Richard Groove Holmes – Soul Power
Richard Groove Holmes – How Can I Be Sure
Richard Groove Holmes – Sunny
I don’t know about you, but most of the time when I run across a “Groove” Holmes record, I’m often disappointed. It’s not that Holmes was not in fact a “groovy” organ player, he certainly was. In terms of pure organ playing, he should be considered with the greats, definitely a player with greater soul feeling. But for a guy who recorded during the heyday of truly funky soulful jazz, a lot of his LPs leave a lot to be desired for my post-hip-hop ears. In my book, there are 4 “good” Groove Holmes records for fans of seriously funky jazz, Onsaya Joy on Flying Dutchman, Comin’ On Home on Blue Note, New Groove on Groove Merchant and this LP on Prestige, which is actually the oldest of the bunch. Strangely enough, it’s just in writing this post that I realized that out of 30+ Groove Holmes recorded in the 1960s & 1970s, he released exactly 1 super solid LP on each of the 4 labels he was associated with! Those 4 records are so good, I really wish the man had gotten a bit more funky during this period of time, but these are the breaks and we should feel blessed for output as funky as “Soul Power.”
I ran into this copy of Soul Power at Amoeba Berkeley back in the day where it was $4 because of the condition. Haven’t seen another copy of it since. Due to an unfortunate post-purchase incident, only Side 1 is playable now, but thankfully that is the “good” side featuring all of these tracks. “Soul Power” is truly a monster. With that guitar intro and then into those funky shuffling drums from Ben Dixon, I’d put that track up against almost every single funk-jazz track from the Prestige catalog (well…at least all of those not named “Fire-Eater”).
“How Can I Be Sure” is a cover of a tune from the Rascals, that more or less follows the original melody, but the arrangement with Holmes group is actually MUCH better than the original. Dual guitars and bright sunrise notes from Holmes’ organ and then more fabulousness from Ben Dixon and that waltz rhythm. I love Holmes’ solo on this track once it begins in earnest, just has this swoozy bluesy vibe to it because of the organ effects. “Sunny” is the kind of song you’re more likely to find on the majority of Groove Holmes records, more swinging than overtly funky, but he does light things on fire during his solo, so I think it rounds out things nicely here.
I’m neither sure exactly how I missed this release or even how I eventually found my way to the Shimmering Stars, but I was in full-on manic music crush mode when I finally did get a chance to hear this Vancouver based trio’s blend of 1950s Rock & Pop + Indie Rock. Seems I’m genetically predisposed to fall hard for great sing-a-long melodies and mountains of beautiful reverb. Shimmering Stars (which really is just about as perfect a band name for this sound as is possible) capped off a really fantastic year for Hardly Art, along with Hunx & his Punx and La Sera, that might just place them at the top of Indie-rockdom.
…An an added treat, here’s also the video to “Nervous Breakdown,” starring the drummer for the band going on what appears to be an alchohol induced “breakdown”:
Here’s our first real show of 2011, (since last week we were focused on looking back on 2011), with a lot of brand new music, a few that slipped under the radar last year and a couple things that hopefully we’ll get in 2012. Show begins with a short tribute to Sean Bonniwell of the Bonniwell Music Machine who passed in late December. Also gave a shoutout to the Fela! Musical that’s at the Ahmanson until Jan. 22nd, (and did a giveaway for the cast’s upcoming performance at the Troubadour) if you’re a lover of Fela’s music, I can’t recommend this show enough. Now that 2012 is here, looks like it will be a fantastic year for music!
Playlist: 1-08-2012
{opening theme} Booker T & the MGs – Melting Pot – 7” (Stax)
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Bonniwell Music Machine – Talk Talk – Nuggets (Rhino)
Bonniwell Music Machine – Bottom Of The Soul – Bonniwell Music Machine (WB)
Bonniwell Music Machine – Unca Tinka Ty – Ignition (Sundazed)
Bonniwell Music Machine – The People In Me – Where The Action Is (Rhino)
Bonniwell Music Machine – Dark White – Ignition (Sundazed)
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BlackStar – Fix Up – Single (Self-Released)
Quadron – Baby Be Mine – Recorded at KPFK (KPFK Archives)
The Avalanches – Etoh – Since I Left You (Modular)
Broadcast – The Little Bell – Ha Ha Sound (Warp)
Shimmering Stars – Believe – Violent Hearts (Hardly Art)
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La Sera – Please Be My Third Eye – Sees The Light (Hardly Art)
Shin Joong Hyun – Pushing Through The Fog – Beautiful Rivers and Mountains (Light In The Attic)
Thee Oh Sees – Carrion Crawler – Carrion Crawler/The Dream (In The Red)
Captain Beefheart – Owed T’Alex – Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) (Warner Bros.)
