First and Fifteenth

Saturday Night 45s

2011-12-18T10:54:00.003-05:00

I hit record on Audacity while playing a few 45s this evening. On the fly, no headphones or fancy editing.

Listen along by clicking here: http://www.mediafire.com/?tr405qed2u398w6

Includes: Eddie Kendricks, Barbara Mason, MFSB, The Moments, The Intruders, First Choice.

Groovy music for sipping a brandy on a cold night.

Studio Review: Vox and the Hound, Hermosa

2011-10-26T16:04:00.000-04:00

Good, young bands bursting with talent and driven by balanced creative initiative are hard to find. I think, to a certain extent, we tend to assume that a band is a vehicle for its leader's creativity. Vox and the Hound may have started out this way, but it's not where the band wound up, and a genuinely collaborative approach to making music is paying off for this indie band from New Orleans.

Vox and the Hound began as a solo project in late 2009 when Leo DeJesus, then of MyNameIsJohnMichael, wanted to scratch a creative itch. Leo can best be described as a jack-of-all-trades; he is an energetic multi-instrumentalist who plays pretty much every instrument you can think of, and then a few more you didn't even know existed. That a musician with such a broad range of talent wouldn't feel whole without composing his own music comes as no surprise.

And when you see Leo and bandmate Eric Rogers jump in time while performing "The One" live with MyNameIsJohnMichael, it's no surprise that as Vox and the Hound started to grow into an ensemble, Eric came along for the ride. The two worked together on snatching up some wonderful local talent, the project naturally morphed into a full-fledged band, and a dynamic EP called Hermosa followed.

I have listened to Hermosa over and over again on a persistant loop: on the subway, walking around my neighborhood, on the 2.5 hour bus ride between New York City and my parents' home in Pennsylvania. I have never once been bored.

The project is a percussion-rich (although not percussion-heavy). Leo is a drummer first, and the only consistent elements in the entire EP are an artfully executed percussive undercurrent and Leo's molassas-rich voice. Aside from that, all bets are off: within a mere five tracks, Hermosa reveals the breadth and depth of the band's talent. Each track is different, from the ambient opening of the first track, to the almost ragtime quality hanging in the background of the second, to the lyrical quality of the third, and the stripped-down, percussion-only arrangement of the fourth, which just goes to show that the five-member ensemble still understands that sometimes less is more. The fifth track brings the EP full circle, back to its melodic beginning.

But what is truly special about Vox and the Hound is how balanced the band is. You can hear the real impact of the band's approach when you listen to Leo's original demos of "Clouds 1-8" and "End of Me" next to the final EP versions. Geppetto may have put Pinocchio together, but it took a whole cast of characters to help him become a real boy. Thus it is with Vox and the Hound. Leo may write the songs, but the band breathes life into them and gives them body. No one member dominates the band's sound, no instument is just filling space. What a listener is left with is a rich listening experience; you could, if you wanted, listen to these five tracks over and over again, and capture something new, something different, each time.

In short, Hermosa is worth a listen (or ten). You can stream the EP here for free, and if you like what you hear, you can download it for just five bucks. And think. If you throw a litte green these boys' way, maybe they'll wind up in a city near you.

Whodini - Five Minutes of Funk

2011-10-07T22:23:00.001-04:00

Show Review: MyNameIsJohnMichael, Mercury Lounge 9/21/11

2011-09-28T16:05:00.009-04:00

I am a person who grew up playing music for all the wrong reasons. It was supposed to teach me discipline; it was supposed to make me better at math; it was supposed to help me get into college. I hated it. But in spite of that, I seem to have grown up listening to music for all the right reasons. Really listening to it. I am a person who will sit and devote all my attention to an album, who will do nothing but listen, who will listen again and again until I think I know the music better than I know myself. I am a listener who even after all that remains open to the possibility that the music I think I know will continue to surprise me.

This experience tends to instill in me a deep-seated attachment to the music itself. And it makes me painfully resistent to change. So when MyNameIsJohnMichael replaced four of its members earlier this year, and took the project in a totally new direction, I worried. I had listened to The People That Come and Go over and over again through some of the more stressful moments in my law school career, and in a strange way, this music had become a good friend that was always there for me when I needed it most. I worried that MNIJM was a friend that I was losing.

The moral of this story is that I should probably worry less. MyNameisJohnMichael has undergone an extraordinary evolution. The band has always been comprised of extremely talented musicians, and the current line-up is no exception. But the music is not the same. This time, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

The differences are all fundamentally good; MyNameIsJohnMichael has moved forward. The arrangements are much tighter, and although their sound could never be described as minimalist, it's been simplified in a way that allows each of its members to really be heard. John Michael Rouchell, the band's front man, brought in an honest to goodness horns section, eliminated a second guitar, and pulled back somewhat on percussion. The end result is a clean, fantastically brassy sound that is classically New Orleanean.

Although the sound has changed drastically, some quintessential MNIJM traits remain: the band kicked off its Mercury Lounge show last week by playing its way through the crowd to the stage; John Michael's first order of business was to encourage the audience to step forward (if you expect to go to a show and shuffle your feet awkwardly in the back of the venue, you need to go see a different band); Joe Bourgeois (bass) still hollers the lyrics at the top of his lungs even though he's not mic'd; and as much as the band is there to play for a crowd, there is no question that they are as much there for the sake of making music together. The band's chemistry is still palpable.

Another thing that has remained unchanged is MNIJM's ability to harness bold, big sound on a live stage. While the band has made some perceptable shifts in its style and line-up, they are still a seven-piece band that now touts a big brass core. Good brass will make you swoon; bad brass will huff and puff and blow your house down. Terence Green (trombone / baritone), Ashton Hines (trumpet), and Jeremy Phipps (trombone), are each incredible musicians in their own right, but on stage they melt together like butter. The audience can't help but melt with them.

And on the off-chance that you are both familiar with MNIJM's music, and as nervous as I was about the band's renovation, don't be. All your favorites are still there, this time performed in fresh arrangements that will only leave you wanting more.

In short, if MyNameIsJohnMichael comes to your city, go see them. If you're on the road and can stop off in a city where they're playing, go see them. If you find yourself in New Orleans, and they're playing, go see them. If you find yourself anywhere near where they're playing, go see them. If you don't, you're missing out.

Soul Friday: King of the Thrift Store Mix

2011-09-16T15:57:00.008-04:00

Hey all.

A little something to help you ease in to the chilly weekend ahead. Some sweet soul stomperss from points south and beyond.

This mix is comprised entirely of 45s scavenged from thrift stores across NYC. Some of these are in pretty rough shape. But until recently I was a student, and I couldn't shell out for the shiny, well-preserved slabs of wax on eBay.

No cutting or scratching here. To paraphrase Andre 3000 "Let the [record] tell it."

Tracklist:

Laura Lee - Dirty Man (Chess Records, 1967)

Jeff Dale - A Suffering Pain (Atlantic Records, 1966)

Mary Wells - The Doctor (Jubilee Records, 1968)

The Sapphires - Gotta Have Your Love (Lost-Night, 19??)

Brenda and the Tabulations - Hey Boy (Dionn Records, 1967)

Ida Sands - You Came Along to Rescue Me (Chief Records, 196?)

Ruby Andrews - You Made a Believer (Out of Me) (Zodiac Records, 1969)

Big Maybelle - 96 Tears (Rojac Records, 1967)

James Brown and the Famous Flames - Stone Fox (King Records, 1967)

Soul Survivors - Expressway (Crimson Records, 1967)

Lou Courtney - The Man is Lonely (Riverside Records, 1967)

J.J. Jackson - It's All Right (Calla Records, 1969)

Click Here to Download

Space Jam Cool Out 2011

2011-08-03T12:38:00.004-04:00

Enjoy a little something I cooked up using the fantastic mixxx.org freeware. It’s a tribute to the classic Ron G and Doo Wop “coolout” tapes.

I combed through the dregs of modern r&b and concocted a mix highlighting some of the best. Particularly selected for this time of year and jammed into one semi-mixed mp3.

The mixing is a little rough in spots. This one is for the vibe, not technical wizardry.

Download the Mix (Click Here)

Tracklist:
James Blake – CMYK
Tokimonsta/Suzi Analogue – Nxt Msg (Deletion Mix)
Andreya Triana – Tea Leaf Dancers (f. Flying Lotus)
Hudson Mohawke – Tell Me What You Want (Dam-Funk Remix)
Beyonce – Party (f. Andre 3000, Kanye West)
Tweet – Oops (Oh, My)
Jamie Woon – Lady Luck (Hudson Mohawke Remix)
J Dilla – Lightworks
James Drake – Wilhelm’s Fucking Best
How To Dress Well – Ready For The World
oOoOO – NoSummer4u
jj – I’m The One
Hype Williams – The Throning
The-Dream – Fancy

Gone Too Far - Dragonette

2011-07-12T16:55:00.000-04:00

MyNameIsJohnMichael: FREE DOWNLOAD

2011-07-08T10:50:00.002-04:00

MyNameIsJohnMichael, a NOLA-based 7-member ensemble lead by John Michael Rouchell, has made the title track off of its upcoming album Orphan available for download on its website.

The band has a new line-up, and has made some changes in its sound, reaching back to classic New Orleans brass and pulling it into the present. "Orphan" is a sweet taste of what's to come. Check it out here.

Oh Mary - Theresa Andersson

2011-06-25T23:28:00.001-04:00

Boogie Down

2011-02-15T20:52:00.007-05:00

Sometimes life hands you pleasant surprises. Sometimes those pleasant surprises come in the form of a budding professional DJ who posts a set you just can't stop listening to. This has happened to me. It's about to happen to you.

Almost a year ago, New Orleans native Blake Lindberg was born again as The Zen Lunatic. Over the course of the past year, The Zen Lunatic has flexed his musical muscle, trying on different sounds and spinning live at venues around New Orleans. Every artist experiences a moment where he learns how to draw upon something that is central to him as a person. You could call it his soul. You could call it his chi. You could call it his element. Whatever you call it, The Zen Lunatic has found it; he's finally hit his stride with this Boogie Down set.

Recorded on the fly, every minute of the Boogie Down set is funky. The song selection is full of brass, bass, electronic funk, and old-school hip hop, and The Zen Lunatic artfully weaves these sounds together, each track seamlessly blending into the next. Ultimately, the sense you get is that this music is as much The Zen Lunatic's music as it is yours; his ability to pull these tracks together into a single experience suggests that he knows all of these songs top to bottom. That he's listened to them a million times before, but that he's pulling them together as the sound strikes him in the moment. In the end, the spontaneous feel of the mix will make you want to dance.

So download it and get ready to boogie. On the subway. In your car. On the street. In your apartment in your underwear. I'm not going to judge you for your lifestyle choices. Just download it and dance already.

Download it here.

Set List (Approximate)

Back Up (Mooqee vs. Beatvandals)
The Way You Move (Social Disco Club & Maia - Greg Wilson Version)
Bright Lights Bigger City (Cee Lo Green)
Mermaids of Lunaris (The Diaphanoids - A Blackjoy Disco Mix)
Sometimes I Rhyme Slow (Nice & Smooth)
C to the Kang (Afrodisiac Soundsystem)
Baby Brother (Neighbour)
Something Freaky (Basement Freaks - Pimpsoul Remix)
We Got Our Own Thang (Heavy D & The Boyz)
Gwenfroheat (Afrodisiac Soundsystem)
Daybreak (Kotey Extra Band)
The Creator (C.L. Smooth & Pete Rock)
Funky Beat (Amos Larkin II)
Gypsy Breaks (Basement Freaks - Spark Arrester Remix)
Inferno Dub (J Boogie's Dubtronic Science feat. Iggy Mon)
You Bring Out the Best In Me (Dit)
Pop That Cherry (Amos Larkin II)
Midnight Rhythm (The Right Direction)

Show Review: Josh "DJ Shadow" Davis at Irving Plaza

2010-11-16T16:54:00.000-05:00

--
I've never met DJ Shadow, but I always think of him under his real name. Dude looks like a Josh. He's so unassuming in most interviews that I have a hard time linking the man to the mysterious moniker. There aren't many photos on the internet where he isn't mean mugging, but I think you can see what I mean:

Josh likes a good game of Guitar Hero like everybody else. Anyway, Monday night at Irving Plaza was a great show, here's the breakdown:

Opening Act: Pigeon John
A very entertaining warm up from a rapper who's been around for a while but never really "blown up". Pigeon John employed a lo fi setup, with just him and two suicide girl looking backup singers. The show was high energy with hilarious rhymes and strong beats. It didn't hurt that the ladies had dope rhymes and great pipes, and it really didn't hurt that Pidgeon John has kind of a "Dwayne Wayne meets Max from Saved by the Bell" think going on:

In addition to being a really fun rapper and a great warm up act, Wikipedia told me that John is married to a former stripper who's found god and dedicated herself to saving others from the adult entertainment industry. Fitting with his completely random, but slightly awesome steez, here's a clip of dude performing on the Tom Green show:

Remember how they used to drink liquor from coffee cups the whole time? Hilarious. I miss the old MTV, or maybe I just miss being 18.

The Main Event: DJ Shadow and the Shadowsphere.
Ok, hopefully I didn't loose half of you with all the nonsense above, because what happened next was pretty fantastic. For this tour Josh is employing a "Shadowsphere". Basically its a gigantic wooden globe wrapped in Canvas with all of his DJ equipment inside. Shadow steps into the sphere, and I high tech video setup projects different images onto the sphere and the background. The effect is 50% Andy Warhol, 50% Cobra Headquarters.

That is to say, its 100% bad ass and at some points really confusing. It's tough to do the sphere justice, but luckily in the age of the flip cam I dont have to:

The Shadowsphere is a great artist taking it to the next level. It's the kind of thing that makes you realize we're living in a completely new age, and that performers who aren't giving you something like this are way out of date. At the same time, its got its drawbacks. It prevents you from making that personal connection to the performer, and I have to guess that the coordination for the lighting really prevents Shadow from doing anything off the cuff. This was super apparent during the encore, which you realize more than ever is completely planned out.

