Bristol Funk

those Alabama Shakes : Gig Review

2012-02-25T13:12:00.002Z

Alabama Shakes live @ Boston Arms 23/02

With Brittany Howards voice turning alot of heads, Alt-Country/Rock/Soul group Alabama Shakes took to a 3 night sold out stint at London's Boston Arms, the same venue that White Stripes cut their wares in the UK the first time round. I was lucky enough to be there to check them out (and report back to y'all!).

Newly signed to Rough Trade this 5 piece very much meet at the crossroads of country, rock and soul, and have already had exposure from a couple of TV syncs and the release of a 12" EP. This and various pieces in the national press, have made this college start up from Athens Alabama the hottest property of the moment.

With her corkscrew hair and commanding song, singer Howard is the centre of attention with heavily bearded bass player Zac Cockrell and second lead guitarist Heath Fogg playing around her, eyes closed, as if dreaming about their native hometown. The music spills out in this texan styled venue to the expectant crowd. On the drums Steve Johnson adds extra frills in here and there, breaking up the beat where it was necessary and rolling to retain the groups jumpy groove.

In the quieter moments Britanny Howards voice moves from that of a street preacher in full flow to the quavering, fragile and world weary. Her ability to control her oration in this way is what sets her apart- that and her excellent guitar playing skills were mesmerising.

Half way through the gig I smell playdough, then i look down and remember that I was holding a fistful of tic-tacs given to me by my friend Pete and the sweat on my palms had reacted with it. That was really the only distraction to this compelling gig, alas I digress :)..

The hammond organ (one of my favourite instruments ever), sounds as powerful as if it was stolen from a James brown gig circa 1963 and not returned. By the hour mark, almost everyone was in the mood for a bit of a jive and dance around. Their first record Hold On gets the biggest reaction through association, and the band construct songs from quiet murmurs to the full rock out on every other track. Before the encore a cheeky T-Rex cover then a final flourish: two rock & roll tracks just to send the message home, that this band are rock, roll, soul, funk and country, rolled into one heck of a tight outfit.

Alabama Shakes debut LP is released on April 9th::

Playlist: Welcome to Jazz Club Volume 2

2012-02-14T19:50:00.001Z

New York, New York

Right in time for Valentines! 18 months of hard toil and finally a hopefully half decent playlist to show for it.

Picking up where the first volume left off, this has a little bit of hiphop edge at the end for good measure, but continues the good work for the first outing, opening with Robert Glasper which soon walks to Syreeta's gentle classic Black Maybe, a record recently featured on the excellent MoWest compilation. Alice Coltrane, Gil Scott-Heron, Dave Pike Set and Marlena Shaw all effortlessly work their wares amongst heaps more of my favourites.

The artwork is quality too, crossing the Hudson, from my friend from Church (and the coolest!) Stephanie Imbeau.

Click HERE to listen, subscribe and pass on!

Simon

Tracklisting:

Robert Glasper – Rise And Shine
Syreeta – Black Maybe
Masequa Myers – Black Land of the Nile
Christian Prommer's Drumlesson – Strings Of Life
Alice Coltrane – Oh Allah
Emanative – Turn Your Lights On - Feat. Ahu
Georgia Anne Muldrow – The Black Mother
Gil Scott-Heron – Offering
Young-Holt Unlimited – Queen Of The Nile
– I'm A Fool To Want You
Ambrose Akinmusire – Dreams Of The Manbahsniese
Roy Ayers Ubiquity – Sweet Tears
Marvin Gaye – Calypso Blues
Dave Pike Set – Noisy Silence - Gentle Noise
Gil Scott-Heron – Western Sunrise
Mundell Lowe – Johnny Staccato's Theme
Marlena Shaw – Ahmad's Blues
Guru's Jazzmatazz – Down The Backstreets
Digable Planets – Jettin'

Early New York Subway Graffiti 1973-1975

2012-01-30T21:33:00.002Z

Whilst in Bristol over Christmas I popped into Rise, an independent record shop near Park Street in the hope of spending a bit of Christmas money and unearthing a few gems.

Through their tweet feed i'd read of a book recently published by photographer Keith Baugh, documenting in photo's graffiti on trains from the Harlem, South Bronx, Times Square and Coney Island in New York. I was working in London when he did a signing at the Bristol store, but I managed to pick up a copy before I headed back and it proved to be a completely compelling read.

As well as having many photo's of trains covered in tags, graffito and designs, Baugh also includes some other shots at the time and a few pictures of those involved at the time as they are now. The book comes with extensive sleevenotes on the background to his work and those involved at the time. A very colourful book, useful for both coffee table and to see some of the early pioneers at work, would highly recommend getting hold of a copy!

The book has lots of colourful tags

As well as interesting designs spanning entire carriages

Author and photographer- Keith Baugh

2011- end of year review

2011-12-23T12:39:00.002Z

As the year draws to a close i've been pondering my fave(ourite) albums of the year and books too. It was a great year for some excellent music and thankfully far too much to list here. Music is such a great blessing!

So below are my favourites, but what are yours?! Be great to know what music has inspired you or that you would put in your end of year lists!

MUSIC
Top albums of 2011 (in no order)

Oddisee- Rock Creek Park
Inspired entirely by nature and Gods creation! The hiphop producer fell in love with Rock Creek park in Washington and dedicated an album to it, soundtracking the different areas within the nature reserve. Funky and filled with vinyl crackle in all the right places this instrumental ode has stayed on the stereo and been revisited often.

Charles Bradley- No Time For Dreaming
With a voice that sounds world weary and weathered it'd be fair to say Bradley hasn't lived the easy life. With his voice drawing close to the great James Brown at times, this is an excellent stateside debut. Backed by the impressive Menahan Street band this includes the song 'why is it so hard to make it in America', modern funk at it's best.

Dangermouse- Rome
Featuring an all star cast including Jack White and Norah Jones, this album is something akin to a modern Ennio Morricone soundtrack, but without the film.