The Menahan Street Band – Eyes On The Prize – No Time For Dreaming: Instrumentals (Daptone/Dunham)
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Sahr Ngaujah and Cast – Water No Get Enemy – Fela! Original Broadway Cast Recording (Knitting Factory)
Fela Anikulapo Kuti – Sorrow, Tears and Blood – Sorrow, Tears and Blood (Knitting Factory)
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble feat. Phil Cohran – Black Boy – Bulletproof Brass (Choice Cuts)
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Shawn Lee’s Incredible Tabla Band – Let There Be Drums – Tabla Rock (Ubiquity)
Jose James – Trouble – Single (Self-released)
Emily King – Radio – The Seven EP (Self-released)
Catpower – King Rides By – Charity Single (Matador)
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Sea Lions – I Loved Her So Much – Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sea Lions But Were Afraid To Ask (Slumberland)
Soonthorn Sujaridchan – Sara-a-more Sara-r: Kee Mao Lae – Thai Funk Vol. 2 (Light In The Attic)
Georgia Anne Muldrow – Seeds – Seeds (Stones Throw)
David Bowie – Candidate/Sweet Thing (Reprise) – Diamond Dogs (RCA)
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{closing theme} Dungen – C. Visar Vagen – Tio Batar (Kemado)
Katy Goodman’s side project La Sera is getting ready to release their second full-length LP in as many years and they’ll be swinging into The Echo on Thursday January 12th to perform songs. If you’d like to go courtest of Melting Pot, just send an e-mail to michael[at]meltingpotblog.com by 12noon on Wednesday, January 11th!
Here’s La Sera performing “Hold” at Room 205:
and performing at Make Music Pasadena last summer:
Here is the final post in this week’s look back at the best music from 2011. In a reversal from last year’s list, there are likely a dozen songs that could have been on this list, and many of the top 5 presented here might switch positions depending on which one I’m currently listening to. For what it’s worth these were my Top 5 songs for 2011…share your favorite tracks of 2011 here or on our facebook page!
***Honorable Mentions: Phonte – The Good Fight, The Sandwitches – My Heart Does Swell (live at KPFK), King – The Story, M.E.D. – Blaxican, The Echocentrics feat. Tita Lima – Jardim, Real Estate – Municipality, Real Estate – Green Aisles, WildCookie – Something About Those Days
5. The Strange Boys – “Doueh” – Live Music (Rough Trade)
Two things stick out to me about “Doueh” (which honestly I have no idea how to pronounce, I just say “Doo-eh” on the air) and are responsible for it being in my Top 5 songs of 2011. First, it’s in the interplay of the guitars. “Doueh” is one of the rare places where the Strange Boys’ love and knowledge of garage rock, country and gritty soul all come together at the same time musically. Though the rhythm stays the same virtually throughout, the guitars are constantly doing something a little different, from that main little strut and all the subtle variations throughout that (I’m not ashamed to say) always causes my shoulders to bounce, to the big wash of finger-picking that I supposed counts as a solo, even though it sounds like there are 2 or 3 additional guitar lines overdubbed along with the two main guitars. The way those guitars intertwine with each other shows how far this band has come in a short period of time.
The second big reason why this was my favorite song from the album Live Music and also one of my favorites of the year is the vocal performance of Ryan Sambol. That seems like a strange thing to say, because Sambol’s voice is not likely to win any competitions (I previously described it as a cross between Bob Dylan and Pat from SNL). It’s likely the quirky-ness of that voice keeps them from being major stars along the lines of the Black Keys or other bands, which given the most recent record from the Black Keys might be a very good thing. However, Sambol’s voice IS one of the more distinctive elements of the Strange Boys. On “Doueh” Sambol delivers maybe his best vocals to date, sounding sly and knowing when he remarks “my body betrays me, but I don’t betray it back,” but also fully confident, assured, forceful and strong in the 2nd verse, especially when he sings “I knew not a word, I couldn’t name a note, I swear I heard a language I didn’t know I spoke.” I don’t know where the Strange Boys are going to go from here, but it’s clear that Sambol and the boys have finally grown comfortable in their own skin and have found their sound and the best way to present it.
For my year end show, this track from Olympia, Washington’s very un-Olympia sounding Lake, was the only song that I also played during the summer’s “Best So Far” program. Here’s what I said about this track back in the spring:
“While there are several rather lovely tracks on this album, “Giving & Receiving” is one of the best, not just on this album, but that I’ve heard off of any album all year (I’m always fascinated in how quickly I know a great song when I hear it…after one listen I was absolutely sure that this would be in my year end list of Best of 2011). It has a very early summer, lazy slightly hazy sunday afternoon vibe with its slower than mid-tempo, but still not that slow and soulful beat. Eriksson’s vocals caress the listener with their sweetness, even though lyrically the song seems to point toward a more downbeat mood. I especially like the moment at the literal half point of the song, just before the tempo change that accompanies the “There used to be fish in the Ocean” lyrics, with all those layers of keyboards, subtle notes from the horns and Eriksson’s just slight humming in the background. Just plain gorgeous.”
Months later nothing has dulled my appreciation for the understated beauty and subtle soul in “Giving & Receiving.” The song isn’t just dreamy, it’s literally sounds like the soundtrack of a dream.
3. Katalyst feat. Stephanie McKay – “Day Into Night” – Deep Impressions (BBE)
“Day Into Night” was one of a handful of songs that were a part of my summer playlist in 2011. With it’s reggae riddim and soulful vocals from Stephanie McKay, it just has this late summer vibe that I found irresistible well into winter. For some time I was convinced that this was somehow a sample of Phyllis Dillon’s “Perfidia,” but it’s pretty clear that 9/10’s of the riddim & the vocal sample come from Desmond Dekker’s “No Place Like Home”:
To my ears at least McKay’s vocals DO seem connected to Dillon’s track, which is likely part of the reason why I’m so drawn to “Day Into Night.” Whatever the source material, McKay brings such emotion to her vocals that there’s no way not to pay attention and feel the deep soul she puts into her work.