Josh was genuinely grateful for the audience response, which is nice. I think New York is getting a reputation for having blase' (jaded?) crowds, and this one definitely supported in force. Shadow doesn't have a new record coming out, but if you're interested in getting your fix I would suggest checking out the amazing session he just had with Gilles Peterson on Radio One in London. One of the best podcasts of all time.

Overall: Fun, innovative, great tunes, solid opener, bucket list check off to see Shadow and I was in bed before 1am. 7/10

One Off: Ray Ban Vision

2010-11-09T17:32:00.004-05:00

--

A-Trak is on a roll this year. First his Duck Sauce partnership with Armand Van Helden hatched "Barbara Streisand", complete with a cameo packed ode to NYC video. Now he's teamed up with G.O.O.D Music rookie CyHi Da Prynce on a hipster club banger.

"Ray Ban Vision" is the just right porridge, not to serious, plenty of synth and bass, and catchy hook for the people. I've never been much of a Wayfarer guy, but this track makes me want to pick some up. They're not going away people.

World Series Soul: Inell Young - The Next Ball Game

2010-10-30T12:00:00.001-04:00

Two games in, and the pinch hitters are not getting much of a workout. In fact, the Giants were so convinced of victory in game two Bruce Bochy gave pitcher Matt Cain a few extra hacks in the seventh inning.

The upshot is, two games in we find the Rangers in a big hole. Texas big. Heck of a job Ronnie big. First and Fifteenth is lending a hand and bringing Inell Young in from the bullpen If fans are going to get a decent series out of 2010, Elvis Andrus and the rest of the Arlington boys need to follow Young's advice and "pick up the pieces ... it won't happen at the next ball game."

Young is a discovery channeled through the Roots by J. Dilla. Unlike the Roots, however, Inell's releases are few and marked by rough production. And Young's personal life was as discordant as many of her releases. The big-voiced singer overdosed in the early 1970s. Her few 45s command hefty prices at auction and hint at a star worthy of Motown or Stax's galaxies.

Your game three anthem here (download track)

World Series Soul: Don Covay - The Pinch Hitters

2010-10-27T13:07:00.009-04:00

Tonight begins the Fall Classic. In honor of the first pitch, and the man who will sing before it, New Yorker baseball scribe Roger Angell mused about the musical stylings of past years' national anthems. Aside from affirming that Kate Smith's "God Bless America" is akin to torture, Angell shared an interesting anthem anecdote connecting Ernie Harwell and Jose Feliciano. Two degrees of rad.

Since Marvin Gaye retired the Star Spangled Banner at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game, it's time for a new anthem. This got the crew at FNF to thinking, what songs befit the World Series? Our pick, the Pinch Hitters by soul man Don Covay. It's a real stomper.

Covay's pinch hitters are subbing in between the sheets, but if we conveniently ignore the metaphor, this ballad serves as warning to the future Dennis Eckersleys out there, -- beware of the pinch hitters.

Dig on our selection, and while you're grooving check out Baseball Reference's guide to postseason pinch-hit home runs.

Click Here to Sample the Track

My Fave 5 Post Season Pinch Hitters:

1. John Lowenstein BAL (pictured above)
2. Kirk Gibson LAD (pictured below)
3. Matt Stairs PHI
4. J.T. Snow SFG
5. Chili Davis MIN

Show Review: ?uestLove at Good Units

2010-10-26T12:14:00.009-04:00

The First and Fifteenth editorial staff met up last night at the Hudson Hotel's subterranean Good Units venue to watch Questlove of the Roots spin some ~~records~~ mp3's. The highlights:

1.) When you get in line for Good Units you're still about a quarter mile and 3 staircases from the actual venue.

2.) The dance floor looks like a high school gymnasium. In fact, Good Units used to BE a gymnasium, back when the Hudson hotel was a YWCA.

3.) Questlove spins a lot of house records. And loves Twitter.

4.) Giant Step isn't a record label anymore, its a PR firm.

5.) Michael Jackson's catalog is deeper than the Mariana Trench. Name 20 MJ classics and you'd still probably miss this :

OVERALL: Free show, good crowd, cool venue and the drinks weren't to expensive. Questlove spun some interesting records and still managed to keep everybody dancing and happy. 7/10

#2: The Rabbit - Miike Snow

2010-09-20T16:30:00.011-04:00

Beginning with the Real World/Road Rules Challenge, MTV set about trying to kill the music video. Like the audience, they wanted to get all grown up. Music was My Little Pony, and Reality Shows were hanging with friends outside the local Hollister.

Video didn't die though, it went underground. The shift was probably tough on the Hype Williams types, but it grew a whole new community of independent directors focused on creativity instead of commerce. When YouTube emerged a decade later, the surge found its outlet. Music video's now make up over 31% of monetized views on the site. Turns out that people love video set to music just as much as they love crazy celebutantes.

I digress. This post isn't about MTV or YouTube. It's about The Rabbit by Miike Snow, the best music video since that feathery haired dude got chased around by the pencil sketch motorcycle gang. Its got:

- Beautiful photography and direction
- Childlike innocence
- Shaking asses
- A catchy song with a pounding beat and dusty piano hook
- Spear gun
- 2 Live Crew impersonators

The explanation from Director Andreas Nilsson: “..a mythological story of a young living god. Our young bearded Kumari is raised and protected by a powerful guerrilla force of amazon woman. The boy is called upon by the government to witness a miracle that has occurred on the beach. Upon seeing the miracle the boy channels its energy and transforms himself into an all powerful being.”

The explanation that I greatly prefer, from a random YouTube commenter: "The child is dying and as some sort of make-a-wish type thing he's wants to be a warlord, have an entourage if hot ladies and meet 2 live crew (which I'm guessing the police man and business man have set up, with 4 stand-ins but they are nervous about him realizing its not actually them) ... but he buys it, and when he fulfills the three wishes cosmic energy leaves his body and all that glorious trippy shit happens at the end."

Didn't that just blow your fucking mind?

#2: How To Dress Well -- Ready for the World

2010-09-19T11:00:00.000-04:00

Inter-genre covers are the apogee of the imitator's breed. Quentin Tarantino knows it's true. So does Amy Winehouse. And, I guess, even Jon Lovitz.

Ready for the World's cougar anthem received a freestyle/bass makeover in the 90s by So So Def outfit INOJ. The shortcoming of INOJ's effort is, most notably, the lack of artistic distance separating the original and the remake.

The latest to take a crack at "Love You Down" is a solo producer from Germany, How to Dress Well. Pitchfork describes HTDW's sound as "narcotized, below-fi R&B." Nice job fellas, but "hauntologised" seems a bit more apt. Either way, "Ready for the World" is one of the half-year's best, and an especially timely record to spin as the calendar marches toward a season more fitting for Burial, Kode 9 and the like.

Check it out (Click here)

Let Us Now Praise Fat Beats

2010-09-13T14:29:00.000-04:00

Fat titties turn to teardrops as fat ass turns to flab,
Sores that was open wounds eventually turn to scab,
Trees bright and green turn yellow brown,
Autumn caught em,
see all them leaves must fall down,
growing old.
-Outkast "13th Floor/Growing old"

It was appropriate that Fat Beats took the needle off the wax on Labor Day weekend. And it was even more fitting that Hurricane Earl sent an autumnal breeze to cool off the folks congregating on the sidewalk head-nodding to the beats served up by Just Blaze, Primo and the other ten disciples.

Keats reminds us Autumn is a time of both ripening and dying:

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells

Saturday afternoon's closing was an autumnal gathering, even if nominally a summer event. The day was equal parts celebration, wake and congress.

I first climbed the (even then) rickety staircase at 406 Avenue of the Americas in 1994. I always wanted to mail order LPs from the store's ads in the back of the Source. But, I was a 14-year-old with no checks or credit. My mom wasn't keen on sending her credit card number off to NYC. And so, that day I came strapped with one hundred in cash and left two hours later with a stack of records, a handful of magazines and a copy of Necro's directorial debut 187 Reasonz Y.

While checking out the Classic LP wall this scrawny white kid came up to me with a flyer. He called himself A-Trak and invited me to an downtown DJ event later that evening. I had heard the name A-Trak before. Like any good hip-hop head I knew he was a major DMC contender. But, see, this was before the internet, and at the time MTV segregated hip-hop to a certain hour. So I had no clue what A-Trak really looked like. And I was a little insecure -- y'know, DC guy in the big city. So I was like, yeah, cool, whatever.

Five years passed before climbing those steps again. And I'm not going to front like hip-hop wasn't a huge factor influencing my decision to come to New York for college. I rolled up in there with the stereotypical post-orientation cohort: one girl who just got her tongue pierced, two kids who got ripped off on fake IDs and some herb who never rode the subway before.

I dragged this crew up the stairs so I could cop some wax and mixtapes. And lo', we stumbled into an Originoo Gun Clappaz in-store. That's how Fat Beats operated. You never knew who you might bump into. Although, as a rule, you would run into Percee P at least once per visit. We left armed with signed Boot Camp Clik posters, and the BCC stood watch over my entire freshman year, en banc, from my dorm room wall.

Ten years later, I wasn't surprised when word hit the blogs (of course) that Fat Beats was closing its doors. I haven't been to the store in years. I have a day job. I am in school again. I don't DJ out anymore. I download. After a week of indecision, I linked up with a former Fat Beats partner-in-crime and traveled downtown to pay respect on closing day.

We never made it in the front door. We didn't need to. There was enough nostalgia in the street, and the beats rode the unseasonably cool breeze down to our ears on the sidewalk below. A-Trak was there again, and this time I recognized him. Many others I didn't. Some of my favorite rappers are greying, balding and rocking potbellies under their 'Los. We are all grown up. This might be the first time I really understand the 3-0 that I am staring down in December.

Some, like A-Trak and Blaze keep up with the changing times. Others, sadly, look like casualties from a Dr. Jay's sale rack. But that's how it is at a family reunion. Everyone is there from your rich Aunt to your raggedy Uncle Howie.

After walking away for the last time, my buddy texted the Gangstarr mantra, "never dying, always living." And he's right, Fat Beats isn't dead. Its clammy cells were o'erbrimmed and now the "Last Stop for Hip-Hop" will live on as an e-store.

Still, something passed on Saturday. I'm glad I was there to see them tear down the "House that Eclipse Built." Look below and you might see a familiar footstep in the dust.

#3 - Superfast Jellyfish Gorillaz feat. De La Soul

2010-09-09T12:12:00.007-04:00

In the spirit of the Gorillaz magical melting pot strategy lets explore some random connections between artists and see if we get back to where we started by the end.

Damon Albarn, who wrote a song so catchy and annoying that he should probably be dragged out and shot, starts a cartoon band with a couple of friends, including Del the Funkee Homosapien.

Del collaborates with a weird dude named Dan the Automator in the group Deltron 3030. Their only album, according to Wikipedia, "follows Deltron Zero's fight against an oppressive government and powerful corporations, while also battling to be the Galactic Rhyme Federation Champion." Its probably one of the the greatest underground records of all time.

Dan the Automator pairs up with super producer Prince Paul on a project called Handsome Boy Modeling School, designed as a commentary on vain, consumerist, materialistic, and self-absorbed members of upper class society. Their first album, "So...How's your Girl?" was loosely based on an episode of the classic Chris Elliott sitcom "Get a Life.".

Prince Paul started with Stetsasonic, was a founding member of the horror rap group Gravediggaz, and co-produced Vernon Reid's solo album. He also produced De La Soul's first three albums.

De La Soul is one of the greatest rap groups of all time. Their longevity and consistency are unparalleled, and they've done it in part by growing and expanding into a ton of features and compilation work in partnership with other artists. Their rap/rock collaboration with Teenage Fanclub was one of the best songs on the soundtrack to the 1993 movie Judgment Night, starring a blockbuster ensemble cast that included Emilio Estevez, Cuba Gooding Jr., Dennis Leary, and rapper Everlast.

In 2009 when Damon Albarn was looking for artists for the third Gorillaz album he called up De La Soul. Boom.

#3: Paul Wall -- Live It f. Yelawolf, Raekwon, Jay Electronica

2010-09-05T14:14:00.004-04:00

I am still digesting the closure of Fat Beats. In fact, I'll probably be eulogizing the record-store-cum-hip-hop-headquarters here in the coming days. So, this will have to be a short one.

Paul Wall is part of the hip-hop diaspora that does not neatly fit into the Fat Beats-era paradigm. Loosely linked to predecessors like Eightball, MJG, 3-6 Mafia, Devin the Dude, et al., the ex-grillmaker was one of the driving forces behind "Stll Tipping" bubble.

Still, I always found Wall one of the more palatable members of the New South movement. His "Drive Slow" is one of the highlights of Kanye's sophomore effort. Here, Wall eamlessly incorporates the Old East (Raekwon), New South and the New Savior (Jay Elec). Yelawolf provides the bridge, and the result just bumps.

Check it out (click aqui)

#4: Janelle Monae - Tightrope

2010-08-25T12:32:00.011-04:00

Apparently all it takes to save R&B is pretending to be a tuxedo-clad android robot from the future, and recording one of the best albums of the new century. Plenty has been written about Janelle and her album Archandroid, so rather than rehashing all the hype I'll just provide my brief summary:

Archandroid is a beautiful original record, thoughtful and conceptual in a way that defies its popularity. It seems like a piece of art like this couldn't possibly go mainstream, its too weird and eclectic, like the score to a martian opera.