Tigran Hamasyan- A Fable
Delicate in places this undulates excites and saddens in equal measures as the 24 year old piano virtuoso took folk songs from his native Armenia and spins them to an american style. Without doubt my favourite jazz album of the year.

Gardens & Villa- S/T
Mixing slow, cosmic boogie with 80's influences such as Talking Heads this is a perfect post 9pm album to segue Autumn nights into Winter.

Real Estate- Days
Melancholic but dreamy and melodious the New Jersey acts second album is indie rock brilliant..

Samiyam- Sam Bakers Album
Funny thing is i used to know someone called Sam Baker at school, but this is a different Sam Baker. On FlyLo's Brainfeeder imprint this is geared towards after-hours listening, or post-club (if you 'club'), soft, vibey keys blur with looped vocals, film samples and various beats, flittering between hip-hop, broken beat and dubstep!

The Kramford Look- 1970
Flying so far below the radar it could easily have been missed or overlooked, but the Manchester duo have literally hopped into a time machine, gone back to 1970-80, watched a heap of blaxploitation and action films and then put pen to stansa. Thanks to Gaz in the office for putting me onto this one!

Raphael Saadiq- Stone Rollin'
All prepped and ready to dislike this but Saadiq who crazily is nearly 50 now, has come up with the goods as he looks towards prairey house folk, chunk funk and the odd slice of honeyed R&B. The cover art reminds me of Cassius' 1999 too.

Glen Campbell- Ghost On The Canvas
Sadly due to his terminal illness, this is the country star's final album but fittingly it's heartfelt with a touch of nostalgia and thankfulness and is as catchy in places as some of his hits.

Best of the rest:
Venice Dawn- Something About April
Dawes- Nothing Is Wrong
Austra- Beat And The Pulse
Dennis Coffey- D.E.T
Seapony- Go With Me
Beastie Boys- Hot Sauce Committee Volume II
Common- The Dreamer, The Believer (rel: 19th Dec)

Listen to all of these albums here: BristolFunk- Approved Albums of 2011

BOOKS
I managed to read about 6 books this year, most of which are included below, in 2012 i'm going to try and read some more music biographies too..

A. Dom Joly- The Dark Tourist
Disturbing but hilarious Joly journals his visits to some of the least likely tourist destinations including Iran, North Korea and Chernobyl

B. Canon Andrew White, The Vicar of Baghdad- Faith Under Fire
C. Michael Baughen- One Big Question (why does a God of love allow suffering)
D. Chris Evans Autobiography part 2
E. Malcolm Duncan- Kingdom Come, The Local Church as a Catalyst for Social Change

Thanks for reading and I hope you all have a blessed and peaceful Christmas and a prosperous 2012

Playlist: Every Sample from Showbiz & AG's Runaway Slave album

2011-12-16T14:52:00.000Z

Listening to Show & AG's seminal hiphop debut Runaway Slave on the way into work last week, I noticed lots of crate digging samples that the likes of DJ Shadow and Kanye would have been pretty chuffed with,

So here's a little playlist, including every available, original, sample from their 1992 opus!

Playlist:::
Showbiz & AG - Samples from Runaway Slave

(please subscribe and pass on!)

Tracklisting:::

Buddy Rich Big Band – Soul Kitchen (Live)
Booker T & The MG's – Chicken Pox
The Five Stairsteps & Cubie – Don't Change Your Love - Buddha Remastered 2001
Young-Holt Unlimited – Wah Wah Man
Skull Snaps – It's A New Day
Black Oak Arkansas – Hot And Nasty
Miami – Chicken Yellow
Tony Williams – Via De Spectrum Road
The Yardbirds – Glimpses
Lou Donaldson – Ode To Billie Joe
The Fatback Band – Put Your Love (In My Tender Care)
Brother Jack McDuff – Stroling Blues
Jack Bruce – Statues
Jack Bruce – Born To Be Blue
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – Flash To The Beat
Jack Bruce – Sam Enchanted Dick Medley
Public Enemy – Welcome To The Terrordome
Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s – More Peas

A Fable

2011-12-09T11:16:00.004Z

Armenian born piano virtuoso Tigran Hamasyan releases his first album via the Verve imprint and impresses with the perfect winter album.

Having heard of this album and Tigran's American upbringing via Giles Petersons producer @cushtilla , I set about discovering more and was instantly hooked by the dramatic bounce of 'What The Waves Brought' and the pensive tinkering of 'Legend of The Moon', both just from watching on youtube.

Amongst several other moments of genius on the album are the scatty title track and 'The Spinners' where melancholy meets hope, originally an arrangement of the philosopher George Ivanovich.

When he plays live, hunched double over the keys, it's with such intensely that at times he mutters to himself like he's absorbed in another world. You can even hear his jitter on this concept album, where folk songs from his native Armenia are reworked to American jazz.

With jazz great Herbie Hancock calling him 'amazing', i'd definitely recommend checking this album out over Christmas :)

**** 4/5

Beats, Rhymes & Life

2011-11-22T19:06:00.001Z

When browsing shook.fm I was sad to see i'd missed the London screening of this Tribe Called Quest documentary.

Midnight Marauders is my favourite Tribe record and this looks to provide a great insight into an act that defined a classic era of hip hop. Here's the trailer added a playlist i set up :)

Zelda Symphony

2011-11-11T12:21:00.001Z

On the 25th of October at Hammersmith Apollo I did something that i've never done before at any gig, a couple of tears actually rolled down my cheek. My brother had spent much of his teenage years playing on Zelda and i'd picked up a tune or two off the N64 game and his ocarina.

2011 marks 25 years since the first carnation of the game released in cartridge format on the NES, which spawned versions on the 64, DS, Gameboy, Gamecube and currently, Nintendo Wii. This night was to be a timely celebration of the game but more so, of it's legacy of music. The Royal Philharmonic took charge of the proceedings for a concert which had previously only been performed in Tokyo and Los Angeles. This was to be the finale of the trio of performances worldwide, and as such, tickets had been selling fast for up to £100 each.