2. Hunx & his Punx – “Lover’s Lane” – Too Young To Fall In Love (Hardly Art)
Here’s what I originally had to say about this song from Oakland’s Hunx & his Punx:
“I’ve listened to this track probably 30 times this week and I’m still floored by the way the backing vocals tumble out in waves during the chorus. It seems rare to have multiple singers sing in harmony, yet retain distinctive voices, perhaps it’s a slight studio trick, but it’s something I haven’t heard too much before. The way all those voices come together and separate, particularly in the last third of the song, just kills me everytime. I can almost guarantee that this song will be one of my faves at the end of the year.”
After listening to hundreds of songs, Lover’s Lane remained one of my favorites of the year, and was probably the song I listened to on repeat more than any other throughout 2011. As if things couldn’t have gotten better, they actually made a video for the song:
Totally trashy, in a Jon Waters kind of way and simply adorable…and it’s fascinating to me that after listening to this song hundreds of times, it’s only through the video that I even noticed that there were some subtle organ notes in the background of the whole track. I’d focused on the swirling mix of vocals, Shannon Shaw’s endearing squeal at the end of “I Wanna Go,” the neo-60’s beat and great gritty guitar solo so much that I missed that entirely. With new music from Hunx in 2012 and future music from bassist/vocalist Shannon Shaw’s Shannon & the Clams, it’s likely my musical love affair with the members of this group will only grow.
1. Charles Bradley – “I Believe In Your Love” – No Time For Dreaming (Dunham/Daptone)
As much as I love “Lover’s Lane,” no other song thrilled me in 2011 as much as “I Believe In Your Love” from Charles Bradley & the Menahan Street Band. Here’s what I said earlier:
“In terms of the music, “I Believe In Your Love” also is a standout track instrumentally. Menahan works a Hodges Brothers Hi-Records inspired sound, from the drums and the main guitar, adds washes of organ in the right channel, horns primarily in the left, little bells during the verses, and all the elements come together and just explode with sound during Bradley’s chorus. In the vocal version the interplay is damn powerful, in the instrumental version, the intricacies of the rhythm are a marvel to behold, as is the entire album.”
When people tell me that “retro-soul” is just a copy of older better music, I use this as exhibit A. You never would have gotten this same kind of sound in the 1960s and early 1970s. It’s a thoroughly post-modern pastiche of the best elements of that classic soul sound, updated into something that only could come about in the 21st century. A post-modern retro-soul masterpiece and my favorite song of 2011.
All this week on Melting Pot we’ve been taking a look back at 2011′s year in music. This post covers the best new records that I heard last year. In 2010, I had a really hard time picking my favorite records of the year, and essentially ended up with a 5 way tie for #1…that wasn’t the case in 2011. Some of it might have been how much more significantly busy I was this year as opposed to the prior, perhaps the music just wasn’t as strong as 2010, but there were very clear favorites this year, and my list of the top 5 new releases I heard in 2011 is below…let me know what your favorites of 2011 were in the comments or on our facebook page!
***Honorable Mentions: Headnodic – Red Line Radio (Brick), Amon Tobin – Isam (Ninja Tune), The Sandwitches – Mrs. Jones’ Cookies (Empty Cellar), Chain & the Gang – Music’s Not For Everyone (K Records), Hunx & his Punx – Too Young To Fall In Love (Hardly Art), Algodon Egipcio – La Lucha Constante (Lefse)
For much of 2011, I was thoroughly unimpressed by the slate of Hip-Hop releases, all the way up until the Fall. The last several months saw the release of a number of very good independent Hip-Hop releases, including this long-awaited LP from Oxnard’s M.E.D. Featuring production work primarily from the ever fascinating MadLib (plus assists from Karriem Riggins, Georgia Anne Muldrow and The Alchemist), and guest rhymes from Kweli, Planet Asia & Kurupt. M.E.D. is at his best when he’s anthemic as he is on “Where I’m From” and “Blaxican,” but even when he detours into very different themes on “Mystical Magical,” “Love & War,” “Classic” (with a breezy Phil Upchurch sample) and “Flying High,” he consistently shines brightly.
The amazing video for Blaxican (something that I’ll likely be using in my classes for years to come) in and of itself might have warranted inclusion on this list, but the depth and quality of the entire record deserves notice on this aptly named LP.
4. Phonte – Charity Starts At Home – Foreign Exchange Music
For almost 10 years, Phonte Coleman has been my favorite MC, so it’s no surprise that this, his debut “solo” release is on this list. Charity covers much of the territory you’d expect based off of his work with Little Brother and Foreign Exchange, but Phonte’s verbal skills keep it all fresh. This album in some ways marks the long awaited reunion of Phonte with 9th Wonder, though the two have been collaborating quite a bit over the past year or so (and hopefully will be swinging into LA for some shows in 2012). 9th’s production graces the best tracks on the album, from the working man/mc anthem “The Good Fight” to “Life of Kings” a treatise on humility featuring Big Krit and Evidence along with Tigallo. I don’t know if they can mend things with Rapper Big Pooh, but as long as these collaborations continue you can expect to see Phonte’s music on these lists for years to come.