One of the solutions Janelle and company found was to create a highly marketable, entertaining persona for her. The other was to release an absolutely bonkers single with an A-list feature and a classic video, generating enough radio play to drive sales and future singles. And so dear readers, in case you've been living under a rock for the past 6 months, I present Tightrope:

Crossfaded #1

2010-08-24T10:50:00.005-04:00

A round-up of the best mixes to hit the streets this week.

Flufftronix - Luvstep 1.5 (Live at the Mad Decent Block Party Philadelphia).
Dubstep smoothed out on the R&B tip. A sequel to the fantastic Luvstep Volume 1.

Curtis Vodka - DJ Chevy Chase
WWFD. What would Fletch DJ?

oOoOO - 120 Minutes Mix (via the Fader)
"We’re not gonna lie though, part of the appeal of hearing all these artists like Salem and Balam Acab and CREEP and the aforementioned oOoOO is that whenever they make a mix we get a window into their weird musical tastes. So while Salem are slowing down massive trance songs, Whitch is putting Light Asylum next to Devin the Dude like they’ve got absolutely everything in common on side a and oOoOO has no problem throwing a Method Man classic in with his own remix of Meena Kumari’s “Alb Paa,” (we don’t know either)."

Fozziemaden - Goodbye Summer 2010
Dear summer 2010, you know we gonna miss you.

#5: Theophilus London - Soles on Fire

2010-08-23T15:17:00.008-04:00

It's great to drop this on top of Luis' #4 pick, since Theophilus also went in over Ellie Goulding's syrupy smash.

Theo (can I call you theo?) fits right in with exactly what I want my music to be these days: a collage of smooth beats pulled from all different sources plus unique lyrics and hooks. Or maybe its the fact that he's bringing back the Game caps I used to rock in 7th grade:

I was partial to the Alonzo Mourning led Georgetown Hoyas version.

The release of the second Theophilus London Mixtape "I Want You" this year was a revelation. Theo took his music in a new direction and at the same time creating a much more coherent, well produced record. This track actually premiered before the tape as part of a collaboration with Marc Ronson and Gucci. The chopped and screwed sample that guides the beginning is "Gucci's on feet, its about that time."

#6: Sleigh Bells - Rill Rill

2010-08-23T15:01:00.003-04:00

Oh Sleigh Bells you indie darlings, how dare you so blatantly rip off Funkadelic's breezy backbeat?

Was it Picasso that once said "bad artists copy, good artists steal."?

#4: Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed (Jakwob Remix)

2010-08-23T11:06:00.002-04:00

Ellie Goulding is part of the genre that exists solely to score things like the Eat Pray Love trailer or really dramatic moments in Grey's Anatomy.

Their music would never end up pumped through my earbuds if not for a cadre of dubstep remixers (Skream, Jakwob, Sub Focus) and Annie Mac's weekly BBC Show. This stuff is like G-Funk for hipsters. But it rides. Oh does it ride. It makes that really fast stretch of track between Queensboro Plaza and 59th Street feel like the M1 Motorway.
LINK REMOVED FOR DMCA COMPLIANCE

File Under: Unneccessary

2010-08-21T10:36:00.003-04:00

One volume is a stretch. Two. Really? I can't even find an album review. The tracklisting promises "Crossroads 2010."

Cocaine is a hell of a drug.

#5: T-Pain - I'll Save You

2010-08-21T10:09:00.001-04:00

In which T-Pain counsels young women away from ecdysiasty. A synopsis below.

T-Pain's top 5 reasons not to disrobe for dollars:
1. Smelly, fat dudes trying to lay you
2. DJs calling you to the stage (girl)
3. You won't have to watch your kids/ you can get your nails did
4. Men will open doors for you
5. You can put on your clothes and watch your behavior

T-Pain's 3 alternate career options:
1. Find a rich white man to go and pay you
2. Make minimum wage (girl)
3. Start with a "brand new jive"

Hear for yourself (click here)

so far, so good

2010-08-20T20:29:00.003-04:00

so we've past the midway island of 2010. but the glass is not half empty, it's half full. here are 10 songs plus ONE (no pun intended eh eh) that i hope will tickle your fancy from now until 2011. THE FUTURE. xx victoria

so far, so good

1. Say My Name - Holy Ghost!
2. Don't Turn The Lights On (Aeroplane Remix) - Chromeo
3. Taxi Cab - Vampire Weekend
4. We Can't Fly (Radio Edit) - Aeroplane
5. Voyage (Sunset Sound Session) - Charlotte Gainsbourg
6. White Liars - Typhoon
7. Odessa - Caribou
8. One Life Stand - Hot Chip
9. I Will Come Back - Holy Ghost!
10. Low Shoulders - Toro Y Moi
11. O.N.E. - Yeasayer

download HERE (scroll down to the red arrow for the so far, so good link... they try to trick you into downloading other things!! uncool.)

#6: Reflection Eternal - City Playgrounds

2010-08-19T14:54:00.006-04:00

3/01/2010. 1:43 PM. The 'Nati.

(ringing)

Tek: Pick up Kwel

(A Milli Ringtone)

Kweli: This is Kwel

Tek: Fam. How'd you go and make the First and Fifteenth best of 2009? Damn son, doing it for delf?

Kweli: Word, Word. That was on some side project shit. We can make it happen.

Tek: For real.

Kweli: Yeah son. Just send me one of those smooth joints. Like you did for Mood back in the day.

Tek: Yeah son?

Kweli: Bond. I'll flip some lyrics on it soon as I get back from the American Apparel on Court St. These art school shorties are gonna make me record "Pale Skin Lady."

Tek: Damn son, I want some of those Suicide Girl dimes next time I'm out in BK.

Kweli: No doubt.

Tek: So what are we gonna call this joint?

Kweli: City Playgrounds.

Tek: Word. One Hunnit.

Kweli: Peace

Click Here to Check it Out

#7: Drake - You Know You Know

2010-08-17T17:26:00.004-04:00

I'm pretty embarrassed to feature a Cudi track AND a Drake track in my top 10, but at least neither made the top 5.

Both artists are the new internet paradigm, where leaks drop daily and get old even quicker. "You Know You Know" was such a toss off it didn't even make the new album.

Drake goes in hard (for him) and earns his paycheck with a few slick lines:

What does it take to feel secure?
A place with wooden floors/
and space to put awards?
A couple a parking spots/
and maids to do the chores?
The cars you always wanted/
and women that you adore?

I got new girls but none of their love is for certain/
and call old girls but none of their numbers are workin'.

Why has every woman never dined here before/
Am I the only 23 year old wine connoisseur?

But damn, that beat, what IS THAT? Where does Kanye GET this stuff? Dude is in full Akira mode. Man this just gets me all atwitter for the new album, dropping this fall.

#8: Half Seas Over - Cypress Grove

2010-08-16T17:08:00.004-04:00

If you listen to Wynton Marsalis you'd think nothing new happened in jazz in the last 50 years. Wynton's a taste-maker, but he only serves up one flavor. There's a new breed of chef's in New York, France, and Japan that are cooking with gas, some from traditional sources, like Robert Glasper at Blue Note, and some on smaller more eclectic labels, like Giles Peterson's Brownswood Records.

Half Seas Over is a Brownswood product that Wynton might like. They're young cats playing new material that sounds old school. Pianist and brooklynite Elan Mehler's got a classical type flow, and vocalist Adam McBride-Smith compliments with a bluesy twang or folky simmer, as required. The result is a highly satisfying debut album. Here's the band covering a Skip James classic in the basement of some bar in Paris, where else?

#7: Rick Ross - Tears of Joy (f. No ID, Cee-lo)

2010-08-16T11:59:00.002-04:00

I would do it myself, but you can read this really exhaustive treatment of why Ricky Rozay is the "Best Bawse that We've Seen Thus Far".

I have no idea what is happening here. The rapping on this song is the functional equivalent of someone speaking slowly in a desperate and transparent attempt to grab more gravitas than he might normally wield. It's awesome. There is pained reflection, pseudo social consciousness, the inescapable Rawse misogyny, some genuinely pointed emotion, and a blending of common expressions and general stupidity that make for the best malapropisms. "Ain't life a bitch/But you gotta keep 'em wet/Keys open doors, so I gotta keep a set/Everybody know that I'm a lotta people threat/Biggie Smalls in the flesh/Livin' life after my death." Just gorgeous. And just so Rawse.

I'm travelling today, so this'll have to suffice. This is Ross' "G.O.D." with a twist of dead prez, guranteed to destroy any preconceived Officer Ricky stereotypes you may harbor.

LINK REMOVED FOR DMCA COMPLIANCE

#8: The Roots - Dear God 2.0

2010-08-14T11:29:00.006-04:00

I remember having trouble digesting Common's Like Water for Chocolate in the months following its 2000 release. It was a mature record, grown-and-sexy even. I was a 20 year old wanna-b-boy. It took me several years to really dig on the album's Soulquarian sound.

Unlike Common, I have always felt the Roots matured along with me. In high school they dropped underground-approved DIY-sounding boom bap. During my college years they dabbled in pseudoscience and and added new collaborators to their stable.

These days, The Roots have "day jobs" yet still consistently produce quality records. The 2010 Roots are more confident but largely divorced from their original sound. As a 16-year-old I would likely miss the point, but as an almost 30-year-old I can ride with it.

Dear God 2.0, with an assist from the Monsters of Folk, is a perfect example of the band's latest direction. Black Thought's flow is in Things Fall Apart mode, but the backing sound is brand new.

LINK REMOVED FOR DMCA COMPLIANCE

Another Countdown We Support

2010-08-13T12:47:00.003-04:00

Great work here: Listicle Without Commentary: 31 of BET Uncut's One-Hit Wonders (in Order of NSFW-Ness)

#9 Kid Cudi - REVOFEV

2010-08-12T17:14:00.008-04:00

Being a Kid Cudi fan is a heavy burden. For every great track there are 3 or 4 rambling, paranoid, DMT induced fantasies, and countless lazy attempts to rhyme non words like "Cudder" and "Dudder". The debut album "Man on the Moon" mixed unlistenables with classics like "Simple As", "Pursuit of Happiness", and the ubiquitous "I Poke Her Face" in which, like a predictable sitcom ending, everyone gets murdered by Kanye West:

"Gettin' brain in the library cause I love knowledge,
when you use your medulla oblongota,
an' gimmie skull-iosis until I'm comatosis,
and do it while I sleep yeah a little osmosis,
and that's my commandment you ain't gotta ask Moses."

At his best Cudi gets back to basics. His first mixtape, produced by Kanye cohort Plain Pat, was a syrupy psychedelic rock influenced masterpiece, and that's the form he's returned to with the first single from his second studio album, dropping this fall:

#9 LCD Soundsytem - Home

2010-08-10T12:00:00.003-04:00

We know this act. He is so big we might catch another DMCA hit or some hatin' from Michael Musto.

Now drink lots of this and find your way home:

Eventually, Murphy revealed the contents of his “drink,” a brownish liquid he was swigging from a Poland Spring bottle: “Champange and whiskey … the Champagne gets you drunk fast, and it’s like a guide for how the whiskey will make you feel in twenty minutes.”

click aqui to take a taste

#10: The Game - Shake

2010-08-08T20:44:00.004-04:00

I'm going to jump in with my own ten, hopefully playing the informative Ernie Johnson to Luis' smooth Kenny Smith.

At number 10 for me in 2010 is Shake, by Jayceon Taylor alias "The Game". There's nothing life changing about this track, but the catchy hook and memorable rhyme scheme will have it shaking around in your head long after your first listen.

First off, there's the ringtone worthy sample from producers Cool & Dre by way of the good Sam Cooke. Starting with material of this pedigree builds a solid foundation. The original:

Second, there's the video for the song itself, a nostalgic, high production piece that hearkens back to the Puffy filled hey-day of Hip Hop videos (The "Hype Williams Era"?). Shake comes complete with celebrity cameos, flashy cars and clothes, and tons of gigantic asses.

Finally, there's the song itself. There's the clever spin on the title, and the highly enjoyable shots at Game's old label mate's at G-Unit. Despite having two #1 albums and some truly great singles, Game will always remembered as a "beef" rapper and he shines in that role here. Throw in some catchy lines like "Couldn't watch Magic Johnson give Isaiah that Shake" and you have a little something for everybody.

Can't post it here since we got a DMCA warning, but Google away for a copy.

#10: Fashawn - When She Calls (f. Joanna Newsom)

2010-08-08T19:20:00.005-04:00

There once was a time where I could keep up with every emcee in "every fifty two states" (RIP ODB), but i simply don't have the patience to check out mixtapes from every Blu, J. Cole, and Homeboy Sandman out in the hip-hop ether. In fact, more often than not I'll even skip loosies from cats I already respect, opting to wait for the main event to leak.

Somehow, though, the hype machine managed to penetrate my new rap artist firewall, and I downloaded Fashawn's excellent freshman LP, "Boy Meets World." While technically a 2009 release, I bumped this record deep into 2010.

This is some fine emo-rap with a Cali bent, and the Joanna Newsom hook is a perfect fit. While I can't really stomach Newsom's voice-cum-shtick for entire songs, as a sound effect she is pretty fantastic. (See also, The Strangers)

Here's Fashawn on the story-behind-the-song:

“It’s a suicidal romance story, which isn’t the typical cookie-cutter type of rap shit,” Fashawn adds. “It’s about a lot of serious emotions that human beings go through. Sometimes emotions get that strong that you can’t handle them.”

Bump it in your system (click aqui)

Other recommended tracks: Samsonite Man, Bo Jackson, Hey Young World

Halftime Report

2010-08-07T13:38:00.003-04:00

It's been a long time since the FNF crew has provided any new content. Between a DMCA scare and the crowded conditions of human life, we have had to "fall back" for a few.

With the late-summer meltdown in full effect, we are proud to to announce a new countdown. FNF is going to spend the next few sending you what's been in our ears since January 2010.