Behind the orchestra was a humongous screen, on it during the performances were to be clips (including battles) of gameplay from Zelda's finest moments across different formats. From the cute blocky Zelda's of 25 years ago, to the slicker more grown up player he is now.

Throughout the night we were treated to the themes of Hyrule Castle, Princess Zelda, Kakariko Village, Ocarina Melody suite, and lastly the theme tune to the new game Skyward Sword which as it ended prompted a few whoops.

On any other night, grown men walking round in Link costumes would have been an odd occurrence, not so tonight and i've never felt more akin to Big Bang Theory as I did here.

For purely nostalgic reasons, and even though i've never played the game before, this was a brilliant concert. Shame I didn't get better pics..

Gardens & Villa

2011-10-21T15:14:00.001+01:00

I've been meaning to review this one for quite a while but it felt too summery and this is a debut album you should really only listen to when it's dark outside..

Hailing from Santa Barbara, California, Gardens & Villa got their name from their house on Villa Street, where they often got stuck in to a bit of gardening (the modern man knows no limits!).

I often imagine most bands from CA to be a bit like the beach boys, full of poppy melodies that are instantly gratifying and catchy. Not so though with this four piece, who whilst retaining choruses that are darn memorable, are built by intricacy, melancholy, disco and take influence from the likes of Talking Heads and importantly, indie rock.

With a languid boogie groove meeting a casio beat, the opening of Orange Blossom is one of the best you're likely to hear, whereas Chemtrails is another slow mover, punctuated with echoing tamborines, a tinkly piano and Chris Lynch's tenor vocals leading a reflective verse. Flipping on it's head three and half minutes in, Lynch finishes the line Dandylions Flying High... and drops uhooo uhoo uhoo' most satisfyingly. A well constructed song and as infectious as they come.

The album draws to a close on another highlight in Neon Dove as finger picking guitars intertwine with bossa beats, the band again choosing the right moments to drop out the instruments to focus on the core of synths and those sweetend vocals.

A perfect post 9pm album to segue Autumn nights into Winter

****

You can check out my other top albums of the year (so far) on Spotify here

Gardens & Villa - Chemtrails by electricsoundofjoy

The Nirvana Exhibition

2011-09-29T22:39:00.004+01:00

It was the opening night of the Nevermind exhibition at the Loading Bay Gallery in London and I managed to get a look round! 20 years have passed since the now seminal album was released. This week the album was re-issued in a deluxe package with extra live footage and songs, so thought it the ideal time to post up some pics from the gallery.

Old Magazines featuring the band and rare formats of the album

Posters from gigs and a framed whiteboard (bottom right)

Lyrics from the album adorned the stairs and walls of the gallery

A famous photo of Kurt

That picture from the album, but bigger, and £500(!)

It was a privilege to go but overall I was slightly disappointed by some of the items on display, maybe 20 years isn't so long ago and seeing a framed whiteboard or one of Kurts hoodies wasn't enough to induce nostalgia. Nevermind still powerfully speaks to the listener and has kept it's relevance; is it too early to look back on it with a rose tinted fondness?

The exhibition will be running for two weeks only from Tuesday September 13^th to Sunday September 25^th at The Loading Bay Gallery, Brick Lane from 1pm-7pm daily. Entry is free.

Playlist: Super 8'0's

2011-09-24T14:07:00.000+01:00

A bit of a guilty pleasure playlist this one, but being into records such as Was Not Was' Shake Your Head, Rene & Angela's I Love You More and the likes of Patrice Rushen I decided to put together a wider collection of 80's R&B meets dance.

A labour of love over the last few months, there's a couple of slower numbers in here as well for good measure and popping up are Angela Bofill's Let Me Be The One and Stephanie Mills 'What Cha Gonna Do With My Lovin'" amongst a couple of others.

Also check out Rare Pleasure's 'Let Me Down Easy', the sample behind David Morales house smash Needin U.

BristolFunk : Super 8'0's Playlist- Spotify

Big Chill Festival 2011, 3 days of music, sunshine and camping

2011-08-13T11:10:00.002+01:00

The big chill campsite, looking towards the main stage from the guest area

This was definitely one of those trips where the journey was an integral part as leaking what smelt like a large quantity of petrol from Bristol, we shambled our way down the motorway towards the picturesque Eastnor deer park with most windows open and the small black Fiat threatening to be driven apart into pieces at any moment (mum don't read this!). We actually managed to put the tent up in daylight, a step forward on last years pitch black pitching, and tented ourselves near a tree (theory being a good landmark makes it easy to locate).

Having done the transporting and pitching, we made it down into the main stage for Chemical Brothers Friday headline slot after being drawn to 'cubehenge' for some jungle. Chems put on a fantastic show though, dropping their hits in all the right places and with some expansive visuals on the big screen to support the Djing and samples. Our tickets were a kind gift from Vodafone so we were amongst the few who made it into the TV gallery, looking over the 30,000 strong crowd, it was a great experience.

Janelle shakes her Monae maker

A 3am finish, we woke on the Saturday and hastily set about making a plastic cups worth of tea, and eating disco's (the crisps). First up after we'd managed to get down to the main stage was Janelle Monae, who put on a great set once again (I was lucky to have seen her at wireless festival earlier in the season). Towards the end of her show she likes to put people to sleep, the aim being everyone at the front sits or lies down, as the band wind down and pretend to go to sleep on the stage, then kick right back up again with some rawkus. This also brought rain, which amusingly resulted in the guy in front hastily shaking his fist in anger at the sky. Luckily this year an umbrella was to hand.

Saturday night and we went to see Aloe Blacc play in the Revellers Tent, he created very much a lounge vibe and enjoyed one of his best album tracks in Green Lights before we skipped out to see if Kanye had turned up yet. Half an hour late he did but the performance, or what we saw of it, was fairly flat. Starting out singing from the tv tower, which turned heads (literally), he moved to the stage and sang a further 3 album tracks, before launching a 10 minute monologue about being lonely, persecuted, picking up a dud award at the German MTV awards and complaining he had lost his voice to 'bring y'all a great show, a great product'. It was a strange but also a sad moment. The crowd had been upbeat; now those who had been seeking to hear a carousel of his hits were leaving in their droves. From there we went to see Buraka Som Sistema with some samba house and set about finding a fire to sit round in the guest area.