I’m still a bit in shock that the Strange Boys released an album this good, so quickly after releasing last year’s Be Brave, which was also a pretty fantastic album. The casual listener might not note the growth between the two albums, but I certainly have. No longer content with being a garage band with a quirky singer, the Strange Boys are poised to get called up to the Show. Live Music is as good as Jeff Tweedy’s prime material with Wilco, and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible. It’s a record that really deserved to get much more press and airplay than it has. If I ever decided to record my dream album, the Strange Boys are exactly the band that I would want to back me up.
2. Charles Bradley & the Menahan Street Band – No Time For Dreaming – Dunham
Nobody does soul reclamation quite like Daptone (Truth & Soul perhaps comes in 2nd), and with the pairing of the Menahan Street Band with Bradley’s powerful vocals, they’ve got a nice compliment to Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, certainly the best 1-2 punch in all of retro soulsville. I’ve already said so much about this album that instead of repeating myself, I’ll just quote myself from the review linked above.
“No Time For Dreaming is also a product of these specific times even though the sound is from 1960s. Though Bradley mines some of the same subjects, hard times, heartbreak & loss (particularly the death of his brother in “Heartaches & Pain”), there’s a righteousness in these songs that leans more towards optimism than depression. Whether it’s his pleading, “Got to make it right, all that I’ve done wrong” on “The Telephone Song” or on the title track, as he preaches “No time For dreaming, Go to get on up and do my thing.” Times maybe hard, but in line with James Brown’s most inspiring late 60s/70s material, Bradley wants us to get involved and get OURSELVES together. Even when things turn darker, such as on “The World” Bradley’s role is more of as a truth-teller, diagnosing the ills of the world not simply to gripe about them, but to bring to our attention the problems we experience and to get us focused on doing what we can to solve them (kinda like a musical sociologist!)”
No Time For Dreaming is a brilliant LP and hopefully just the first of many between Menahan and Mr. Bradley.
Real Estate’s Days is here for a simple reason. No other record met and exceeded expectations, or gave me as much joy in listening to it, as this the 2nd full-length release from these Jersey Boys. Last year’s Out of Tune 7” held out quite a lot of promise, and Days delivered in spades. A thoroughly listenable album, from start to finish, so good in fact that I really can’t pick a favorite track from the LP. If “Out Of Tune” hadn’t been released last year it might have ended up on my Top 5 Songs list, but there’s no way to chose from “Green Aisles,” “It’s Real,” “Municipality,” “Younger Than Yesterday,” “All The Same,” “Easy,” or “Three Blocks” for the best song of this LP. Thankfully they even kept a little of that easy going boardwalk spirit with the instrumental “Kinder Blumen.” For my money Real Estate is the best Indie-Rock band in all the world, and I can’t wait to hear what they have in store for us next.
All this week on Melting Pot we’re taking a look back at the best music in 2011. Today’s post focuses on the best reissues of the year. 2011 continued the recent trend in just amazing reiusses, especially on the international front and for lovers of American soul music. Here is my list of the top 5 reissues I heard in 2011, let me know what you think and what was in your own top 5!
***Honorable Mentions: Those Shocking Shaking Days (Now-Again), Local Customs: Burned at Boddie (Numero), The Lijadu Sisters – Danger (Knitting Factory), El Rego – El Rego (Daptone), Life Is Dance: Plugged-In Sounds of Wonder at the Pakistani Picture House (Finders Keepers), Father’s Children – Father’s Children (Numero), Charles “Packy” Axton – Late Late Party 1965-1967 (Light In The Attic)
5. Orchestre Poly Rythmo De Cotonou – The First Album / Rob – Funky Rob Way (Analog Africa)
Analog Africa always seems to deliver top shelf material, and this split LP/CD is no exception. Orchestre Poly Rythmo De Cotonou is an amazing group, and I’ll never get tired of hearing their sound, but I was really surprised by Rob, which I’d never heard before. I’m right now really wishing I had a residency someplace, just so I could see what dancers would do when I dropped the needle on “More.”
4. Shin Joong Hyun – Beautiful Rivers and Mountains: The Psychedelic Rock Sound of Shin Joong Hyun (Light In The Attic)
Light In The Attic had a very strong year (including twin reissues of material from the Louvin Bros.), but this collection of rock, psych and psychy rockin’ funk from South Korean guitarist Shin Joong Hyun was an ear-opener for sure. For me, Hyun’s music is at its best when it’s slowed down and spaced out, but the shorter, tighter and often funkier tracks, such as “I’ve Got Nothing To Say” (which sounds lifted from a film) are just as tasty.
“Truly Exceptional” just doesn’t seem to be a good enough description of how I feel about the music of Iranian songstress Faegheh Atashin, aka Googoosh. From the opening drums of “Shekeyat” I was completely hooked, every note that followed only continued to blow my mind. The story behind this music is just as amazing, with much of this music being banned (and in some cases destroyed) in Iran after the Revolution of 1979, making it exceedingly rare. In addition to often being seriously funky, the music and the singing from Googoosh is seriously beautiful and well deserving of many, many listens.
2. Mike James Kirkland – Don’t Sell Your Soul (Luv’N’Haight / Ubiquity)
I’ve been a fan of Mike James Kirkland’s brand of soul music since the earliest days of Luv’n’Haight and their reissue of his classic “Hang On In There.” Don’t Sell Your Soul brings together Kirkland’s early career with Mike & the Censations with his solo albums (on the double CD) and unreleased material (on the double LP). Highly recommended listening, deep deep soul with slyly socially conscious underpinnings on tracks that on their face appear to be “just” love songs. “Victim Of Circumstance” might just be the best “lowrider/oldies” track of all-time, the horns, the singing, the sentiment…just perfect. Hard to believe this was only the beginning, being his very first song. If you didn’t check it out before, be sure to check out my interview with the man himself, Mike James Kirkland for even more insight into this music and into this musician’s incredible career and world-view.