And so, the FNF Halftime Report. Ten must-hear jams released during this year, delivered in Kenny and Chuck-inspired prose (see above). Well, maybe not, but we sweat their intermission stylings.

Check back tomorrow for #10

Feb 1 Mix

2010-01-31T11:46:00.004-05:00

We Are Crazy

Subscribe via Itunes or search "Scotts Infernal Machine" in ITunes podcast directory

Or Full MP3 File for download

Playlist

Chris Morris and Peter Cook - Puff Adder

Jean Yves Labat - We Are Crazy

Tiny Tim - The Other Side

Taken By Trees - My Boys

Tio Gamboin - Los Gatitos

Cedric Watson - Cedric Zydeco

Hearst Herself

Krallice - Dimensional BleedThrough

Laura Gibson - Funeral Song

No Means No - A Little Too High

Dr. Dog - Heart It Races

#5: Clipse X Cam'ron - Back By Popular Demand (Popeye's)

2010-01-20T21:28:00.004-05:00

The Clipse pre-empted themseleves yesterday, by dropping an early entry for best video of 2010.

This Virginia duo might have the strongest rap output of the 00s. Only Ghostface gives them a run for decade dominance. Lord Willin'. Hell Hath No Fury. We Got it 4 Cheap (1 &2). All classic material. Their latest effort, and accompanying mixtape, Til' the Casket Drop is probably their most uneven effort. I prefer more "Freedom" and "Champion" and less "Kind of Like a Big Deal" and "All Eyes on Me." "Door Man" manages to split the difference nicely.

But this is not an album review. It's a pithy blurb lauding an unholy alliance of three of my favorite things -- Louisiana-style Chicken, the brothers Thornton and Killa Cam. And there's a Lebron Diss. Epic.

Many years ago I used to live above a 24 hour Popeye's. 2 stars? Screw you, Yelp. We don't want your type around, anyway. In lieu of the now-discontinued Po' Boy, I'll take the chicken, fries and biscuits. Word.

Check it out.

NEW CLIPSE x VIDEO: FREEDOM

2010-01-19T22:34:00.003-05:00

All caps. All day.

My critics finally have a verse of mine to jerk off to...

VA. they go hard.

Also, the devil and his pitchfork?

JANUARY 15thish, 2010 - Music From and Inspired by "2009"

2010-01-16T10:06:00.009-05:00

In memory of 2009, here are 15 songs from and inspired by those 365 days that will keep you two stepping well in to 2010, baby. First, download and play here. Then, put on your favorite sequined dress, Chinese slippers, and apron. Now clean in style. Left Right Dust. Turn Sweep. Dishes Dishes Dishes. Not like I do that. Ever.

1. MSTRKRFT - Heartbreaker (feat. John Legend)
2. Passion Pit - The Reeling
3. Thieves Like Us - Drugs in My Body
4. Midnight Juggernauts - Into the Galaxy
5. Empire of the Sun - Walking On a Dream
6. MGMT - Electric Feel
7. Holy Ghost! - Hold On
8. Plastique de Rêve - Lost in the City (feat. Ghostape)
9. Metro Area - Miura
10. The Juan MacLean - One Day
11. Boney M - Ma Baker (Rub n Tug edit)
12. Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules Theme
13. Miike Snow - Animal (Crookers Remix)
14. Yeasayer - Sunrise
15. Phil Collins - In the Air Tonight

#6: Jay Electonica X Just Blaze - Exhibit C

2010-01-15T10:10:00.005-05:00

I first heard this as a radio rip from Just Blaze's weekly radio show. The rewind and Mr. Magic drop punctuated the point. Ignore his peculiar handle. Lyrics is back.

Check it out.

#7: Felt (Slug X Murs X Aesop Rock) - Permanent Standby

2010-01-14T17:16:00.004-05:00

"Why are women... so much more interesting to men than men are to women?"
— Virginia Woolf

That just about sums up the concept behind the 3-part Felt "A Tribute to..." series. The third, and final installment finds our heroes paying tribute to Rosie Perez.

After Vampire Weekend, Atmosphere's Slug is easily the second most divisive artist of the aughts. That's no reason to ignore this Murs assisted, Aesop composed banger. They're at their best when they talk about what we talk about when we mean hipster girls.

The Rihanna (or Rihanna-esque) yelps in the background might be most intriguing sample concept of the year. Much cheaper than paying for a hook.The end result is an underground "Run This Town" sound.

Peep the track.

#8: Yong Money Entertainment

2010-01-11T20:43:00.007-05:00

This crew held down the airwaves in 2009, so it's only appropriate they get their own slot on the countdown. This year, Weezy's farm team yielded some superstars (Drake), role players (Nicki Minaj, Mack Maine, Jae Millz) and a long bench (Gudda Gudda, Tyga, et al).

Drake's "Best I Ever Had" needs no introduction. It was undeniably the song of summer 2009. As a bonus, I included a white label drum n' bass remix that reignited my enthusiasm for the overplayed jam. Big up to Fabio and Grooverider for dropping this one on their weekly show.

Young Money's "Every Girl" includes a brilliant Lil Wayne "fillet mignon" metaphor, consistent subversion of subject-verb agreement and a promise to "kit-kat a midget." Even if it isn't your bag, the track is undeniably fun.

Finally, Nicky Minaj spits some real fire over a thumping dubstep track. Nicki, a Laguardia HS alum, balances the aggression of MIA with the raw sexuality of Trina.

Drake - Best I Ever Had
Drake - Best I Ever Had (D&B Remix)
Young Money Entertainment - Every Girl
Nicki Minaj - Saxon

Happy Birthday Mary J Blige

2010-01-11T20:35:00.004-05:00

She's 39 today. Can't stop the queen.

Mary J. Blige - You Bring Me Joy
Mary J. Blige X Jadakiss X DJ Clue - Back to Life 2001
Ghostface Killah X Mary J. Blige - All that I Got is You

This just in...

2010-01-10T22:11:00.004-05:00

Simon Reynolds a fan of the new Vampire Weekend album. Take that haters.

#9: Idle Warship - Bedroom Lites

2010-01-10T10:20:00.005-05:00

Idle Warship is a "supergroup" comprised of Talib Kweli, Res and Graph Nobel. To be frank, as collabos go, this one didn't exactly have me fiending from the jump. I haven't really checked for Kweli since 2004. Graph Nobel is an unkown. Res has had moments of genius, but never really seemed to release a complete album.

I completely ignored "Party Robot" when it was released, and I'm not even sure why I downloaded this track. But, when it popped up on my shuffle I was hooked. Res is the star of the show, her Stevie-Nicks-meets-Alicia-Keys vocals buoy a track that even Kweli can't ruin with awkward metaphors or name drops. A party banger with a unique sound, this track got heavy rotation in the last quarter of 2009.

As a longtime fan of Kweli, its great to hear him back on meaningful projects. Perhaps this bodes well for the much-hyped reunion.

Check it out.

#10: Ghostface Killah X Jack Knight - Lonely / Raekwon X Ghostface Killah X Necro - Gihad

2010-01-10T09:43:00.007-05:00

2009 was either a big comeback year for the Wu, or a mediocre one for the rest of the hip-hop community. Like Sosa and McGwire in 1998, this year was time for the vets to shine. Wu-alums Ghostface and Raekwon both released highly-regarded albums to welcoming ears. While the Chef cooked up a fitting sequel to the Purple Tape, Starks added some new ingredients to his recipe to equally satisfying results.

One of the things that made Raekwon's "OB4CL2" a worthy companion volume was the enlisting of non-Wu producers. The Wu sound inspired or influenced producers across the hip-hop world, and it is interesting to hear the Rza/Tru Master sound reinterpreted by some of the greats (Marley Marl, Pete Rock, Dilla). With "Gihad," Necro (whose own music is quite obviously Wu-influenced, if not Wu-stannery) creates a worthy canvas for Ghost's rawest sex rhymes in years. Like Primo said "We have our formulas, but we update them." Although there are easily 5 tracks from this album worthy of Top 10 status, I selected "Gihad" most for its fascinating contrast with "Lonely."

Unwrap "Ghostdini: The Wizard of Poetry" and you will hear an entirely different Ghostface. On "Lonely," which is taken from this R&B project, the listener is treated to a repentant, practically emo Ghost. To wit:

Playing my CD's in my robes, another man's burning my candles
My cologne's half way gone, a fake don, my wiz fell for
Now she strolls the park under his arm
This is my fault, I've never thought I'd see this coming
From the outside bugging, with crazy knots in my stomach

While Meth and many other members of the Clan continued to be missing in action, Ghost and Rae make the case for another decade of Wu.

Check it out: Here and Here

#11: The Kid Daytona X Bun B - Airborn

2010-01-01T12:00:00.002-05:00

William DeVaughn once crooned:
Though you may not drive a great big Cadillac
Gangsta whitewalls
TV antennas in the back
You may not have a car at all
But remember brothers and sisters
You can still stand tall

This record takes that mantra to heart. Pop this on, and your local bus will ride like an 6-4 on daytons.

We're leaking into 2010 with last year's countdown. Rounding out the first dime, is a track appropriately triumphant to set the tone for the new year. The ATL-ian newcomer pairs finely with Bun B, confidently sharing the slowly marinating beat Sweet Jones style.

Lock in, and let this track soothe last night's excesses.

Check it out.

#12: La Roux - In For the Kill (Skream's Let's Get Ravey Remix)

2009-12-31T13:19:00.010-05:00

This record, despite being the most "massive" (in it's proper, rewind selectah meaning) track of 2009, suffers a lower-than-deserved end of year ranking due to the destructive buzz-burn internet cycle.

It started as a YouTube video. Then there was the KISS-FM radio rip. Next, the unofficial release. Finally, remix overload.

Still, this track pairs the best female vocals of 09 with one of dubstep's most promising young producers. The basslines on this record are tremendous, ranging from hyperdub minimalism to the ol' skool breakbeat. Cue this one up at 11:50 tonight.

Check it out.

#13: Pac Div - Mayor

2009-12-30T10:59:00.008-05:00

This year New Yorkers were introduced to the "mayor-for-life" phenomenon. Popularized by Marion Barry and countless banana republic heads of state, Bloomberg is the latest to join this quirky pantheon. Although arguably first accomplished in new yitty by this guy, I'm looking forward to another term of gentle chastisement from our mini-mayor.

Big city American mayors are an intriguing cast. Consider the following: Jerry Spinger (Cincinatti), Frank Rizzo (Philadelphia), Kwame Kilpatrick (Detroit), Dennis Kucinich (Cleveland), Ray Nagin (New Orleans), Frank Melton (Jackson), Abe Beame (New York), Sharpe James (Newark). And that's just recent history.

Given this motley list, it is unsurprising that Southern Californian emcee collective Pac Div, jokingly pondered their own candidacy this year. What is surprising, however, is their unexpectedly funky campaign song, "Mayor." Dropped in early April, I first heard the song on one of those early-spring days that fool the unsuspecting into packing away the winter wear. While it may not have held down the summer heat, this track definitely helped usher in the big thaw. Managing to merge early-Ice Cube, Pharcyde with dashes of Heiro, Pac Div quickly got the cosign from questlove, 9th Wonder and me. This record sounds like a happy-go-luck "6 in the Morning."

Pac Div rounded out the year with the release of the Church League Champions Mixtape, a preview of 2010's Grown Kid Syndrome. They sound like they have a quality album capability. But, even if the album never comes out they will always own a piece of 2009.

Check it out.

#14: Simian Mobile Disco - Audacity of Huge

2009-12-29T11:00:00.005-05:00

No backstory today, because this crew should still be on your mind from the massive "Hustler." Busy day today, so as my man David Rodigan says, "no intro."

Check it out.

The video's fly, too. This guy says the director is doing big things. Enjoy.

Oh. And just in case. WARNING this song is enjoyed by...

#15: Paper Route Gangstaz - Keyshia Cole

2009-12-28T10:12:00.006-05:00

I tried to withstand the synthesized southern onslaught of 2009. Not because I'm a hater. Moreso, I'm put off by NY tastemakers pushing their dirty south fetish. I've been rocking with Mystikal since 1997. I don't want my southern fried records battered in Brooklyn.

But, I'm always a sucker for personification. This Huntsville cohort's ode to quality purple smoothly glides atop a shimmering Block Beataz rhythm. Despite some unsavory "scene" associations, this record is no gimmick. Just ridin' music.

Check it out.

#16: L-Vis 1990 - United Groove

2009-12-27T11:30:00.002-05:00

Back in the day (the mid 90s for reference) an aspiring DJ had to find mentors the old fashioned way. There were no YouTube "how-to" videos, mp3 blogs or artist mySpace pages. In DC, there were only two reliable places for the latest 12" releases, 12" Records in Dupont Circle and Yoshitoshi in Georgetown. Dupont catered to the hip-hop/soulful house crowd, while YT was for the ravers. Both were second floor alcoves, carved out above rickety stairs.

At 12" I found one of my earliest music mentors, Sam "the man" Burns. There was a DJ booth in the back of 12" records, where the rotating cast of DJs/employees spun sets to move vinyl. He dropped the needle on Armand Van Helden's Funk Phenomenon and I was hooked. Until this point I was pretty much exclusively a hip-hop head. Under Burns' tutelage, at least half of my record budget was diverted to soulful house -- Daft Punk, Motorbass, Strictly Rhythm and (embarrassingly) Junior Vasquez.

The Rub and Mad Decent crowd ushered in an unexpected rave/house resurgence this year. When DJ Nick Catchdubs dropped this record in one of his "Flashing Lights" mixes, I could smell the toasted provolone wafting in to the stairway from the P St. Subway sandwich shop below. This is the kind of record I imagine would get heavy burn from Burns and the 12" crew. Wind it up and party like it's 1995.

Give it a listen.

