soul, which Warren perfected with his group, the 24-Carat Black. The vaunted 12” version of “Deep Inside You” adds a bit of a disco beat, but even at a faster tempo it still has that “Warren” sound. So difficult to find, it’s nice to know that this version is available to us all.
3. Waltel Branco – Assim Na Terra Como No Ceu (Mr. Bongo)
2015 was very much a year of insanely rare records getting the reissue treatment, so that people can recognize just what makes them so insanely priced. This collection of Novela soundtrack instrumentals from Waltel Branco was an album I didn’t know about until very very recently when Egon played a version of “Zorra” at his pop-up record store. Much to my great surprise and joy, Mr. Bongo had just released this record so that I got a chance to hear it in all it’s glory. One of the deepest, funkiest albums I’ve ever heard out of Brazil, which is REALLY saying something.
2. Alejandro Jodorowsky, Don Cherry & The Jazz Composer’s Orchestra & Ronald Frangipane – Holy Mountain: Original Soundtrack (Finders Keepers)
Jodorowsky’s Holy Mountain is one of my all-time favorite films, a psychedelic, spiritual, legendary bit of film-making. Ever since discovering it, I’ve wanted to soundtrack, only to frustratingly discover that it was never formally released. Finally,in 2007, the soundtrack (along with others) was finally released as part of the 6 disc box set of Jodo’s films. However, it took the remaining 7+ years to finally get the soundtrack released on the medium it should have been release originally. Finders Keepers does a lovely job with the packaging as always and the music speaks for itself, especially the tracks that feature Don Cherry leading the Jazz Composer’s Orchestra.
This was such a stunning surprise, something that even now, months after first discovering it, when I drop the needle on this record I still have a hard time believing that it exists. When you consider the success of Hansson & Karlsson in Sweden and Lee Michaels over here, the idea of an Organ & Drums duo makes more sense. How LA’s Bruce & Polish drummer Vlady got themselves together I’m sure is a great story. The album itself almost unfolds like a story, as Bruce mentions at the start wanting to tell the people about Reality. A really singular listening experience and absolutely the best reissued material I heard in 2015.