Last year when Numero went extra hard on the Syl Johnson “Complete Mythology” release, I didn’t think they’d be able to top that anytime soon. Instead, the intrepid crew out of Chicago, doubled down on a total soul excavation of Cleveland, Ohio’s Boddie Recording Company. Sifting through the 300 records and 10,000 hours of tape that the Boddie bunch recorded from 1958 to 1993, Numero raises their own super high bar and releases (on 3CD’s or 5LP’s) one of the most incredible love letters to underground soul music I’ve ever seen. A brilliant release and absolutely deserving of the #1 spot…now the question is how will they top THIS in 2012???
All this week I’m taking a look back at 2011, beginning with a look at my top 5 (and 1/2) vinyl records I dug up in 2011. I’m not sure 2011 was as spectacular as 2010 in terms of buying vinyl, but it was a pretty solid year as my collection slowly (and I mean slowly) regains it’s previous strength. I didn’t have nearly as much time to dig as I did the previous year, but I was able to bring back a number of records (and a handful of 45s) that I used to own and pick up a few new gems as well. As with last year, this list only includes things that I picked up in actual record stores (with an ebay assist on “5 1/2,” explained below), since to me at least buying records online (generally) just don’t count as digging.
So, here are my top 5 LP and 45 finds from 2011, I’d love to know what records you tracked down this past year, let me know what YOU dug up in 2011 here or on our facebook page!!!
***Honorable Mentions: Horace Tapscott & the Pan Afrikan People’s Arkestra – Flight 17 [Atomic Records, Burbank], Andrew Hill – One For One [Amoeba Records, Hollywood], Johnny Ace – The Memorial Album [Atomic Records, Burbank], A.C. Reed – Boogaloo Tramp 45 [Vamp Records, Oakland], Novella Nelson – Novella Nelson [Groove Merchant, San Francisco], David Axelrod – Songs Of Experience [Atomic Records, Burbank], The Racket Squad – Corners Of Your Mind [Records LA, Los Angeles]
5 ½. V/A – Sadma: Original Soundtrack – CBS [Records LA, Los Angeles / Ebay]
This is a bit outside of my “record store only” rules with this list, but I feel like I should include this LP here because of the circumstances of discovery. If not for a facebook post from Records LA’s head honcho Scott Craig, I never would have had a clue that this record included a track sampled for one of my favorite songs of 2010, Gonajsufi’s “Sheep.” As soon as I saw that I had every intention of getting the record at Records LA, but by the time I got there, it was long gone…my impatience led me to the copy I now own via a dealer in the UK on Ebay. Another copy of Sadma came in later in the year to Records LA. If only I had been a little patient, this would be an unqualified #1 top find for 2011, instead it’s on the list but with an asterisk…
It’s fairly rare that I see this record, Averne’s first as a leader with his mighty latin soul outfit, The Harvey Averne Dozen. When I ran into it, just sitting pretty on the famed wall of records at Atomic, I couldn’t resist the temptation to take it on home (if only it were quite so easy to track down a coat just like the one Averne is wearing on this cover…sharp!). “You’re No Good” is one of my fave Latin Soul numbers of all time and the version of “The Word” on this album is a solid Latin B-boy number if I ever heard one. At some point this year I’m sure I’ll feature this record in a post of its own, but for now, just dig on “Free Advice.”
4. Ice Water Slim & the Fourth Floor – I Don’t Understand It / Dream On, Dream On – Hawk Sound 7” [Vamp Records, Oakland]
Scored this in a trade with Sean Sullivan (who runs the excellent Sound Boutique audio blog) at VAMP, a fairly new record store that Sean Boogie can often be found behind the counter, located in Oakland’s Lake Merritt area. Aside from being a Johnny Otis production, which is intriguing enough, “I Don’t Understand It” sounds A LOT like Sly & the Family Stone from this same period. So much so that I wouldn’t be surprised if this was some kind of Sly off shoot. Interestingly enough, I haven’t been able to dig up any information on Ice Water Slim, but I’ve just never heard of Otis and Sly working together so it doesn’t make total sense. I know “Slim” cut at least one other 45, but other than that there doesn’t seem to be any google-able information out there on him. All I can say is this is a pretty cool 45, with the bubbling funk of “Don’t Understand It” and the simply dreamy (though not Sly Stone sounding at all) slow groove of “Dream On, Dream On” on the flipside.
3. The Posse – You Better Come On Out And Play / That’s What Makes Us Happy – E.J.K. 7” [Records LA, Los Angeles]
The Posse were a Detroit area group, produced by Eddie Kendricks on his own E.J.K. label. “You Better Come On Out And Play” is so so very good. It grabs you immediately with that great 30+ second introduction, where each instrument gets added into the rhythm before the vocals finally come in and, just as every beat digger would hope, you get a slightly different and totally clean version of that rhythm breakdown at the very end…Simply Breaktastic.