#17: Freddie Gibbs - Boxframe Cadillac

2009-12-26T11:56:00.001-05:00

The talented Mr. Gibbs' mixtape offering Midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik is reminiscent of early Outkast in more than the compound album title. His is a sound that channels Big Boi, without ever coming off as derivative. The Gary, IN native presents a traditional gangster visage while channeling Suave House and the Dungeon Family.

Despite the obvious influence of his southern godfathers, Gibbs does not hide his midwest twang. His rap speed can be slowly brutal or he can po' pimp like Twista. Gibbs is a gangster rapper for grown folks. No trapstar histrionics here. Gibbs knows his history, and drops a fresh sound with a vintage feel.

Check it out.

#18: Burial - Fostercare

2009-12-23T15:01:00.004-05:00

New Burial.

From the fantastic 5:5 Years of Hyperdub label retrospective.

Not much I can add to this and this.

Listen with your good headphones.

Check it out.

#19: Mos Def X Slick Rick - Auditorium

2009-12-22T11:00:00.005-05:00

As a rule, hip-hop protest records released in the 00s are pretty terrible. If the first line isn't "I got a letter from the government..." I'm suspicious.

This is not a protest record. Which is a good thing. I'll pass on the geopolitical sermons from Mos Def, although I'm curious about Slick Rick's thoughts on cap and trade. "Auditorium" is a mid-east influenced, Madlib-produced rap record featuring Slick Rick. Just a record. There are flutes, Iraqi children and a cypher in the bazaar. Draw your own conclusions.

Download Here

#20: Nite Funk (Dam Funk X Nite Jewel) - Am I Gonna Make It

2009-12-21T11:00:00.001-05:00

J.Dilla brought the session musician to hip-hop. Dilla's body of work is much more Muscle Shoals than Pete Rock. He didn't apply a production formula, Dilla built Americana. Some real Derrick May, shuttered factory, murder mitten ish. Big drums. House and hip hop. "Big Booty Express" (listen below) is vital to understanding that there is a "Dilla sound." If you don't have a bus ticket to Detroit, go cop Welcome to the D.

Dam-Funk, like Dilla, is a hip-hop session guy, not just a producer. Before releasing solo work, he played the keyboard with Westside Connection and MC Eiht. His records sound like the BBQ at the end of the "Nothin' But A G Thang" video. Or the graduation party in Menace to Society. The 5-part toeachizown release is Welcome to the D, Donuts and Ruff Draft.

Somehow, in between releasing 5 albums this year and opening for Animal Collective in the UK, Dam found time to link up with Ramona Gonzalez (Nite Jewel) to record the best song of 1982. It's also one of the best songs of 2009. If I still played out this song would close my set every night.

Make a baby to this record.

Download Here

The First Fifteen of 2009

2009-12-20T13:53:00.002-05:00

Actually first fifteen plus five. Starts tomorrow. Prepare your sarcastic comments now.

The Hiatus (until 12/20)

2009-12-04T17:02:00.001-05:00

We're taking a pause for exams. But look for us back big 12/20 with end of year countdowns and much more. Until then...

Thankful for the Funk

2009-11-16T11:39:00.003-05:00

Our fearless leader has been swallowed by a whale named "finals," so, due to resulting technical difficulties (it's hard to permission new contributors from inside a whale's stomach -- it's pretty squishy in there) here is me, posting Matt's mix on his behalf.

So, then, a brief note from Matt and and then his mix:

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, this mix celebrates the funkiest of the funky -- something we should all be thankful for. Enjoy.

Matty Fly - Thankful for the Funk

1. Children of Production (P-funk)

2. Mama Feelgood (Lynn Collins)

3. Living for the City (Noel Pointer)

4. Soul Flower (remix) (The Pharcyde)

5. Parrty (Pts 1 & 2) (Maceo & The Macks)

6. Let 'Em Roll (John Patton)

7. One More Drink (Jaguar Wright)

8. Testify (P-funk)

9. Pass the Peas (The J & B)

10. Rigor Mortis (Cameo)

11. Flashlight (George Clinton, Q-tip, Busta Rhymes, ODB)

12. Me, Myself & I (De La Soul)

Get it here.

Nighttime Driving Mix

2009-11-01T22:45:00.006-05:00

Hi kids, and Happy November!

Download my mix HERE

I made this mix three years ago, and it's still in heavy rotation in my car. My hometown of Houston is a huge sprawling place (600 sq miles!), making for pretty long drives home in the middle of the night. Because I'm a fairly nerdy dude, I tried to put in a bit of arc in themes/genres as the mix progresses. Since 2006, I've redone some of the transitions between tracks for YOUR listening pleasure, so throw me a bone and try to not skip too many of the songs. Cheers!

P.S. In case you missed it, Victoria posted a pretty sweet driving-at-night mix last year here.

pardon the interruption...

2009-11-01T16:03:00.004-05:00

we are awaiting the latest mix.

until then...

2009-10-15T21:14:00.008-04:00

Download HERE.

Me and my friends in high school were your classic Westchester stoners who really liked two things: smoking weed and listening to hip hop. After school or during lunch we’d pile into someone’s car, pick up some forties from Papi at the corner store, and wind our way down the Bronx River Parkway toward Fordham Road to buy dime bags and mixtapes. The weed wasn’t too good, but the tapes were sometimes outstanding. Guys like DJ Clue, Green Lantern, and DJ Envy would take all of the dope tracks from upcoming albums and throw them together, with a healthy dose of promo holler over the top (CLUE! CLUE! CLUE!).

Collecting tapes for us was no different than kids in the 60’s collecting baseball cards. The point was to have the newest, the rarest, or just the stuff that nobody else had. There were some great songs in those tapes that became lifelong favorites, I'm still a big Cam’Ron fan, mostly on the strength of 357. Many, many more were just flashes in the hip hop pan, which has always burned pretty hot. Anybody remember Drag-on?

Anyway, I don’t really smoke weed anymore, and our friend Papi from the corner store got deported (sorry Papi), but I still love new music and the best place to get it these days isn’t Fordham Road, it's the magical internets. Hip hop artists realized that the best way to generate buzz and maintain creative control while avoiding paying licensing fees and crippling commitments to record companies is to release tracks and albums for free online. So, without further ado, a collection of songs I’ve picked up for free over the last few years.

Dert – Funky New World – “Talking Strange” – Dert’s a DJ from L.A. who put out an entire album of hip hop remixes of Bjork tracks. Its web freedom, using copyrighted material to produce totally new music the way DJ's did before the RIAA took over.

M.I.A – Sunshowers (Diplo Mix) – “Piracy Funds Terrorism Vol. 1” – Before M.I.A. got knocked up by some Lionel Richie look alike she was making beautiful music both literally and figuratively with underground club hero DJ Diplo. Piracy Funds Terrorism, which remixes tons of tracks from M.I.A’s first album among other things, is an instant classic.

Kid Sister feat. Kanye West – Pro Nails – “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” – Yo Kanye, I'm really happy for you and I'mma let you finish, but this track, off your pre-Graduation mixtape, is one of the greatest tracks of all time! Seriously though, Yeezee at his finest, bragadocious and inventive. Kid Sister is a Chicago native and bubblegum house/hop newcomer who should be releasing an album this fall.

Kid Cudi – That Man on the Moon - “A Kid Named Cudi” - Cudi is that internet hype that all the hipsters gravitate to, and this track is a perfect example of why, pulling a sample from an obscure indie/electro band called “Nosaj Thing”. Love him or hate him, dude’s been productive in the last year, putting out 2 mixtapes and his first album released this fall. Personally, I thought his first tape, which track is from, was by far the best.

Lil’ Wayne – This is What I Call Her – “Dedication 2” – Lil Wayne is the master of the mixtape, he’s put out dozens and he’s got at least one track on everybody else’s. This particular tape is up there as the most famous of all time, it hit #69 on the Billboard HipHop Album Chart and listed as one of the best albums of ’06 in The NY Times, the Village Voice, and the NEW YORKER of all place.

Esau Mwamwaya – Get It Up feat. Santogold and Gorilla Zoe – “The Very Best” – Esau is a Malawian singer with a fantastic voice who collaborated with British production duo Radioclit to create what I thought was far and away the best mixtape of 2008. You can read more here.

Theopolus London – Aint No Sunshine – “This Charming Mixtape” – I just recently picked up this tape by the Brooklyn based London, who has a knack for taking techno beats and huge pop hits and reworking them into his own. If you like what he’s doing with Bill Withers, you should checkout how he flips Whitney Houston.

Drake – Say Whats Real – “So Far Gone” – Drake was an actor on the Canadian teen show “Degrassi High, the Next Generation”, but try not to fault him for it. Despite all the groupie love, and the MTV exposure, and the riding of Wayne’s coat tails, dude can really rap, as demonstrated here.

Wale - Warming Up Cane - “100 Miles and Running” - Olubowale Folarin, better known as Wale, the pride of DC/Maryland/Virginia might be the best rapper in the game, and he’s never even released a commercial album. Wale’s got a little Wayne in him, he’s got a ton of tapes out there and manages to show up on any tape that’s worth its weight. I could have made this whole tape with just him, but at least do yourself a favor and checkout his most recent offering here.

Big Boi and Gucci Mane – Shine Blockas – “Sir Lucious Leftfoot” – You don’t have to be unsigned to make this tape, just fresh, and Big Boi is always that. This track gives me a lot of hope for his upcoming solo album, not least ways because of the fantastic sample from Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes.

K’naan feat. Mos Def – America – “Troubadour” – K’naan is straight out of Mogadishu Somalia, which he wont stop reminding you is WAY more ghetto than anything North America has to offer. Despite that overused angle, and the NPR type press hype that follows, “Troubadour” turned out to be a really, really solid album that I actually bought off ITunes after hearing this track online.

Santogold – I’m a Lady feat. Amanda Blank – “Top Ranking” – Another Diplo produced track, dude did put out a bunch of good tapes in the last few years. Top Ranking is a nice mix up of Santogold songs, Jamaican Dancehall, and Ronson style R&B.

Melo-X – The Peeps – “Mustafa’s Reniassance” – Another brooklynite who’s all over the ‘net with mixtapes, video clips, collaborations, etc. etc. A great way to close a tape with an amazing mix of Gil Scott Heron’s legendary “We Almost Lost Detriot”

Better Late than Never - Another Hip-Hop mix

2009-10-07T12:22:00.005-04:00

Here it is - on the lucky 7th of October. Some unique selections from my hip-hop collection. While giving the mix a final ear to solidify the order of tracks I was inspired to give it some old mix-tape illustration flavor. Something definitely missing from allot of free down-loadable tracks these days - ARTWORK!!! Enjoy y'all. Grab it HERE

Remember to use the track-list to configure the songs playlist!
Pieces
_A

If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It

2009-09-15T08:50:00.007-04:00

Updated to include artist names:

1. Suzie Q (Creedence Clearwater Revival)

2. The Weight (Aretha Franklin)

3. Summertime (Sam Cooke)

4. I Put a Spell on You (Nina Simone)

5. You Don't Know Me (Ray Charles)

6. Seven Day Fool (Etta James)

7. Maybe (Janis Joplin)

8. Living for the City (Stevie Wonder)

9. What's Going On (Marvin Gaye)

10. Pick Up the Pieces (Average White Band)
11. Hard to Handle (Otis Redding)
12. I Want You Back (Jackson 5)

Get it Here.

Autumn Got 'em (Just the Bangers, Sir)

2009-08-30T21:58:00.007-04:00

(Click here to Download)

SEPTEMBER 1, 1939
by W.H. Auden

I sit in one of the dives
On Fifty-second Street
Uncertain and afraid
As the clever hopes expire
Of a low dishonest decade:
Waves of anger and fear
Circulate over the bright
And darkened lands of the earth,
Obsessing our private lives;
The unmentionable odour of death
Offends the September night.

Accurate scholarship can
Unearth the whole offence
From Luther until now
That has driven a culture mad,
Find what occurred at Linz,
What huge imago made
A psychopathic god:
I and the public know
What all schoolchildren learn,
Those to whom evil is done
Do evil in return.

Exiled Thucydides knew
All that a speech can say
About Democracy,
And what dictators do,
The elderly rubbish they talk
To an apathetic grave;
Analysed all in his book,
The enlightenment driven away,
The habit-forming pain,
Mismanagement and grief:
We must suffer them all again.

Into this neutral air
Where blind skyscrapers use
Their full height to proclaim
The strength of Collective Man,
Each language pours its vain
Competitive excuse:
But who can live for long
In an euphoric dream;
Out of the mirror they stare,
Imperialism's face
And the international wrong.

Faces along the bar
Cling to their average day:
The lights must never go out,
The music must always play,
All the conventions conspire
To make this fort assume
The furniture of home;
Lest we should see where we are,
Lost in a haunted wood,
Children afraid of the night
Who have never been happy or good.

The windiest militant trash
Important Persons shout
Is not so crude as our wish:
What mad Nijinsky wrote
About Diaghilev
Is true of the normal heart;
For the error bred in the bone
Of each woman and each man
Craves what it cannot have,
Not universal love
But to be loved alone.

From the conservative dark
Into the ethical life
The dense commuters come,
Repeating their morning vow;
'I will be true to the wife,
I'll concentrate more on my work,'
And helpless governors wake
To resume their compulsory game:
Who can release them now,
Who can reach the dead,
Who can speak for the dumb?

All I have is a voice
To undo the folded lie,
The romantic lie in the brain
Of the sensual man-in-the-street
And the lie of Authority
Whose buildings grope the sky:
There is no such thing as the State
And no one exists alone;
Hunger allows no choice
To the citizen or the police;
We must love one another or die.

Defenseless under the night
Our world in stupor lies;
Yet, dotted everywhere,
Ironic points of light
Flash out wherever the Just
Exchange their messages:
May I, composed like them
Of Eros and of dust,
Beleaguered by the same
Negation and despair,
Show an affirming flame.

