I'm not the biggest Police or Sting connoisseur but of all of their songs that I do know & love this is by far my favorite. Second place goes to "Voices Inside My Head" (although I prefer the deeper dub disco version by Common Sense). Anyway, this song really speaks loud as much now as it did 30 years ago. Excellent song writting, arrangement and production. If I knew how to make music I'd attempt to cover this, and probably fail! hahaha...seriously though, there's certain songs that always sound better by the original artist. Maybe that's why you haven't heard a successful cover of this? I think The Roots could pull it off in a way that makes sense. Perhaps U2 and possibly even Prince & NPG but it would be really tough to top the Police.
It's been a while since I've posted one of these but this has got to be one of the weirdest music videos made in a while. The techniques are cool and the song's pretty good but what the hell is going on in some of these scenes!!??? Hilarious..weird..intriguing..bizarre..
It took this video for me to like this song by Mike Snow. I wasn't really into but the video definitely does it justice. Really high quality video shot in India.
Just want to post a couple goodies real quick. First up is a killer version of the Eagles' classic "I Can't Tell You Why" by none other than Chromeo!!?? Next is one of my favorite songs by the late great Sun Ra. After going to see King Britt & crew do their amazing "Saturn Never Sleeps" performance which is an amazing tribute to Sun Ra as part of the exhibition at the ICA, I've been going back and listening to a lot of Sun Ra. King consistently pushes the boundaries and is a brilliant producer. OK!...I was only going to post 2 tracks but now I feel I've got to post something from King Britt. I should just do a feature on him. The man has been a very prolific producer/remixer under various monikers for over 15 years spanning all genres and remains one of the most in-demand DJs around the world. Anyway, here’s one of my favorite tracks off his ‘80s inspired Sylk 130 album “Re-Members Only”.
This one is kinda strange because the video seems to have nothing to do with the song. In the end, I like the video and think it's a good video for what was probably a $20 budget. Plus, this is one of my favorite rock jams in the past year.
I've been listening to my iTunes a lot of shuffle lately to try to rediscover stuff in my own collection. I've got a pretty large and very diverse collection so it's pretty fun. Here's a few of the 'new' rediscoveries. That Dimenzio post from a couple weeks ago is also technically part of this.
First up is by avant garde '80s funk rockers The Flying Lizards. This group is amazing! They also do a cover of 'Money' by Don Covay which is one of my favorite 7"s to play in the most random places & times. Some of you hip-hop heads will recognize this song even if you've never actually heard it.
The Flying Lizards "Her Story"
Next is a song I never really paid attention to by one of the greatest groups of all time to come out of the African funk & afro-beat movement. They but out a few really good albums that are very expensive when found in good condition...actually even in poor, nearly unplayable, condition these albums still aren't cheap. This is from their compilation on Strut records and is long out-of-print.
Blo "Preacher Man"
Here's a track from a serious jazz group with a silly name on Gilles Peterson's label, Brownswood. They also have the creepiest album cover in this post so let's give it up for Soil & "PIMP" Sessions.
This song produced by Domu with Pete Simpson on vocals is just beautiful. Excellent composition, lyrics and harmony. The latin swing combined with the cadence of the vocals work well together to carry the song without losing your attention. The house remixes are worth checking out too.
Domu presents Pete Simpson "Won't Give Up (album version)"
I can't even front on this song. This is certainly one of the best pop songs from the '80s and undeniably a great song for the ages. Plus, the man can play the bones! Other songs that remind me of this song and vice versa are Every Kind Of People by Robert Palmer (which I posted back in December) and End Of Innocence by Don Henly. The lyrics speak for themselves in all of these...jus' lissen.
Big up to my man Daniel 'Gravy' Thomas & his band Philmoore Browne for being a part of this. Gravy is an AMAZING writer and performer...if you ever get the chance, go see Philmoore Browne live and go buy their music!! Also, to Chuck Treece and McRad whom I don't know personally but share mutual friends. Chuck has been pretty important to the music scene in Philly for a looong time. Did I see Major Taylor too!!??
Shack Up (UPDATE: w/ Don't You Worry About A Thing)
I love the original classic by Banbarra but there's something about A Certain Ratio covering this song that makes it edgier. Maybe it's the punky guitars, the British accents or even the slightly faster tempo? I recommend owning both since the work for different types of moods. They were one of the main groups from this scene..other groups of the 'punk/funk' scene include ESG, Pigbag, Gang Of Four, The Dance, Defunkt and Liquid Liquid amongst many others.
I got a remix of "Crying Blood" about 6 months ago but didn't really search what else she had out. I was sleeping!!! Now, I'm not crazy about her music but it's different and works in a pop sound kinda way. I'm really feeling her videos though and it definitely helps that she's HOT...seriously beautiful...damn! Anyway, here's a new video which is just in time for Valentine's Day. Enjoy!
Check her out on myspace and watch more videos & listen to more HERE
Over the last few weeks I've added a MASSIVE amount of new music to my fairly large digital collection (over 10gb to the existing 35k songs) As I have time I'll be sharing some of these new gems with you and continue to share a little of my existing collection. I just imported some deep funk/soul stuff and one of the first songs I clicked on was this monster disco gem taken from Keb Darge's Legendary Deep Funk volume 2. It's funny because I've actually had the 7Samurai edit of this for about 6 months and only played it a few times and forgot about it until now. The original is where it's at though:
This next tune is a new song that addresses the similar issues but after we've been 'modernized' for more than 30 years since the release of the previous song. This whole album by Beck is definitely worth the money. Maybe one of the best albums of 2008?