2. David Porter – Victim Of A Joke – Enterprise [As The Record Turns, Hollywood]
Already said quite a bit about this LP, though interesting I said very little about it’s signature tune, the otherworldly “I’m Afraid the Masquerade Is Over.” What really trips me out is that it was only when I tracked down this record this past August that I realized that Dale Warren, of 24 Carat Black fame, arranged this monster. From the horns, to the strings, to the drums, bass and piano, Warren’s style is all over this production and his involvement helps to explain why this song sounds like few others in the Stax/Enterprise catalog. A classic above all classics.
1. Clarence Reid – Masterpiece/Down The Road Of Love – Alston 7” [Records LA, Los Angeles]
Speaking of classics, I still can’t believe my good fortune in tracking this down, and getting it for the insane price of $3…I had to cover my mouth just to keep from screaming, ’cause this one’s a Masterpiece!
Here we are at the start of a new year taking a look back at the year in music for 2011. As with last year’s show I’ve put together a special web only mix of “honorable mentions,” though next year I may just drop that title, ’cause in truth, the web-only set simply includes all the other things I would have liked to have had in the live program, but just couldn’t because of time constraints. All week I’ll be running through my favorite music from 2011, including many of the records from this show, Enjoy!
Melting Pot’s Best of 2011: Honorable Mentions (Web Only Mix)
{opening theme} Booker T & the MGs – Melting Pot – Melting Pot (Stax)
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Bing Ji Ling – Hypnotized – Shadow To Shine (Tummy Touch)
Love Inks – Can’t Be Wrong – ESP (Hell Yes)
DJ Shadow – Circular Logic (Front to Back) – The Less You Know The Better (Verve)
Charles “Packy” Axton – Holiday Cheer w/ the Martinis – Late Late Party 1965-1967 (Light In The Attic)
People Under the Stairs – Too Much Birthday – Highlighter (Piecelock 70)
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou – La La La La – The First Album / Funky Rob Way (Analog Africa)
Hypnotic Brass ensemble – Champion – Bulletproof Brass EP (Choice Cuts)
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Clean Break Intro for Samuel L Jackson reading adam Mansbach’s – Go The Fuck To Sleep (Audible.com)
Lijadu Sisters – Lord Have Mercy – Danger (Knitting Factory)
Crystal Stilts – Sycamore Tree – In Love With Oblivion (Slumberland)
Kode9 & the Spaceape – Black Smoke – Black Sun (HYperdub)
Ikebe Shakedown – No Name Bar – Ikebe Shakedown (Ubiquity)
Wild Cookie feat. Anthony Mills & Freddie Cruger – Freddie Cruger & Anthony Mills Are Wildcookie (Tru Thoughts)
J. Rocc – Chasing The Sun – Some Cold Rock Stuff (Stones Throw)
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Wanda Jackson – Thunder On The Mountain – The Party Ain’t Over (Third Man)
Nostalgia 77 – Sleepwalker – The Sleep Walking Society (Tru Thoughts)
Jean Claude Vannier – Au Desespoir Des Singes – Roses Rouge Sang (Finders Keepers)
Robin Hannibal – Voltaire – Bobby EP (Plug Research)
Damon & Naomi – Helsinki – False Beats And True Hearts (20/20/20)
La Sera – Dedcated To the One I Love – Devil Hearts Grow Gold 7” (Hardly Art)
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Shin Joong Hyun – J Blues 72 – Beautiful Rivers And Mountains: The Psychedelic Rock Sound of South Korea’s Shin Joong Hyun (Light In The Attic)
KPFK’s Melting Pot Best of 2011 Playlist:
Ocote Soul Sounds – Speak Truth To Power – Taurus (ESL)
M.E.D. – Blaxican (Video Mix) – Classic (Stones Throw)
Boogaloo Assassins – No No No – Recorded Live At KPFK (KPFK Archives)
Katalyst feat. Stephanie McKay – Day Into Night – Deep Impressions (BBE)
DJ Lengua – Perdido – Cruzando (Club Unicornio)
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Hunx & his Punx – Lover’s Lane – Too Young To Fall In Love (Hardly Art)
Le Nombre – Loving You – Burned At Boddie (Numero)
Headnodic feat. Latyrx & Kat – Movin On Up – Red Line Radio (Brick)
Algodon Egipcio – Los Temas Turbios – La Lucha Constante (Lefse)
King – Supernatural – The Story EP (Self-released)
Astrobal – Message From Kobe8 – Poetry & Science Fiction (Plug Research)
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Boom Clap Bachelors – Andres Haender – EP (Plug Research)
Shabazz Palaces – Are You…Can You…Were You (Felt) – Black Up (Sub Pop)
The Echocentrics – Jardim – Sunshadows (Ubiquity)
King James Version – He’s Forever (Amen) – Boddie Recording Co.: Cleveland, Ohio (Numero)
Amon Tobin – Journeyman – Isam (Ninja Tune)
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The Sandwitches – My Heart Does Swell – Recorded Live At KPFK (KPFK Archives)
Shimmering Stars – No One – Violent Hearts (Hardly Art)
Mike James Kirkland – Don’t Sell Your Soul – Don’t Sell Your Soul (Ubiquity/Luv’n’haight)
Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs – Rest Of Your Life – No Help Coming (Transdreamer)
Chain & the Gang – For Practical Purposes (I Love You) – Music’s Not For Everyone (K Records)
The Gang Of Harry Roesli – Don’t Talk About Freedom – Those Shocking Shaking Days (Now-Again)
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Charles Bradley & the Menahan Street Band – I Believe In Your Love – No Time For Dreaming (Dunham/Daptone)
The Strange Boys – Doueh – Live Music (Rough Trade)
Vieux Farka Toure feat. Derek Trucks – Aigna – The Secret (Six Degrees)