2 FAST 2 FURIOUS

2009-08-17T11:58:00.005-04:00

Oops, it’s August 17th. Since I’ve decided to make a punk/garage punk influenced (my defenition) mix, I figured it should be late anyway. Most of these songs are pretty accessible with poppy hooks and over the top angst….fuck your parents! The order kind of got screwy in the upload, but since all the songs are less than 3 minutes, it doesn’t really matter.
Enjoy! :)

Track List:
1. Every Artist Needs a Tragedy: No Age
2. The KKK Took My Baby Away: The Ramones
3. Gimme Sopor: The Angry Samoans
4. Reunited on Ice: Blood On the Wall
5. My Life' Alright Without You: No Age
6. I Can't Do Anything: Xray-Spex
7. $100 Dollar Cover: Japanther
8. Hybrid Moments: Misfits
9. We're Desperate: X
10. Fuck Tha Prince A Pull is Dum: Japanther
11. Oh Bondage Up Yours!: Xray-Spex
12. Waiting for Something: Jay Reatard

LINK, LINK, LINK

Karen's Bas Ass Mix

2009-08-02T13:24:00.004-04:00

Get It Here

Sweat it out

2009-07-15T23:00:00.005-04:00

The fever, that is.

I'm sick and that's all I can think of. As a result, the mix I had already made didn't feel right and so I made another. This one is about being sick. It's a bit desperate and trippy in the beginning as experience some fevered dreams and visions. There are some highs and there are lows, particularly at the time I'm wallowing in a bit of self-pity. There is even a song or two that I don't like that much. Why? Because being sick isn't really all that fun.

Please listen to the mix in the order shown in the screen shot. I think I've labeled everything so that if you click the arrow in the upper left hand corner of your itunes playlist (the upper left arrow shown in the screen shot) they will be in the right order. If not, take a minute and move them around to match the pic. Doing so will ensure the best transition from song to song--peep Bats for Lashes into Co Flo--and hopefully make even some of the stranger choices rewarding while properly tell my story on this fevered evening.

Hopefully, even though I'm not enjoying sweating it out, you will.

JULY 1st - Music for you to design to.

2009-07-01T18:02:00.005-04:00

This is a mix I put together for the sole purpose of listening to while I work.
Its super chill and can really work in any situation - it's a great sountrack for any occasion.
Listen and enjoy!

http://www.anthonyarias.com/ADW_MIX_V01_01.zip

Right-On! Write-Off?

2009-04-14T19:06:00.046-04:00

Party People! It's Tax Day, which is no fun. Whether you received no refund, or got shafted with owing the IRS his pimp stack, rest assured, this WILL be fun, and today you all will be getting payed back this fiscal year.

May this mix bless your ears and iPods well into the summer. I've even made sure this mix fits into a burned CD...Ain't that nice?! Throw it on riding top down in the whip, or while you shower in the morning, maybe at work, perhaps while you're at H&R Block?

I'm liking how it came out this time, so get loose! Chicks dig guys who can dance and Guys dig chicks who like good music, so this should seal the deal for you fellas and lovely ladies! Thank me later.

Funk The Recession!

Peace and Love.

- sb

NEW! * The tracks are numbered for easy drag and drop playlist action.

** Track 14 comes with a video link

Holiday Weekend Mix

2009-04-10T17:13:00.005-04:00

(click image to enlarge tracklisting)

Download here: http://www.zshare.net/download/58461419d236bea5/

Be a good citizen and drop a comment if you enjoyed the mix.

What Do You Get When You Cross a Lion and a Lamb?

2009-03-01T21:20:00.002-05:00

You may get a liger. No, wait. That's a lion and a tiger. Honestly, I wanted to create a mix that balanced mellow sounds with serious rock 'n' roll. But, when I sat down to actually put the mix together, the result was more rock than mellow. Although March may be described as beginning as a lion and ending as a lamb, this mix is more liger than anything else and full of solid rock 'n' roll.

Liger

1.) Radio, Radio: Elvis Costello and the Attractions

2.) In the City: The Jam

3.) California Uber Alles: The Dead Kennedys

4.) Supply and Demand: The Hives

5.) The Guns of Brixton: The Clash

6.) Get Me Out: New Model Army

7.) Another Girl, Another Planet: The Only Ones

8.) Oh Bondage Up Yours!: X-Ray Spex

9.) Bad Ass Bitch: Lunachicks

10.) Show Me Mary: Catherine Wheel

11.) Basket Case: Green Day

12.) Jet Boy Jet Girl: Elton Motello

13.) Duck and Cover: Hot IQs

14.) This Fire: Franz Ferdinand

15.) If You Want Me to Stay: Ronny

Aural Pleasures

2009-02-17T00:30:00.011-05:00

Whats up yall! I'm back with my second installment on this lovely blog of ours. Today I present you with another selection of high-energy tracks I've had in heavy rotation on the old iPod.
Aural Pleasures
If you enjoy them as much as I do, your neighbors will hate you! HA! Now get out there and shake your ass!!!
Peace,
Tony Rad Tony

A Little Bit of the Old, A Little Bit of the New

2009-02-01T12:25:00.003-05:00

An eclectic collection of old (pre 1990, that's old now) and new tracks from my playlists.

Download Here:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/b73ksw

The Living Daylights -- A Ha

God Bless The Ottoman Empire -- Hawk and a Hacksaw

Only Makes Me Laugh -- Oingo Boingo

The Ungrateful Dead -- Hella

The Frozen Embryo Song -- Three Guys From Hollywood

Punch Bowl -- Punch Brothers

Toune Kaha As Aa As -- Nahid Akhtar (put this on for those who like to sample, possibilities are endless)

Candy -- El Perro Del Mar

1913 Massacre -- Woody Guthrie

Window -- Doug Martsch

Long Neck Bottles -- Captain Beefheart

Brothersport -- Animal Collective

Hardtime Killing Floor Blues -- Skip James

Rock Bottom -- Eminem

Condemnation -- Depeche Mode

A Pair of Brown Eyes -- The Pogues

Pree Sisters Swallowing A Donkeys Eye -- Neutral Milk Hotel

Thieves -- Ministry

Track Order

2008-12-01T16:48:00.003-05:00

just wanted to express to all y'all that it is IMPERATIVE that the playlist is in order. sorry i cannot figure out why the tracks do not stay in order.

FASHIONABLY LATE - victoria's 1st & 15th

2008-11-29T20:17:00.006-05:00

apologies for posting very late.

cross your fingers! i hope this works...

http://www.sendspace.com/file/8qj24r

the order:

1. 69 Faces of Love - King Khan & The Shrines
2. Beechwood Park - The Zombies
3. Sun Lips - Black Moth Super Rainbow
4. Vitamin C - Can
5. Shack Up - A Certain Ratio
6. Serious Trouble - Zongamin
7. Sister Savior - The Rapture
8. Aeroplanes - Serge Gainsbourg
9. Last Train to London - Electric Light Orchestra
10. The Jezebel Spirit - Brian Eno & David Byrne
11. Mind Your Own Business - Delta 5
12. Diamonds, Fur Coat, Champage - Suicide
13. Make Up Your Mind - Swayzak
14. Rollerdisco - Black Moth Super Rainbow
15. Cavern - Liquid Liquid
16. Paper Planes (DFA Remix) - M.I.A.
17. Raid - Madvillain & Medaphoar

i have no "theme" for the mix. rather, this is my ode to a friday night. a rainy one, when the streets glisten. ooooh. a few comments on some of the songs: vitamin c is a mysterious pop delight. a certain ratio's shack up is quite conducive to dancing alone in one's bedroom while deciding what dress to wear and the application of mascara. i frequently imagine my own private music video to gainsbourg's aeroplanes. delta 5 requires a few bottles of beer and a dance floor. cavern speaks for itself. enjoy.

SetList PlayList

2008-10-15T11:20:00.021-04:00

For this mix I decided to pull one track from each of the bands/acts I've seen over this past show-going year. Shots of Icelandic synth-pop, spacey UK drone rock, Brooklyn low-fi pop-punk & New Orleans organ-stomp to buzz up your insides.

Download the setlist here.

1. Quintron and Miss Pussycat - God of Thunder
If these two ever come to your city JUMP at the chance to go. Puppet shows & sweaty Swamp Rock dance parties await you. Keep your eye open for the Drum Buddy, Spit Machine and the Disco Light Machine, Quintron's homemade drum inventions triggered by light and saliva.

2. Blonde Acid Cult - Shake it Loose
BAC is that band you see in New York that actually makes you feel that New York is still cool. They've got downtown rock and roll swagger, a soulful but gritty uptown funk, a Brooklyn aesthetic and a lower east side sexiness that kind of holds it all together. If you like what you hear, grab the single.

3. The King Khan & BBQ Show - Zombies
Saw this dynamic duo at Santos' Party House. My ears were bleeding at the end. BBQ rocked his turban. It was awesome.

4. FM Belfast - Par Avion
Chubby Icelandic hipsters having the time of their lives, FM is one of those bands that had me thinking 'what the hell?' at the beginning of their set and 'hell yeah!' by the end.

5. The Kills - Getting Down
A sexy rock and roll act, period. I haven't seen a genuine 'performance' like this in a while. A little dirty and dramatic, they have such a great live back-and-forth dynamic.

6. Ween - With My Own Bare Hands
Finally got to experience the wasted magic of Gener and Deaner this summer. If this song doesn't make you pump your fist and accidentally knock your boyfriend in the face, I don't know what else will. Best line - "She's gonna be my cock professor, studying my dick."

7. White Williams - New Violence
Caught Williams on tour with No Age and Dan Deacon a while back and got hooked. The most memorable thing about this whole show was how much of a retarded maniac Dan Deacon was and how we slowly backed our way out of the venue while watching people awkwardly dance/rave around his glow-light skull sculptures.

8. Vivian Girls - Damaged
These girls are playing two shows a week right now and definitely worth checking out. I caught them at Death by Audio a month ago. The only thing I don't like about this band is their inane between-song chattering. So annoying.

9. A Place to Bury Strangers - I Know I'll See You
This set came complete with a trippy/abstract art video projection project - the good kind though. Started off all melodic and precious and slowly warped into a dark & droney cacophony of ear-busting sound fuzz.

10. The Dansettes - Oh My!
Three white soul sisters in quasi-matching outfits plus a zoot-sooted backing band = amazingness. After officially breaking up and switching up the lineup, they renamed themselves the Nouvellas and toured with Sharon Jones for a bit.

11. Barr - The Song is the Single
Showed up to see Brendan Fowler - also known as Barr - hoping to hear this song, but instead watched him mess around with his drum sampler for about twenty-five minutes. It was cool and boring at the same time.

12. Bill Callahan - Footprints
More famous for his days as Smog, Callahan released a fantastic, underrated album and wooed me with his calming baritone. Intimate acoustics punctuated by an insistent violin and country/gospel-tinged vocals made this a warm and cozy winter night show.

13. Sian Alice Group - Way Down to Heaven
This British import had what seemed like 8 people on stage at all times, led by the haunting but lovely vocals of dark-haired chanteuse Sian Ahern. Spacey and lush. I think there were strobe lights and I think I seized out.

14. Sir Richard Bishop - Elysium Number Five
Guitar wizard and former member of Sun City Girls, Bishop toured with his collection of crazy, experimental guitar pieces. He wore flannel and cursed a lot and I loved it all.

15. Jarvis Cocker - Running the World
By far the most enigmatic, warm and witty performer I have ever witnessed. We laughed, we sang, shared drinks and talked about the general destruction of humanity. Jarvis told me that 'cunts are still running the world' and I believe him.

Sugarbutter Presents:

2008-10-01T09:35:00.015-04:00

In the words of the legendary James Brown, "The one thing that could solve most of our problems is dancing."

I know now, that making a mix, like dancing, can potentially be one of the most self revealing acts one can do.

This mix went through many forms. Really trying to refine an overall identity to the selections as a whole. In the end, you just gotta go with what you know. Trying to feel out the groove, keeping it true, and it'll have soul. You can't be self conscious, or you get nothing out of it. Like making sweet love to your main squeeze.

Included are an eclectic selection of some funk / soul / r & b tracks, classic and contemporary. Overall i think they share a common groove.

Hope you all fall into it,

mark

Download Link: (keep this tracklist order)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/r1u9qf

2008-09-18T11:21:00.008-04:00

Our Last Cup of Coffee

This is Jessi, not Elliot.

September is supposed to be a time of new beginnings. However, Fall is always when I realize how much things have changed from this time last year. A lot of my friends moved away this summer, and now that I am back in school without them, I can truly feel the weight of their absence. I am realizing now that my somewhat itinerant lifestyle means my friends are always going to be scattered here, there, and everywhere. No one really stays in one place anymore, I suppose. I'd like to think of my friends listening to this mix while navigating their U-Haul down a dark highway, or putting it on in their new empty apartments and getting drunk on whiskey on the rocks.

By this time next year I will be in a new city. Maybe Portland. Or Nashville. Or Austin. Or even Baltimore. I might open a bar with my friend Adeena. It will be called Coco's Casino. Please come there. Or I might hike the Appalachian Trail with my dog Sylvia. Either way, I'm leaving Michigan and my nice little friends and family, so I'm also thinking about all of the goodbyes in my somewhat near future.

But, it was a fun drunken summer, and I'm trying to hold onto that feeling for as long as the daytime high remains above 70 degrees. So I hope that sentiment made it in there, too.

I hope that made some sense.