Sunday AM heralded sitting in the tent rustling up some fish sandwiches, getting through the remaining supplies and reading the newspaper whilst listening to the excellent Delta Swamp Rock compilation on SoulJazz. We wondered down the hill to the stage area and the sun really did come out with DJ Derek's brilliant reggae set and Norman Jay before that with his mix of dnb, house and good times. On the Saturday a hyperactive but enthusiastic Craig Charles brought us some of his favourite records on the cubehenge stage, the former Red Dwarf actor and Robot Wars host turned 6Music DJ and funk champion.

Wearily returning to London late on Sunday night meant I missed Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings which was a shame, but for what was to become a week of riots and madness, Big Chill did not disappoint, and is still one of the UK's best festivals for dance, pop, soul and reggae fans. ****

DJ line up in the guest area

Sunset over the site

A magical setting for Aloe Blacc

Cubehenge, where DJ Derek & Craig Charles played

Samiyam Hits The Limiter

2011-07-11T13:34:00.001+01:00

'Sam Bakers Album' is the self titled and newly released Samiyam break. It's also the follow up to Rap Beats Vol 2. and the first album that's come through Flying Lotus' label Brainfeeder that has really caught and kept my attention. The man from Michigan relocated to the musical hub of Los Angeles and was previously known for his use of video game inspired 8-bit hiphop beats. His newest effort goes above and beyond that calling.

Seventeen tracks, essentially presented as mini-ideas, breathe with electronic soul taking in influence from deep eighties jazz funk, films and sounds that could have turned up on a re-modelled nite flight compilation.

An album geared towards after-hours listening, as warped, vibey keys blur with looped vocals, film samples and various beats, flittering between hip-hop, broken beat and dubstep. There's alot of limiter placed on each loop, which moves it to the notion that you've discovered a pirate radio station late at night, under the covers.

Whereas some concept albums can spread themselves too thinly, the majority here are thoroughly enjoyable. And whilst it's difficult to hum them after, when the record ends, it leaves you with a niggling to come back for more. It's more a soundtrack than a traditional album with singles, now all we need is the great film to match.

8.85/10

Listen to the full album here: BristolFunk- Approved Albums of 2011

SAMIYAM - Where Am I by BRAINFEEDER

Interview With: Adrian Younge (Black Dynamite)

2011-06-08T22:37:00.001+01:00

If you've checked out spoof blaxploitation flick Black Dynamite then you'll know about the highly authentic soundtrack composed by Adrian Younge (who also edited the film). The soundtrack itself stands on it's own when compared to some of those Younge took influence from, the likes of Marvin Gayes 'Trouble Man' , Shaft by Isaac Hayes and Willy Hutch's score to Foxy Brown. Praise indeed, so I thought it was high time to catch up with the man himself and ask a few questions about Black Dynamite, his newly launched record shop and his next venture under the guise of Venice Dawn. Thankfully, he agreed, so peel your eyes and enjoy BristolFunk viewers :

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"An essential component, in old soul, is the warmth of the tape" - Adrian Younge

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BF: The artwork for Black Dynamite was an integral part of promoting the movie and album, have you decided on the art for the new album and are there any tips you'd give to artists when thinking about it?

Adrian: "The artwork was designed by Freddy Azures, of wax poetics magazine, for the black dynamite album. He was also commissioned to create the artwork for “something about April.” The artwork is an integral part of the new album because it explores notions that were frowned upon by many in a historically racist society. Can’t say too much now, but you should get it when you see the artwork. The time frame for the album is about 1969."

Sounds like a classic. You favoured an analogue only approach on Black Dynamite, do you think that some music today is over produced or could do with a return to warmer, more organic sounds?

"It all depends; if you are creating old soul music, I think it is unfortunate when recorded with exclusively modern technology. An essential component, in old soul, is the warmth of the tape. With the digital age, some music isn’t supposed to be that warm; however, some is. Modernly, many producers are lazy, or uneducated, and do not feel the need to inundate themselves with analog technology. Ironically, these producers spend so much time in post (trying to create an analog sound) that they should have just started the right way: recording in analog!"

How excited are you about the new album? Do you have a title and has it been hard work?

"Very excited. It was a lot of work and well worth the effort. I believe it is my greatest artistic accomplishment as a composer."

"The new album is entitled “Something About April.” The album depicts the ups and downs of a relationship through the eyes of a male and female. It will follow in the steps of Black Dynamite, but it is more progressive. For the BD soundtrack, I had to somewhat stay within the boundaries of classic Blaxploitation; with Something About April, I had the freedom to do whatever I desired. That being said, the new album is a darker album with more emotional content."

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"I believe Something About April is my greatest artistic accomplishment as a composer."

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If there is a message for people to take from the new album, what would it be?

"From a producer standpoint, there is one message: be yourself and don’t be negatively influenced by people critiquing your new sound. You must be the judge of your own music, and make your new music for yourself; then think of others. Basically, focus on your personal expectations of greatness."

You recently opened your own record store, were you inspired by record store day and what is your favourite record from the racks currently?

"The record store component, to our record store/salon, is operated by myself and my close friend Patrick Washington. We were just inspired by our love for vinyl. My favorite record on the racks currently is Portishead’s “Portishead.” "

Nice choice, is the Haircuts and records idea a new one? Why not a milk or juice bar?

"I’m sure that someone has thought about it; however, I have never seen another recordstore/salon. Also, this picture is our stylist, “Snag,” cutting Rob Swift of the Executioners:: "

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The first records I bought were Babylon Zoo- Spaceman and The Luniz- I Got 5 On It, both on tape, what was your first record and any regrets?

"My first record was michael jacksons thriller; no regrets."