Googoosh – Shekayat – Googoosh (Finders Keepers)
Phonte – The Good Fight – Charity Starts At Home (Foreign Exchange Music)
Thundercat – Golden Boy – The Golden Age of Apocalypse (Brainfeeder)
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Brave Irene – Good Ideas – Brave Irene (Slumberland)
Hemant Bhole – Sansani Khez Koi Baat – Bollywood Bloodbath (Finders Keepers)
Amor De Dias – Late Mornings – Street Of The Love Of Days (Merge)
Real Estate – Municipality – Days (Domino)
Lake – Giving & Receiving – Giving & Receiving (K Records)
{I’ll be taking a bit of a break until the start of next week when I’ll be kicking off the new year with a series of posts on the best music from 2011…until then enjoy the rest of your holidays and Happy New Year!!!}
Sorry this took a little while to get up here, I had some problems with my audio and then some problems getting a dub of the second hour. As soon as I have a higher quality copy I’ll post it here. Spent our last Sunday of 2011 running down some of the things I dug (in stores or digitally) up over the year. With all the fundraisers and special shows it’d been a while since I’d done one of these vinyl freeforms and I’d forgotten both how thrilling it can be and how crazy it can get when you have absolutely nothing planned out. In some cases I’d change my mind with only seconds left and in at least one instance didn’t get the record cued in time, but that’s the way it goes…next show will be the year in review, Best of 2011 show, like last year I’ll very likely include a web only mix of some of the honorable mentions that didn’t make it into the live show. See you in the new year!
Playlist: 12-25-2011
{Opening Theme} Booker T & the MGs – Melting Pot – Melting Pot (Stax)
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Albert Ayler – Music Is the Healing Force of the Universe – Music Is the Healing Force of the Universe (Impulse!)
The Amboy Dukes – Inside the Outside – Journeys and Migrations (Mainstream)
The Counts – Rhythm Changes – What’s Up Front That Counts (Westbound)
Cymande – Rickshaw – Cymande (Janus)
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Lionel Robinson – Stepping Out – 7” (Knight)
Emilio Santiago – Bananeira – Emilio Santiago (CID)
Roy Ayers – The Third Eye – Everybody Loves The Sunshine (Polydor)
Ice Water Slim & the Fourth Floor – Dream On, Dream On – 7” (Hawk Sound)
Leon Thomas – Echoes – Spirits Known and Unknown (Flying Dutchman)
Frank Strozier feat. Booker Little – Waltz of the Demons – Fantastic Frank Strozier (VeeJay)
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Irma Thomas – Wish Someone Would Care – Irma Thomas Sings (Change)
Tom Waits – Please Call Me Baby – Heart of Saturday Night (Asylum)
Butterfield Blues Band – Keep On Moving – Keep On Moving (Elektra)
Johnny Ace – The Clock – Johnny Ace Memorial Album (Duke)
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Asha Bhonsle & Suresh Wadkar – Yeh Hawa Yeh Fiza – Sadma: Original Soundtrack (CBS)
David Axelrod – The Sick Rose – Songs of Experience (Capitol)
Crazy World of Arthur Brown – Come & Buy – The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (Atlantic)
The Louvin Bros. Keep Your Eyes On Jesus – The Great Gospel Singing Of The Louvin Bros. (Capitol)
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The Main Attraction – Everyday – And Now, The Main Attraction (Tower)
Betinho – Lucia Esparadrapo – O Cafona: Original Soundtrack (Som Livre)
Harvey Averne – Shake Your Money Maker – Viva Soul (Atlantic)
Gloria Taylor – Born A Woman – 7” (King Soul)
Sound Foundation – Bruised – Sound Foundation (Smobro)
The Politicians – Close Your Big Mouth – The Politicians (Hot Wax)
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Yaphet Kotto – Have You Dug His Scene? – 7” (Chisa)
Elis Regina – Giro – Como Y Porque (Philips)
Nina Simone – Funkier Than A Mosquita’s Tweeter – It Is Finished (RCA)
John Klemmer – Free Soul – Blowin’ Gold (Cadet Concept)
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{Closing Theme} Gary Bartz NTU Troop – Dr. Follow’s Dance – Follow, The Medicine Man (Prestige)
Our last giveaway of 2011 and it’s for what should be a nice way to close out the year as Matthew Sweet celebrates the 20th anniversary of his stellar breakout album Girlfriend by performing the album from start to finish at the Echoplex on December 30th! Girlfriend remains one of my favorite albums of all-time from this period and was my gateway to classic NY bands like Television and Richard Hell & the Voidoids because of the out of this world guitar playing of Richard Lloyd and the late and exceedingly great Robert Quine (whose birthday was December 30th, making this a fitting tribute). If you want to see the show, just let me know via e-mail at michael[at]meltingpotblog.com by Wednesday, December 28th and Happy Christmas!
“Girlfriend” for me is one of the few perfect pop songs from this generation of musicians. Robert Quine’s guitarwork is like a rock’n’roll version of Eric Dolphy in the way the notes swoon and careen. One of the rare “modern rock” tracks that I never ever get tired of hearing:
…in tracking down other videos for this post I ran across this live performance of “Girlfriend” which features the one and only Robert Quine…how could so much sonic fury come from such a pedestrian and stoic looking dude! Simply one of the most under-rated guitar greats America has ever produced.