--Jessi

Our Last Cup of Coffee

1. The Clash--Hateful
2. The Essex Green-- Snakes in the Grass
3. Elliott Smith-- Baby Britain
4. The Jayhawks--Trouble
5. Frida Hyvonen-- I Drive My Friend
6. Old 97's-- Book of Poems
7. Neko Case and Carl Newman--Yon Ferrets Return
8. Sondre Lerche-- Say It All
9. The Left Banke-- She May Call You Up Tonight
10. Jens Lekman-- I Don't Know If She's Worth 900 Kronor
11. Naughty By Nature-- O.P.P.
12. Serge Gainsbourg-- Marilu
13. The Foxboro Hottubs-- Stop Drop & Roll
14. Chris Rehm -- Impending Recession
15. I'm From Barcelona-- Barcelona Loves You
16. David Dondero-- The Stars are My Chandelier
17. Jolie Holland-- The Littlest Birds
18. Kings of Convenience-- Stay Out of Trouble
19. Souls of Mischief-- '93 Til Infinity
20. Big Star-- Thirteen
21. Camera Obscura-- Greyhound Going Somewhere
22. Cat Stevens-- Miles From Nowhere

easy like sunday morning

2008-09-01T20:46:00.005-04:00

the summer is waning and autumn is upon us. isn't that what labor day tells us, after all? so i composed a mix of sounds that normally fill my apartment on a sunday, but particularly on a long weekend. perhaps it's a bit more chill than the recent mixes, but it's filled with smooth tunes to rejuvenate and relax before the week begins and as the air starts to cool. grab a cup of tea and enjoy.

easy like sunday morning:

1.) dance with me: nouvelle vague

2.)samba de mon coeur qui bat: coralie clement

3.) jardin d'hiver: keren ann

4.) my heart belongs to daddy: lisa ekdahl

5.) these foolish things: lennie tristano

6.) dear prudence: brad mehldau

7.) changes: seu jorge

8.) waltz for koop: koop

9.) corcovado: astrud gilberto

10.) blue in green: miles davis

11.) my funny valentine: chet baker

12.) you made me feel: the trash can sinatras

13.) sand river: beth gibbons & rustin man

14.) autumn in new york: billie holiday

SOUNDCLASH PART 2

2008-08-15T04:14:00.008-04:00

SPF69
Wear Protection - You will get housed.
I had a lot of fun putting this one together, dance breaks in between getting the tracks all lined up, making sure the flow was just right. Throw this one on when you wanna kick that dance party into full gear. I see you shaking that ass! I crank some classics and i keep it crunk. Use the track listing to configure the playlist - songs have been positioned for maximum enjoyment.
ENJOY!
_A

Summer Soundclash #2: Elementary Backstroke

2008-08-13T23:34:00.011-04:00

It went through some significant changes while I was making it and ended up just being a collection of songs that I love. It changes gears a couple of times, but I tried to smooth that out as best I could. I think it's got some soul and should be pretty accessible. It's Elementary Backstroke. Enjoy.

- John (jbug187 in the Comments section)

PS - Can we can some sort of a forum section going?

2008-08-01T08:35:00.004-04:00

Summer Got Soul

The dilemma was, how to convey the grittier, tenser, less sunny side of summer (especially this summer: war, recession, and relentless heat waves) without losing the summer vibe. And then it came to me. Reggae has this way of admonishing us, confronting us with things that are not right in the world, but doing so, um, pleasantly (and my choice of it as the subject of this mix had nothing all to do with my high school and college obsession with it). Besides, reggae has that summer good times feel, and riffs on most of its major themes: nostalgia, travel (even if it's in exile), natural living, and, er, smoking weed. Those about cover it right?

You may recognize some of the artists here (remember Max Romeo of Jay Z's Chase The Devil?) but hopefully this post will introduce you all to some artists you've never heard of. It's a little long and kind of all over the place, but give it its due and hit me up in the comments section.

1. Total Destruction -- Leroy Sibbles
2. Hurt Not The Earth -- Little Roy
3. Just The Other Day -- Dr. Alimantado
4. Herb Vendor -- Horse Mouth
5. One Brother Short -- Mighty Diamonds
6. Down By The Riverside -- Burning Spear
7. Stop The Fussing and Fighting -- Culture
8. A Quarter Pound of I'cense -- Max Romeo
9. Poison Flour -- Dr. Alimantado
10. False Rasta -- Jacob Miller
11. Chatty Mouth -- The Gladiators
12. Open The Iron Gate -- Max Romeo
13. Doctor Demand -- Leo Graham
14. Rain All Night -- Don Carlos
15. Naturality -- The Gladiators
16. Gimmie Mi Gun -- Dr. Alimantado
17. Iron Sharpening Iron -- Culture
18. Pick Up The Pieces -- Burning Spear
19. Right Time -- Mighty Diamonds
20. Total Destruction Version -- Little Roy and Friends

Check it out here

No Explanations Necessary

2008-07-20T09:22:00.010-04:00

Just like the title says. No complicated, literary goings-on. No concept. No theme. It's SUMMER--the season of not trying hard. With that, some summer songs:

No Explanations Necessary (click here to download).

1. Bat Macumba -- Os Mutantes
2. Do Me -- Jean Knight
3. Burnt Biscuits -- The Triumphs
4. Why Am I Treated So Bad -- Brad Auger and Julie Driscoll
5. Baby It's You -- Smith
6. A Man Never Knows -- Chris and Shack
7. Quinn the Eskimo -- Solomon Burke
8. See No Evil -- Television
9. Myriad Harbour -- The New Pornographers
10. How We Know -- The Thermals
11. Neurotic -- Bouncing Souls
12. Blue Flames -- Quannum MCs
13. Kid on My Shoulders -- White Rabbits
14. The Same Old Innocence -- Architecture in Helsinki
15. The Rider Song -- Nick Cave
16. The Summer -- Yo La Tengo

Enjoy 'em, everybody!

Technical Difficulties (Pause)

2008-07-15T19:56:00.009-04:00

Summer's getting hotter and a blackout was inevitable. So, in the interim we've got some links to whet your appetite for the next mix. Three of the hottest mixes from summers past and present.

Check back on the 21st for Sam's Summer Mix. We resume our regular schedule August 1st.

Mix#1

From the Krudblog:

"This time our close personal friends; the Illegible DJ Caps and Pandemonium Jones hit us with an incredible summertime vibe mix. The jams are pure dadrock/heatrock. I’ve listened to it three times in a row now and get real feisty everytime Godzilla comes on. Trust me, you’ve GOT TO hear this one."

I cosign. Although Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak" is the one that really gets me going on this mix.

Check it out

Mix #2

From DJ Soul's fantastic blog:

"According to Jadakiss in his 2004 interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, this mix is one of three mixtapes that every hip-hop fan should own."

Listening to this on 5th Avenue last week and I lost all sense of time and space. I was 12 and taping songs off of WPGC. Hip-hop heads need this one.

Check it Out

Mix #3

Roy Davis Jr. @ Sunday Best -- Memorial Day 2008 --NYC

I was there for this one so I'm a little biased, but I promise this mix will house you. Soulful, smooth, summery.

Check it out

Summer Soundclash Pt. 1: Yokes vs. Cuchifrito Chef

2008-07-01T21:44:00.022-04:00

In the first of our summer soundclashes Yokes faces off with Cuchifrito Chef. With just days left before the 4th, grab your holiday weekend soundtrack now.

Descriptions, tracklists and links below...

Download Cuchifrito Chef
Download Yokes

Cuchifrito Chef Side:

I tried real hard (and failed) to avoid songs titled with beach, summer, sun, etc. I could've ducked them altogether, but instead i tried at least to pick the more obscure tracks with obvious summertime monikers. With the exception of one reader, I'm sure you've never heard Almighty RSO's venerable 1994 paean to hot nights.

Like Daniel's, my taste in summer jams has also strayed from straight up rap, so this is a different sounding compilation you might've been subjected to a few years ago. A few rock, house and soul offerings make this a more flexible summer mix.

Enjoy my contemplation of a sticky, steamy summer's day in the city.

Tracklisting:
"Sunshine" - Atmosphere
"I'm Standing in the Shadows" - The Five Royals
"Anything" SWV f. Wu-Tang Clan
"Magnificent" Estelle f. Kardinal Offishall
"Top Billin' (Nomadic Remix)" Audio Two
"In Summer I Fall" Dereliks
"Summer Knights" Almighty RSO
"Baby It's You" Smith
"What Goes Around Comes Around" Smoke
"Full Moon" Armand Van Helden f. Common
"Summer in Paris" DJ Cam f. Anngn
"Lovely Feelin" Lights Went Out
"Music Sounds Better With You" Stardust
"Feelin' On Your Booty" R. Kelly
"She's Gone" Hall & Oates

Yokes Side:

After a couple of false starts and abandoning some overwrought concepts that tried to hard to do the unexpected (think Nick Cave's Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow) I settled on a more straight forward summer mix. In this case, my mix is meant to evoke the experience and narrative arc of the perfect day trip to the beach. Some songs do this literally and others are more evocative.

As I see it, the day starts with waking before dawn. You take a couple minutes and just think about the day to come before stepping out into the newly risen sun. After loading the car up with a surf board, you drive to the beach and surf for a while. Things become more festive and a party breaks out during which you meet a girl (or guy) and everything just clicks. As the party winds down you share a quiet moment on the sand before driving off with the sun low in the sky. You arrive at your place as the sun finally sets and in the distance you hear the low sound of the waves in motion. You wish this day would never end.

With the right soundtrack and frame of mind, life's a perfect day at the beach no matter where you are.

Tracklisting:

"All the Places" - Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth
"Sunrise" - Yeasayer
"Doin My Thang" - Zion I
"Wordless Chorus" - My Morning Jacket
"Beach Party" - Air France
"Dinninit" - De La Soul
"Young Folks" - Peter Bjorn & John
"Put Something in the Air"- J. Rawls and Middle Child
"The Lazy Sunbathers" - Morrissey
"Cruisin" - D'Angelo
"Mahalo" - Ratatat
"The Waves At Night" - Phosphorescent
"Eternity One Night Only" - Cut Copy

Definition of Summer Madness

2008-06-17T16:10:00.008-04:00

Five years ago my "definition of summer madness" mix would have been a compilation of mostly Nelly tracks, a sprinkling of DMX, and maybe one Lumidee song. The subject matter would have ranged from shaking tail feathers, getting naked, getting my eagle on, and dog barks. In the end, that's still a great mix, but for today I've aspired for something else. This mix still features exuberant hip-hop numbers for getting the bbq started, but I've tried to contrast it with more meditative compositions for your lazy mosquito swamped afternoons in the shade. Enjoy.

1. Take me Home - Bone Thugs & Harmony feat. Phill Collins.

2. New Wave - Common feat. Stereo Lab.

3. Computer Love - Glass Candy

4. Bros - Panda Bear

5. See what I can pull - Devin the Dude

6. Lighten up - Beastie Boys

7. Star Blanket River Child - Brightblack Morning Light

8. Some thing last a long time - Beach House

9. Take what's yours - Ma$e feat. DMX

10. Firm Biz - Nas Feat Az and Foxy Brown

11. Camron- Girls Just want to have Fun

12. Shake your tail feather - Nelly feat. Murphy Lee and P Diddy.

Download here and enjoy:

http://www.zshare.net/download/1375773787035d90/

And finally, a song I should have put on:

Brooklyn's Finest

2008-06-01T21:52:00.005-04:00

Here's a mix i put together for the hip hop heads....all these groups are from bk...or do a collabo with an MC that is......represent!

http://www.zshare.net/download/12957350a649832c/

hope ya'll enjoy....

-Vinay

Break out your Boom Box.

2008-05-14T23:25:00.009-04:00

Fuck that June 21st shit, summer is right around the corner and the jump off is Memorial Day Weekend. Since the next mix won’t drop until the vacation is over I'm offering something to bump to while enjoying your freedom from the 9-5.

What’s Memorial Day all about? Well, Wikipedia tells me it commemorates U.S. men and women who have died in military service to their country. Memorial Day actually began first to honor Union soldiers who died during the Civil War. While we here at First and Fifteenth have Infinite Respect for all those who serve the Stars and Stripes (Thank You!), that was a long time ago. Since then the holiday seems to have devolved into an opportunity for Americans to indulge themselves in a barbecue and some commercial shopping opportunities. Also significant: the GQ I thumbed through in Elliot's bathroom last week informed me that after Memorial Day I can start wearing white without pissing off Marc Jacobs.

So, while in deference to out brothers and sisters in the armed forces, I also want to take this opportunity to infuse all of your 3 day weekend shindigs with a little memorial to the 90's Hip Hop that we all grew up on. This mix will hopefully unearth some long lost memories that go along with the consumption of alcohol and pork products. Burn this and take it out to your social engagements, Uncle L. and all the other artists are guaranteed to help you get your party props kid.

Download Here and Enjoy!

Fakin’ the Funk - Main Source

Around the Way Girl - L.L. Cool J.

Round and Round - Tupac

Straighten it Out - Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth

C.R.E.A.M. - Wu Tang Clan

Get it Together - Beastie Boys feat. Q-Tip

Chief Rocka - Lords of the Underground

Flava of the Month - Black Sheep

Wickedest Man Alive - Naughty by Nature

I Like it - Grand Puba

I Got a Story to Tell - Notorious B.I.G.

Check the Rhyme - Tribe Called Quest

One Love - Nas

Sometime I Rhyme Slow - Nice and Smooth

Jingling Baby (Remix but Still Jingling) - Ladies Love Cool James

Brooklyn Girl Goes Global

2008-05-01T16:42:00.009-04:00

So lately it feels like all my friends are taking these amazing trips around the world and I’m not gonna lie: I’m really jealous. I’m calling this mix “Traveling Around the Globe From an Office Chair in Midtown,” cause sadly that is where I’ve been spending most of my days. Fortunately my lack of mobility has allotted me ample time to track down a ton of inspiring music originating far from the shores of Williamsburg. All these tracks bring a smile to my face and some international beats to my feet. I hope they make you bop in your seat, no matter where that seat may be.
(I start off all ambitious with descriptions but lost steam and need to post this thing, so the last tracks are just there. Hope you enjoy.)
Download

Ernesto Djedje - Zadie Bobo
Ernesto was the dubbed the "The King of Ziglibithy" for pioneering the style and reigning musically in the 70s on the Ivory Coast. I love this song because it seems to fuse a more western funky dance party feel with traditional African rhythms. And the horns kick ass.