If we were just playing musical top trumps, you would've won.. 11 and a half minutes of Greg Carmichael's Barely Breaking Even do it for me, but do you have a 'guilty pleasure' record in your collection?

"Everyone does…R.Kelly and public announcements first album: “Born into the 90s.”"

BF: Haha, that's some honesty! Thanks for your time- Anything to add??

Adrian: "Wax Poetics is releasing an EP of Venice Dawn soon. It will be a free digital download. And possibly playing UK at the end of the year"

-Venice Dawn's New Album 'There's Something About April is out Soon. Thankyou to Adrian Younge for humbly allowing me to interview him-

Gil Scott-Heron 1949 – 2011

2011-05-29T10:25:00.001+01:00

3 of my favourite Gil Scott-Heron records including one from his recent album I'm New Here

For The City

2011-05-13T19:27:00.000+01:00

In our church homegroup we've recently been learning about how cities were intended to be places of refuge, cultural diversity and of prosperity. Tim Keller has written a very good book/DVD called Gospel In Life on it, and it got me thinking, how much does the city really means to us all in our daily lives? Should we go to the city for our career or to take from it, or should we be giving to it?

So this mix came about, a soundtrack for the city in the summer. Rare northern soul, funk and party to travel the trams to.

Citysoul by Bristolfunk on Mixcloud

James Brown- Down And Out In New York City

Abraham & The Metronomes- Party

New Yorkers- Don't Wanna Be Your Fool

The Harvey Averne Dozen- Think It Over

Karmello Brookes- Tell Me Baby

Betty Harris- Ride Your Pony

Gene Williams- Don't Let Your Love Fade Away

Carol Woods- Why You Wanna

All The People- Cramp Your Style

Kashmere Stage Band- Super Strut Pt 1

General Crook- Fever In The Funkhouse

Blackbyrds- City Life

Dennis Coffey- Getting In On '75

Sunshine Band- Black Water Gold

The Positive Sounds- Fired Up

Cymande- The Message

Cloud One- Spaced Out

Kool & The Gang- Summer Madness (Magics Groove Mix)

Record Store Day

2011-04-16T14:12:00.002+01:00

For the last 3 months things have really been ramping up for Record Store Day, a day where independent record shops get the much deserved spotlight. Excited queue's form outside record shops and extra staff are laid on. Now in it's sophomore year and whilst still fledgling, it's getting more support as it goes on with an increase in stores joining and more in the US, Canada, the EU and beyond. This year musicians such as Ozzy Osbourne recorded messages of support for it, acts like Primal Scream and The Fratelli's were interviewed on TV, and reporters flocked to some of Soho's finest indie shops. Because of the prominence this is receiving labels and artists release limited edition records (mostly vinyl) which sell out quickly.

So I set off from the breezy Parsons Green station at 9.30 this morning, cup of coffee in hand, tired but intrigued. My destination was Sounds of The Universe on 7 Broadwick Street, a shop i'd not been in before but had wanted to visit for quite a while. Their close affiliation to SoulJazz records means it's pretty much the shop for me, recent excellent releases and re-issues made sure of that- two Bossa Beat compilations, a Delta Swamp comp and a Roy Ayers vinyl amongst them. They don't stock indie rock (Guitar bands), but do stock crates of Disco, HipHop, Rare Soul & Jazz LPs a bit of techno, reggae and plenty of Funk. There's also some educational music dvd's and books.

Outside, it's 10.15 and a motley set of punters had started to form an orderly queue - "An Englishman, even if he is alone, forms an orderly queue of one."- (George Mikes), and so i joined 9th in line awaiting opening. Whilst there several of us, who hadn't previously known each other, started chatting about records we liked, what we wanted to get on the day and also traded some music stories. One remarked that the queue outside Rough Trade East was '500 strong' with a 2 hour wait, so it was quite nice to know that there was only 20 or so of us standing outside this shop.

At 11am there were over 30 in the line queuing just around the corner and then the wood framed doors were opened. Most of us went straight to the till to ask about the exclusives, no Beastie Boys but a decent number of 'Ubiquitous' by Dennis Coffey which I picked up along with the excellent Charles Bradley album on Menahan (Daptone).

Later and journeying back home to write this and listen to some music, I was quite chuffed to have been a small part of Record Store Day. In these times of uncertainty, with the news about HMV and the decline of physical sales, Record Store Day could yet be the fulcrum that the wider music industry would do well to take further note of.

Record Store Day : http://www.recordstoreday.com/uk
Sounds of The Universe: http://www.soundsoftheuniverse.com/

Rewards With Repeated Listen : Raphael Saadiq- Good Man

2011-03-08T22:52:00.001Z

Retro RnB/Soul artist Raphael Saadiq can really hit the spot with some of his music, and yet other times he seems like he's trying to be cool just a bit too much.

Take for instance the masterful 'Skyy Can You Feel Me' from critically acclaimed album 'Instant Vintage' or the edgy 'Rifle Love' then juxtapose with records like Sure Hope You Mean It which have such a close an affiliation to Motown that you wonder if it was in fact part of the legendary Detroit label's output.

On this first single from album number 4, he's definitely grasped an opportunity to blend both vintage soul with a modern twist. On Good Man he makes a statement about trying to do the right thing to support his family including working two jobs putting food on the table and loving the Lord.

Here too he has carefully crafted a very decent piece of cinema (directed by Isaiah Seret (Gogol Bordello’s “Immigraniada”) which pauses mid-way for a piece of controversial female fight-club footage whereafter his 'Lady' frames him for a crime he didn't commit and in the process he is humiliated. All because he can provide love but not an abundance of money. However the song doesn't end there and we see the moral to the story come the end.

In a similar vein to Aloe Blaccs I Need A Dollar (see previous album review on this blog), he uses the sample-soul sound to his advantage, overlaying thoughtful lyrics to a sassy RnB-come-neo soul hook written and performed by Taura Stinson (Destiny's Child). If Saadiq wasn't on this record now, then Marvin Gaye wouldn've been. Times are lean and people are more likely to be working two jobs, something Saadiq grapples with on this timely song.