“I’ve Been Waiting” showcases a little of that darker side of Sweet’s songwriting. Is it just a straight and sincere love song, a May-December romance or is there something a bit more sinister in those lyrics…
If you’re looking for a last minute gift for that soul-inclined someone special, once again Numero group has a collection for you. Over the past several years the Numero gang have featured tracks associated with Cleveland’s Boddie Recording Co., but nothing compares to this 3 CD / 5 LP box set that compiles some of the best tracks from the over 10,000 hours of tape and 300 records that Boddie helped to bring into this world.
With this much music it’s easy to get lost, there are many many great songs, and a wide diversity of styles on this collection, from gospel funk to doo-wop soul and all manner of funky delights in between. In highlighting a couple of the standout tracks, I’ve tried just to be representative of the various sounds, but it’s lost cause with this much choice material. If you’re a enthusiastic fan of underground soul, you need to track down this collection for yourself (and be an early adopter, there’s a bonus CD or bonus LP with even MORE music for a limited number of these collections).
DJ Shadow fans will of course delight in being to hear “Corruption Is The Thing” from Creations Unlimited, who also have their scintillating instrumental (their 45 on Soul Kitchen is a two sided monster if ever there was one!) “Chrystal Illusion” also featured on this collection. “Corruption” leads off with a bit from Shadow’s “Numbers Song” but aside from that bit of sample lore, the whole song is extra tight in a heavy psych-a-funk vein ala early Funkadelic.
A.C. Jones & the Atomic Aces’, “Oh Baby,” is a #1 soul stunner with a little bit of “I’m Your Puppet” vibe at the start before the guitar and Jones’ voice come in. There’s a really amazing turn of emotion in Jones’ voice from the first line, “Sometimes I get the feeling, I want to walk right out on you,” to the next line “Then I think about your love, I just don’t know what to do,” from clear anger to a bit of confusion then with the soaring “Oh Baby” there’s acknowledgement that this woman has a hold on him that he can’t let go, that is made clear in his sigh that follows and the doubled “I Love You (You Know I Love You Baby),” line. Just extraordinary soul on display here. For lovers of sweet sweet soul numbers, “If You Don’t Think I Love You” from Frankie Pighee & the Soulettes is another track you should adore.
By far the most unique, thrilling and bizarre track comes from King James Version. “Over the top” doesn’t seem to quite describe their song “He’s Forever.” Sometimes you hear a song and it’s just difficult to believe that it is real. If someone had told me that Eddie Murphy had recorded a song for a Coming To America sequel that featured Sexual Chocolate as a gospel group I think I would believe that more than the reality of King James Version (there’s even a moment in the song where I swear someone says “That boy is good” in the background just like in the movie). King James Version was more than a band, they were performance art, with the main singers dressing up in biblical attire, hair dyed platinum blond and calling themselves Moses and Solomon. You can’t make this up…The fact that you have a religious song built off of the melody from the theme to Midnight Cowboy, a movie about a hustlin’ male prostitute, only solidifies the utter insanity. And the song is utterly insane, it sounds like no other gospel song you’ll ever hear, particularly when “Moses” sounds as if he’s going into orgasmic fits on stage while discussing the love of Jesus. Un-be-lieve-able!
Also of note, and almost as unbelievable is “Don’t Make Me Kill You,” a song that if it were performed by a man by himself would seem pretty deplorable, but sung as a duet by Angela Alexander & J.D. Saddler, the overtly murderous vibe seems a bit more humorous than it might have been otherwise. In fact when I hear the song, it almost sounds like the theme music for a Married With Children style sitcom set in the 1970s. There are so many wonderful soul nuggets on this volume it’s understandable why Numero went so big on this collection and here’s to hoping that the trend will continue as their vinyl archeology moves into a new year.
Arnie Barrera – Mercy
Arnie Barrera – Libro Abierto
Arnie Barrera – Grande De Cadera
I don’t know anything about Arnie Barrera y Sus Galaxies, couldn’t turn much up via google either, but I’m fairly pleased that I picked up this LP, the final LP I bought in 2011 as a matter of fact. Amoeba Hollywood has a bunch of latin records, from time to time I take a bit of time to thumb through them and see if I run into anything worth picking up. Generally it’s full of 1970s latin pop, ranchera or mariachi music, but occassionally there’s a record that looks intriguing. Just based off of the cover this one seemed worth checking out. Taking a look at the back, the track lists included a description of the song styles, which included a bunch of boleros and rancheras, but also included a “Rock Ranchera” and a “Rock Instrumental,” called “Mercy.” A quick look at the LP itself confirmed that this was going to be a cover of “Mercy Mercy Mercy.”
I was pretty gassed to drop the needle on “Mercy” and discover that it starts off with a rather tasty drum break! Unfortunately the sound in the right channel is distorted (and only on THIS song!) but at least digitally I was able to make a mono mix of the left channel which is what I’m sharing with you. “Libro Abierto” is the “Rock Ranchera” track, while “Grande De Cadera” is the least cumbia sounding cumbia I’ve heard. Really it all boils down to a very solid cover of “Mercy Mercy Mercy” and a nice way to close off a year of digging.