Alèmayèhu Eshèté & Hirut Bègèlè
It was really, really hard to make music and party after dark in Ethiopia after Selassie fell and the crazy communist military regime took over. Right before the red curtain tried to stifle all creativity, there was a burst of musical and artistic output, now recognized as the golden age of modern Ethiopian music. It sounds middle eastern and trippy and soulful. Good stuff.

Ali Farka Touré - Soya
I was in a record store and this Toure album was playing over the speakers. I stood in a trance because it’s amazing and bought it on the spot. It's sweet and bluesy, and the ringy guitar and weird Malian percussion still kind of hypnotize me. The cover photo of this album, released right after Toure died of cancer, shows him lounging out chill-style in black shiny boots and a fedora with a cig hanging from his lips. Makes me wish he was my godfather or something.

Gilberto Gil - Pega a Voga, Cebeludo
I think if you pick up any Tropicalia-related comps this song is on there, for good reason. The crazed yelps, insistent hand claps, catcall-esque background sounds and driving beat are totally addictive. This song is just the epitome of feel-good Brazilian pop.

Caetano Veloso - Outro
Had to follow up Gil with his partner in musical crime. This song, and the whole album it's on actually, is as in-your-face and rock and roll as Caetano gets. I LOVE the guitar solo a minute and a half in, and secretly picture Caetano himself wailing out whenever I hear it.

Lila Downs - Viborita
Flamenco, jazz, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian - there is a little bit of everything in Downs' sound. Her voice is so smoky and sexy and passionate. Even though she's mostly known by American audiences as 'the Mexican chick on the Frida soundtrack,' she's so much more.

Don Omar - Tirandole #2 A Daddy Yankee
Heard this song while flying down a dirt road in a taxi filled with friends and strangers in the Dominican Republic last year. Later discovered the Don is a huge reggaeton superstar. If you need to get a party started, I recommend calling on him for help.

Les Boots - Laissez Briller Le Soleil

Django Reinhardt - Minor Swing

Pedrito Ramirez y su Combo - Micaela

Satyajit Ray - Charu's Theme
Stole this from a certain Wes Anderson movie, but it was too pretty not to.

Ras Michael & The Sons of Negus - Int'l Year of the Child

Live and Direct

2008-04-14T22:29:00.010-04:00

Happy tax day. I had one theme for this mix, live. This is a conglomeration of many genres and styles, but heavily skewed towards reggae. I collect live music and it comprises most of my listening on a daily basis. Live music has a raw quality not found on studio albums. Also reminds us that even the musicians are human and make mistakes and fuck up their own songs.

Here is a little glimpse into some of the music in my latest listening endeavors. Enjoy!

Download
1. AC/DC - Charlie Hunter Quartet – Vancouver, BC 5/23/2001
2. Too Experienced – Barrington Levy - Wanted Live in San Francisco
3. Cupid – Amy Winehouse – Berlin, Germany 10/15/2007
4. Next Movement – The Roots – Cologne, Germany 3/23/2003
5. Monkey Man – Toots & the Maytals – Live in London
6. Cocaine Blues – Johnny Cash – Folsom Prison
7. California Uber Alles – Disposable Heroes of Hipoprisy – NYC 8/12/1992
8. War – The Wailers – Steamboat Springs, CO 6/20/2007
9. Can’t Turn Me Loose – Janis Joplin – Amsterdam 4/1/1969
10. High Tide or Low Tide – Jack Johnson & Ben Harper – Honolulu, HI 4/26/2006
11. Malawi – Toubab Krewe – Charlotte, NC 2/3/2003
12. Liza (All the Clouds Roll Away) – Herbie Hancock & Chick Corea
13. Royal Oil – The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – Live at the Middle East
14. Hello Banjour – Michael Franti & Spearhead – Aspen, CO 9/2/2007
15. Natural – Arrested Development – Unplugged
16. Stir It Up – Bob Marley – San Francisco, CA 7/7/1975
17. Mama’s Got A Girlfriend – Ben Harper – Live from Mars
18. Spanish Key – Miles Davis – Live at the Fillmore East
19. Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good to You? – Billie Holiday – Jazz at the Philharmonic
20. Jah Is My Driver – Burning Spear – NYC 9/18/1996

Mix #11: Lupe Fiasco's Picks

2008-04-01T00:01:00.003-04:00

When we conceived this blog ten mixes ago, the idea was to provide bi-weekly compilations for our extend network of friends. The site name seemed straightforward to our purpose, so we registered it with blogspot.

We didn't realize we shared the name with budding rap star Lupe Fiasco's vanity record label, 1st and 15th Entertainment.

Several misdirected emails (to firstandfifteenth@gmail.com) later, and we were swapping exchanges with the "kick push" emcee himself. Rather than go diva, and shut us down, he gracefully offered his own mixtape. Take that muxtape.com. Stop biting!

the Lupe-man himself had this to say after we pried his submission out (it was, believe us, an 11th-hour affair):

"yo! this represents a large part of my musical history, the roots in music i believe in. scarface, of course, dre, of course, gangstarr, you know this...you might not know i like other stuff too, the pillows, hot japanese stuff, steely dan, i'm gonna start the yacht rap rock genre outta that hook, devo, where my potatoheads? anyway, thanks to all my fans, buy the new record, it's hot! PEACE"

Thanks Lupe!

Download: Click Here

Tracklisting:

On My Block - Scarface
Contact High - Ike Turner and the Ikettes
Little Busters - The Pillows
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Bill Cosby
Hey Nineteen - Steely Dan
The Wacky World of Rapid Transit - Del tha Funkee Homosapien
Let Me Ride (Remix) f. Daz, Snoop - Dr. Dre
Dolly - Peter Visti
Similak Child (Remix) - Black Sheep
Me and Rock & Roll are Here to Stay - David Ruffin
Ex to Next Girl (Remix) - Gangstarr
Where My Homiez (Come Around My Way) - Ill Al Skratch
Snowball - Devo
Transformers - Leaders of the New School
Days Were Golden - Sunny Day Real Estate
Ghetto Red Hot - Supercat

I Don't Hate Guitars

2008-03-15T12:44:00.005-04:00

My college friends say I hate guitars. Luis recently reminded that when I moved to New York 5 years ago I owned one non-rap album: Pearl Jam's Ten. Well, things have changed a bit. I rarely buy music and, maybe not so coincidentally, I no longer hate guitars. I guess embracing digital piracy encouraged risk taking; it's an awesome thing to take a chance and not have to worry about wasting my money. Anyways, here's a taste of what I've been listening to and, in keeping with current First and Fifteenth trend (yes, I'm hungover), I'll let the music speak for itself.

I Don't Hate Guitars

1. Tulips: Bloc Party
2. Elevator Love Letter: Stars
3. Soldier: Erykah Badu
4. After 2Am: Deuce Maxwell
5. In Remembrance: Blu & Exile
6. Bitch I Don't Need Ya: Scientifik
7. If She Wants Me: Belle & Sebastian
8. Shoo-B-Doop And Cop Him: Betty Davis
9. Where Do I Begin: The Chemical Brothers
10. Dirty Acres: CunninLynguists
11. Ol' English: The Game
12. Your Arms Around Me: Jens Lekman
13. Star Witness: Neko Case
14. That's What I Am Talking About: Pete Rock featuring Rell
15. Ask: The Smiths
16. Make It Happen: The Teenagers
17. Maps: Yeah Yeah Yeahs
18. Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken: Camera Obscura
19. My Soul Ain't For Sale: DJ Jazzy Jeff featuring Raheem DeVaughn
20. Horney Joint: Elzhi
21. You Know Now (Buckwild Remix): D.I.T.C.
22. 1979: Smashing Pumpkins
24. Flux: Bloc Party
25. Hard Rain: Shout Out Louds

If the "Juno" soundtrack weren't dominated by shitty Kimya Dawson songs

2008-03-01T00:34:00.001-05:00

I thought of many themes in the last few weeks: songs to listen to while sitting outside the terminal waiting for your family to get in, when you're wishing you could play video games, first thing Saturday morning. But I decided it made the most sense to collect my favorites, moody but ultimately uplifting, all released after 1993 (when I was making human-pyramid routines to Tina Turner songs, not Liz Phair tracks). I didn't cull these from the basement of a speakeasy-esque record store; they're not diamonds in the rough. But they're diamonds nonetheless. —Juno

1. A.M. 180/Grandaddy/Under the Western Freeway
2. Portions for Foxes/Rilo Kiley/More Adventurous
3. The Con/Tegan & Sara/The Con
4. 2+2=5 (The Lukewarm)/Radiohead/Hail To The Thief
5. Fuck Forever/Babyshambles/Down in Albion
6. Strange/Built To Spill/Ancient Melodies of the Future
7. The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth/Clap Your Hands Say Yeah/Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
8. Fortress/Pinback/Summer in Abaddon
9. Black Swan/Thom Yorke/The Eraser
10. Leeora/The Sea and Cake/The Biz
11. King's Crossing/Elliott Smith/From a Basement on the Hill
12. Fuck and Run/Liz Phair/Exile in Guyville
13. One More Hour/Sleater-Kinney/Dig Me Out
14. I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself/The White Stripes/Elephant
15. Family Tree/Loretta Lynn /Van Lear Rose
16. Rise Up With Fists!!!/Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins/Rabbit Fur Coat
17. You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will./Bright Eyes/Lifted, or the Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground

Ready to listen? Go here: http://www.zshare.net/download/828924686378f4/

forlorn and flushed

2008-02-16T00:00:00.008-05:00

it's the day after valentine's day (or just slightly after), which means all the lonely rejects out there are allowed to valiantly wallow again. whether the aching words "never again" beat on repeat or you like songs with a twinge of bitterness and regret and longing and doubt, this is a list of tunes that remind you how awesomely bad it is to flush love down a toilet and want it back all over again.

i'm not one for a detailed description , so if you want more than the obvious feel free to contact me.

here it goes:

1.) anthem: born in the flood

2.) how it ends: devotchka

3.) last goodbye: jeff buckley

4.) way you walk: papas fritas

5.) still in love song: the stills

6.) glass conversation: the ponys

7.) hounds of love: the futureheads

8.) tenderness: general public

9.) boys don't cry: the cure

10.) tears of a clown: the english beat

11.) tears dry on their own: amy winehouse

12.) interstate love song: stone temple pilots

13.) black star: radiohead

14.) testimony: grant lee buffalo

15.) should've known better: the thrills

16.) sea anemone: jets to brazil

17.) goodbye to love: american music club

18.) tell me more and more and then some: nina simone

mucho,

rachel k.

Easy Listening

2008-02-04T15:46:00.000-05:00

A little late, but I hope this mix was worth the wait.

My dad listened to smooth jazz and R&B while I was growing up, which basically meant I listened to smooth jazz and R&B. As my ears grew accustomed to the tenor sax and padded drum kits, I learned to appreciate the calming influence of soft rock, easy listening, and pretty much anything else labeled "smooth." Though not of the same genres I've just described, the tracks on this mix evoke that same sense of comfort, smoothness and confidence I felt when Sade, Steely Dan or Mangione echoed in my household.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.

Download here: www.zshare.net/download/71995149c0b17d/

1) Prefab Sprout- Wild Horses
Unfortunate band name, but incredible song. Easy on the ears with beautiful sexual undertones- this may in fact be my wedding song. Line to remember: "I'm a wolf with an eye for the ponies"

2) Hall & Oates- I can't go for that (No can do)
Admittedly, I dug into no crates to get this song, but it really exemplifies blue eyed soul at its best.

3) Feist- One Evening
Before her Starbucks record deal, Feist was somehow selling smooth jazz to hipster mom's. Don't hate though, this song could easily be the b side to Smooth Operator.

4)Konk-Baby Dee
Post-Punk-Afro Beat- Latin Fusion from the early eighties. More of a dance track, but there is a well placed cowbell. Reminds me of J-Lo 's "Get Right."

5) Tigercity-Let Her Go
Brooklyn based spiritual successors to Hall & Oates. Pure pop and non-ironic easy listening influences. Live shows are worth checking out when they're in the city.

6) Wilco- Impossible Germany
Wilco forfeited sonic experimentation on this track to craft a wonderful homage to seventies soft rock. The dueling guitars have the melodic complexity of Chuck Mangione's Feels Good.

7) Golden-Ma Petite Est Marie
Golden is the unknown side project of the slightly less unknown bands Transam, Mars Volta, and the Make-Up. Songs got jazzy guitars and kind of a Fleetwood Mac circa Rumours feel.

8) Neil Young- Computer Age
This song is from Neil Young's dystopian vision of the future where computer and vocoders have taken over the world. The album Trans is worth checking out. Apparently, it was recorded when Neil Young was feuding with his record company who grew increasingly angry with him for not recording "regular" sounding Neil Young albums. I think his follow up was rockabilly album.

9) Glenn Branca- Lesson #1 for Electric Guitar
The best song on this mix tape, Lesson#1 is an opus of orchestrated electric guitars. Song doesn't necessarily fit in this vague theme, but I wanted to share it regardless.

10) Ma$e/DMX- Take What's Yours
With Ma$e's smooth delivery and DMX's soulful growls, this track shows us how crisp Bad Boy productions truly were. Ma$e was kind of the spiritual heir to the New Jack Swing movement, which everyone knows is the smooth jazz of hip-hop.
I'd forgotten about Ma$e, but after rediscovering this track I went ahead a fell in love with Harlem World all over again.