Well worth spinning; this should be considered a modern soul classic. *****

Taken from the new album Stone Rollin , due for UK release on March 21st

It's All Happening Now

2011-02-28T22:17:00.001Z

About 9 years ago, when at college, I was in Imperial Records on Park Street Bristol, the shop full of people browsing through the racks- new and old vinyl and some cd's and tapes too. It's been sorely missed, as it was one of those shops with an authentic musty smell, the sort you normally only get in 'proper' record shops. Whilst browsing I overheard a fellow punter saying 'This Lewis Parker record is really good' as it was playing over the shop speakers.

It's a true thing that one person's recommendation is worth more than any TV ad. It's person to person that counts sometimes. And 9 years later, this overheard P2P recommendation worked. I found myself strangely drawn to Parker's sophomore album as if a missing friend I hadn't seen for a very long time (and who wasn't on facebook).

So my quest began again, firstly, was the album on Spotify for me to rekindle my memory 9 years ago of the album? Luckily, this was a tick, and so for the next two weeks on and off, I tuned in. Again going through track-by-track, reminded each time of both the great production on the album, the original b-boy beats, Parker's raw voice and homegrown lyrics, spinning stories that make you think and challenged you in the same way that Tribe, Beastie Boys and DeLaSoul did.

Having satisfyed myself that I should own a hard-copy of the album, I went onto HMV, signed up to their Pure card because you get points (good ones), and dropped the album into the online basket.

4 days later and i'm playing the CD at home and boy was the 9 years and 4 days delivery time worth the wait.

Lewis Parker- "It's All Happening Now (The Ancient Series 3)"- hmv.com

Make The Road By Walking

2011-01-24T17:53:00.002Z

Seeing as i've left over a month since my last post, I thought i'd share with you an album with some great artwork, that I appreciate every day as my desktop image.

Dunham Records is an offshoot of the infamous Daptone label (The Dap Kings, Sharon Jones), and their first album came from the Menahan Street Band. Menahan Street is the very same as Daptone studios are situated.

The layout here is hugely enjoyable- the cars, the people and activity going on below all seem perfectly set, creating an impression of hustle without too much noise, and the music is brilliant. The title is apt too, saying life is about the journey and walking the path.

Sometimes with music the artwork can be the last thought when making an album, but getting it right and creating a perception that makes people want to listen to it is critical.

I'm hoping that my next outing here will continue on the artwork-and-music theme, as i'm undertaking a special project, so keep watching this space!

The cover art to Make The Road By Walking , 2008

Ten Top Albums in 2010

2010-12-13T22:08:00.002Z

So seeing as we're nearly in 2011, here are 10 of the albums that have really stood above the rest for me this year.

This list features on Amazon here

Ty- Special Kind Of Fool
Possibly Ty's best album yet, and his debut on BBE this could be hiphop album of the year. Lyrically sharp, funky and as ever with Mr Chikoke- personal.

Aloe Blacc- Good Things
Politically shrewd, soulful and forward looking, Blacc paints a picture of America 2010. This is Blaccs moment as he glances toward Gil Scott Heron and Bill Withers. Featuring I Need A Dollar, big hit.

Shad- TSOL
A stellar album from one of Canada's finest up and coming hiphop artists, TSOL has Christian roots lyrically but boy is this record funky. If you like Pharcyde, check this.

Travie McCoy- Lazarus
This isn't me going all commercial, but this is an excellent pre-party album, irresistibly catchy (unfortunately). And Billionaire says something about modern society.

The Hundred In The Hands- The Hundred In The Hands
Very under appreciated album, you'll like that if you were a fan last year of Ladyhawkes album. The track Pigeons stands miles ahead.

Bonobo- Black Sands
Four albums in and Simon Green still has an ability to surprise and delight. In Black Sands he has created a beat record influenced by the contemporary and the oriental.

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings- I Learned The Hard Way
She makes follow up albums seem easy and seems to get better with age, but this record is too catchy to put down, 12 very well written songs, accompanied with knockout funk flair by the dap-kings.

Harper Simon- Harper Simon
Always difficult to be in your dad's shadow, but Harper's album proves he can stand on his own two just fine (even if his dad did co-write a couple). One of the best debuts you're likely to hear.

Hauschka- Foreign Landscapes
Pretty much Man With A Movie Camera 'Part 2', the German born producer eloquently paints intricate and often mood-setting glacial soundscapes.

Nite Jewel- Good Evening
Okay so this is late 2009, but can you date it? Lo-fi 80's synth pop which looks towards Kraftwerk. Recorded in a bedroom and all analogue, dark & deep, lo-fi is back and long live cassette.

Playlist: Welcome To Jazz Club Vol 1

2010-11-01T20:55:00.000Z

Welcome To Jazz Club Vol. 1

Over the last 4-6 months i've been compiling a playlist of some of the best traditional Jazz as well as more contemporary artists such as Elizabeth Shepherd, Esperanza Spalding, Build An Ark, Robert Glasper Trio, Nick Rosen and more. It felt kinda right to release it to the world at this present time, firstly because i didn't know what else to add or take away from the compilation. The twenty or so tracks, seemed to have a good harmony about them and secondly I felt that the records included had the right fit for an introduction and yet also those experienced in the genre might discover something new if i'd got it right.

The playlist is themed around accessible Jazz, but not necessarily ignoring the experimental. For instance, although we start with Nick Rosens uplifting morning of Twin Harbours and Blue Note's Robert Glasper Trio, soon pops up Rashaan Roland Kirk's cover of Ain't No Sunshine. Here is a Jazz record which is broody yet playful (Kirk tries to sing through his flute) and yet also from an artist of much repute, this one of his seminal works. Speaking of seminal works, the full version of My Favourite Things by John Coltrane also had to go in. The fact that the whole of the 4 track EP was recorded in 3 days and produced something which gets better with age is testament to the talent of the players involved. The vintage of Coltrane is nearly matched by the Egyptian Jazz of Pharoah Sanders who actually gets two spots on this hour long playlist. Firstly his record Astral Travelling, a classic from his LP Thembi, and secondly a group called Build An Ark who excellently covered You've Got To Have Freedom in 2004.

Roy Ayers, an artist who I own many albums by, appears with Mystic Voyage with an R&B come Jazz record. I guess this is really JazzFunk but it's groove is jazz and Ayers tinkling on the vibraphone is always something else.

Seven Bucks by Elizabeth Shepherd is one of the few fully vocalled records on this collection but the double bass, percussion, lyrics and upbeat message, for me adds to the idea that this genre is not easily date stamped.

Ronnie Foster's Mystic Brew was sampled to perfection by Tribe Called Quest, but the original stands the test of time, simply stunning lounge come R&B jazz. It wasn't available on Spotify but very much reminded me of Challenge by Travis Biggs for it's tempo.

Hank Mobley's Ballin- I love how this tune has a sort of hiphop name and starts with some flair; definite crowd pleaser. The harp is a much under appreciated/used instrument in Jazz, more often used in classical music, which is why Afro-Harping by Dorothy Ashby bucked the trend in 1968 using the harp as the main instrument and placing everything else around it. I chose to use the track 'Games' from the album but could have easily included anything else although it is very swinging 60's in places. What i'd liked previously about George Benson, whose track No Sooner Said Than Done is included here, was his work with Kenny Dope, Louie Vega on Masters At Work Nuyorican Soul album.

Beyond these selections, records by Azymuth, Weldon Irvine, Dave Brubeck, Pat Methany, George Duke, Terence Blanchard and more help to create this first compilation.

Full track listing below or click here to open the playlist in Spotify.

The next chapter has already started, but that can wait until 2011, keep posted here to see when that will be.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did putting it together..

Simon

Nick Rosen- Twin Harbours
Robert Glasper Trio- No Worries
Hank Mobley- Ballin'
Bobby Hutcherson- Head Start
George Duke- Alone 6AM
Build An Ark- You've Gotta Have Freedom
Elizabeth Shepherd- Seven Bucks
Rahsaan Roland Kirk- Ain't No Sunshine
Dorothy Ashby- Games
Pat Methany- Son of Thirteen
Esperanza Spalding- The Peacocks
George Benson- No Sooner Said Than Done
Pharaoh Sanders- Astral Travelling
Terence Blanchard- D's Choice
Azymuth- Butterfly
Weldon Irvine- Music Is The Key
Roy Ayers- Mystic Voyage
John Coltrane- My Favourite Things
Ronnie Foster- Mystic Brew
Dave Brubeck- Take Five
Eugene McDaniels- Jagger The Dagger

Aloe Blacc- Good Things

2010-10-02T16:26:00.000+01:00

The second album from Aloe Blacc, the former hiphop artist turned soul singer, is a box of treats evoking memories of Bill Withers, Motown and the political activism of Gil Scott Heron.

Beginning this sophomore is I Need A Dollar, the worldwide soul come R&B hit that looked towards Gil Scott Heron’s The Bottle and even the bible in the line ‘I don’t know if I’m walking on solid ground because everything around me is falling down’. The record portrays the hard quest for money to pay the bills and reaching a hand out for help, Blacc asking if people would share their dollar with him. It makes a shrewd political point about modern America, draws empathy and shows Blacc at his absolute peak. Plus instrumentally, it’s some tune, produced along with the rest of the album by the Truth & Soul duo of Jeff Dynamite and Leon Michels.

Following this is a tough thing to do, so it’s a surprise that Dollar is followed by an opposite in Green Lights, which sounds like a record Bill Withers might raise a knowing smile to. It’s upbeat message “Something special happened today, I got green lights all the way, no red light to stop me” is accompanied by a west coast beat, an organ that punctuates and blaccs backing harmonies creating ever more texture. Good Things, the title track which crops up ninth in the run order, is to Blacc what Lovely Day is to Withers.

Hey Brother meanwhile is sheer blaxploitation soundtrack, with it’s Shaft-esque wahwah guitar and hammond working throughout. The melacholy of Life So Hard again shows Blaccs willingness stand on a soapbox, this time he’s on point about ‘bailing out the banks’ and a recession hit America. Femme Fatale, the perils of falling for a perfect 10 girl, contains a big hook, and shows the Motown influenced edge to the album. The simple message of Loving You Is Killing Me suggests that although this album is quasi-political, it is also about the writers personal stuggles with relationships.

Aside from I Need A Dollar, one of the other tracks proving a possible zenith is ‘If I’ , the record in which Blacc questions whether people would pray for him, cry for him, dance with him and if ‘I tell a lie, will you fall with me?’. There’s no doubt the intention is to have the listener hooked on each questioning word.

The album should end on the ballad about the artists growth from boy to man in the teary ‘Mama Hold My Hand’, but actually ends on a slightly odd Sgt Pepper esque 1m39 of instrumental. A glitch, but not enough to change the overall sentiment.

Overall this is a superb follow up, bettering his debut and quite possibly his best work to date. Good Things is tour-de-force lyrically, poetically, creates a sound political message and drips with Blaccs honeyed voice.

This year the only artist on the lips of soul boys and girls worldwide should be his.

9/10

The Legacy Of Rotary Connection

2010-09-05T21:32:00.002+01:00

I’m originally penned this having just helped do some washing up after a visit home and a quality Sunday roast (made up of chicken, sausage, stuffing, leeks, potatoes and a hearty helping of white sauce). Soul stew indeed :).

I put on a two disc of Rotary Connection, the band which launched Minnie Riperton (Loving You, Two People, Inside My Love) and which was founded and co-produced by Marshall Chess, the son of Chess records owner Leonard. Listening to each song, I was further reminded of their lasting impression on modern music as well as at the time they were active. The band itself were releasing records between '66 to ’74, during which time they created an exciting mix of big sounding psychedelic soul fused with elements of jazz, American folk and a touch of country.

Connection created songs that we can only fully appreciate the impact of some forty years later. They’re most famous for the record Black Gold Of The Sun, taken from their 1971 album Hey Love which has since been given a retouch by 4Hero and covered by Masters At Work on the Nuyorican Soul album. However as a group they have influenced many other artists, especially those in HipHop; notably A Tribe Called Quest, Common and The Fugees.

Memory Band is the most notable in the way that A Tribe Called Quest sampled the sitar strokes for Bonita Applebum and also used by the Fugee’s in Killing Me Softly, itself an updated version of the Roberta Flack classic. Love Has Fallen on me was resung by Lily Allen and keys replayed on Common’s Drivin Me Wild. Souls Of Mischief of 93’ til Infinity fame used ‘Respect’ to influence The Name I Called Myself and Jay-Z used Burning of The Midnight Lamp on an intro to his album Vol 3…Life & Times of S Carter.

Sampling aside the band created a big sound which still allowed the elements within the song to breathe. Everything feels organic and loose, fitting with both the times and the musical outlook of the band. This makes such listening to their music feel positively life-affirming.

If you haven’t got any of their albums I’d highly recommend Black Gold: Very Best Of
Or check it on Spotify

So Rotary Connection, we salute you.

Ninja Tune XX

2010-08-23T22:10:00.004+01:00

The much followed label behind Roots Manuva, Mr Scruff, Ty, Amon Tobin, Herbaliser, Bonobo, Andreya Triana, Cinematic Orchestra and many more are celebrating their 20th Birthday this year.

I found myself at their exhibition near Islington last week where amongst the trinkets and oddities were all of the album covers, Roots Manuva's plaster head from the Slime & Reason album, the Ninja family tree, The little ninja dude and the vinyl stack from Big Dada's Well Deep album.

If you're in London you can catch the Exhibition from now until 16 September 2010 Mon - Fri, 12-5pm, 10a Acton St.

To celebrate those 20 candles or 'XX' in roman speak, the label are releasing three different box sets and have made this pretty cool (and well mixed) video. Now where's my Mr Scruff branded mug?..

Rakaa- Crown Of Thorns

2010-08-16T22:19:00.002+01:00

This landed on my desk a couple of weeks back and ever since it's been on high rotation. Well overdue that I gave it a proper review! :)

In the world of authentic hiphop only the the most select producers and acts seem to be counted as worldwide stars. This includes the likes of Slum Village, DJ Shadow, De La Soul, RJD2, MF Doom, ATCQ, Run DMC and The Beastie Boys. Add to this Los Angeles group Dilated Peoples. One third of this world renowned act is Rakaa Iriscience, their lead emcee who steps into the tricky ground of a debut solo.

On Crown Of Thorns he has primarily brought in a sample sound produced by 7 different producers including The Alchemist (Eminem, Mobb Deep). Opening with gospel backed vocals and hook duties from Aloe ‘I Need A Dollar’ Blacc on the title track, the album does start as it means to go on, cleverly intertwining sonic-prisms accompanied by Rakaa who raps of the myriad cultures taken in whilst on tour. KRS One of 'Sound Of The Police' fame features on ‘Human Nature Now Breathe’ , Rakaa commenting that ‘pollution makes a beautiful haze’ over a flutey instrumental J Dilla might have been raised a knowing smile to. It's not an entirely solo album though as on the old skool soul of CTD fellow members of Dilated Peoples producer Babu and Evidence join in. Aces High meanwhile is another stand out track, Rakaa collaborating with three other mc’s over chunky Alchemist produced riffs.

This is not just a beats album either, the subtle calypso groove and African chants on Rosetta Stone Grove coupled with the thoughtful end track Upstairs give the album a worldwide feel fitting for an artist who has travelled much of the globe.

In the same way that Q-Tips first trip away from A Tribe Called Quest was a success, so here Rakaa treads. A varied album from the top drawer ****

> Spotify Preview
> Amazon

Wanted, The Beat Goes On & DJ Shadow

2010-08-12T15:52:00.000+01:00

Hi, thought i'd start this blog with something homegrown! If you like this feel free to subscribe or follow me on twitter.

Two of my favourite record shops in Bristol are Wanted Records in St Nicks Market and The Beat Goes On which is just off Whiteladies Road. Both shops are run by enthusiasts who love music and have that wonderful dusty record shop feel which is getting harder to find. Wanted is co-founded by John Stapleton who regularly DJ's at various Bristol shindigs including Blowpop and former Massive Attack owned Tube Bar. Since Rewind and Imperial on Park Street closed (not to mention Bang Bang), vinyl enthusiasts have had to venture a bit further from the beaten track for their fix. These two shops are specialists in 7" disco, soul and funk records. Whenever i'm Bristol bound I try to pop in.

At Beat Goes On there are many crates underneath the cd shelves and second hand dvds to delve through including much of the Philadelphia International back catalogue and classic labels such as Chess. A month back whilst on a short visit I found myself purchasing a £25 rarity from Wanted (the record was The Positive Sounds- Fired Up, in case you were wondering). At Wanted the really good stuff is actually kept under lock and key round the back and you have to ask specially for a small flightcase box of select 7's which are worth too much to keep on the shop floor. Well worth checking out if you can. At times like these I can't help but think of the cover art and story behind DJ Shadow's seminal LP Endtroducing. The album cover is a classic; a homage to the art of crate digging and record shopping in such dens as those I mentioned above. He has an impressive 60,000 records in his collection. That takes alot of time & dedication, not to mention space and money.

Due to the pressure on Indie record shops and downturn in physical sales, there is an initiative to raise awareness and to help the smaller shops called Record Store Day. This is the day when exclusive records from big bands like Blur as well as limited edition records made specifically for that day from other bands, record labels and acts are put on the shelves and queues formed outside. It's a great idea and one that's growing each year in support.

My hope is that record shops stay for a long time to come, they're part of our heritage. As much as I love the accessibility of downloading music from iTunes or Amazon, it just doesn't have the same feel as the experience of venturing into a real independent record shop; I appreciate the authentic music they offer that little bit extra.