Here's some songs that came to mind when Barack Obama got elected and I posted his speech from Chicago here. I was just reading about him in the Person Of the Year issue of Time and it reminded me to post these songs. It's always amazing to me how some songs with political or social messages can always remain current and relevant. This post could really go on and on and on....there is sooooo much good music to choose from for this. Keep in mind that this is just a handful of hundreds of songs I could put here. Enjoy!
This is one of my favorite songs by great Curtis Mayfield. His genius is felt in the way the arrangement and feeling of the music complements the lyrics perfectly. One of the best songs ever made in my opinion which is why it's at the top of this list. Curtis Mayfield "Move On Up"
I don't know any other material from Steve Parks but I'm sure it's good based on this tune. This is been in heavy rotation in my collection for years now and I'd like to share it with more people. Steve Parks "Movin' In The Right Direction"
Another one of my favorite songs of all-time. This never goes out of style and has been remixed and remade several times in recent years. Still, the original is always my favorite and blends well with the Movin' In The Right Direction (mentioned above). Cymande "Brothers On The Slide"
This is some obscure soul/disco track by Heem The Music Monsters from the mid '70s. Thanks to Jazzman Records for re-issuing this gem. Heem The Music Monsters "Wake Up People"
I've been playing this track a lot since I bought it. One of my favorite 12"s in the past 5 years by far. I own the original 12" also but this just seems to work better. This re-edit by Samuri 7 keeps all the important pieces of the original in-tact and just puts a little modern twist on it to make it more workable on a 21st century dance floor. This track KILLED when I played at Back 2 Basics a few months back. As Norman Jay might say "epic"! haha.. Willie Hutch "Brothers Gonna Work It Out (Samuri 7 rework)"
This is a track from the "one of the best albums I'm glad I bought but don't get to play enough" category. (yes, that's a real category for real DJs/collectors..heads know the deal..) It's produced by Blaze..do I really need to say anymore. But DAAAAM! This cut really hits a nerve with me and even without some live band, this still has more soul than a lot of new 'afro-soul' groups coming out. This is an old formula for Blaze though...their "25 Years Hence" album in the early '90s was also amazing. (I still need that on vinyl..*hint*) Blaze presents: James Toney Jr. Project "Revolution Poem"
Next is another modern banger from the Ubiquity label. So, you know it's flavour. This was one of the standout tracks from the HVW8 Presents: compilation. Unfortunately the compilation as a whole was lack-luster but there were some really solid tracks that made it worth buying. This is one of them. This was also on John Arnold's "Style & Pattern" album. Vocals by Paul Randolph, who seems to be everywhere! John Arnold f/ Paul Randolph "Rise Up"
This next track is kind of an underground classic now. Only a few years old, it's become a staple in many DJs sets. Nice remake of a classic Billy Paul tune. At the right moment, this can still work the crowd in even a full room of people that don't even know who Steve Spacek or J Dilla are! That's how dope Dilla is/was...R.I.P. Steve Spacek "Let The Dollar Circulate"
Ok, and finally a tune that everybody in America above the age of 4 has probably heard at least a few times in their life. There's just something about this song that never get's old. It's catchy and not too rock, not too soul but is well written with a positive message. There's something to be said for songs that are played in supermarkets and clubs 3 decades later. Essential for all humans to own this song..some people could really benefit from really listening to the lyrics. I think this song really hits home with people that work their asses off to barely survive in this country. Robert Palmer "Every Kind Of People"
Here's some new content I've recently discovered...some is brand new and some isn't. Sorry about the misleading title for this post. I wasn't using the term 'eye candy' in the proper context :[ However, I WILL be starting a new section simply titled 'girls' which WILL be all eye candy :]
This video by the Magic Wands is ridiculous and honestly it's pretty lame/gay to me. I don't fully understand the whole style of rainbow colors, glitter and lasers mixed with sub-saharan wildlife. Sometimes it IS pulled off really well but sadly this isn't one of those cases. The reason I posted this video is actually not for the video at all. The music touched my soft spot for obscure '80s disco. This song is brand new but really has that sound of some super rare underground disco joint from like '83. (their song 'Black Magic' is also worth listening to)
Next up is the video for Someone Great by the almighty LCD Soundsystem. The video is simple and effective and really works with the song (which happens to be one of the best songs of 2007). Unfortunately EMI UK won't allow people to help out the band and post the video on other sites so just right click on the image and you'll go to the YouTube page for the video.
I thought I posted this next video by Robot High School a while back when I first saw it but apparently I didn't. I think the music for this is WACK! The video seemingly has nothing to do with the music but is still nice to look at. The director used a stop-action technique and emphasized the focal points in the shots to trick us into thinking we're looking at toys when in-fact everything is real.
Fuck it...I'll post 2 videos from this group I really don't care for because they have good taste in visuals..Here they use another super simple yet effective method to creative something visually interesting. If you didn't figure out how they did it by the first 30 seconds, they reveal it to you in the last part of the video. To their credit, this song isn't too bad.
I just saw this video earlier today and it kinda blew me away. It's both simple and intriguing using no special effects and the low-budgetness clearly seen....I mean c'mon, you couldn't spring for some more more exotic wild life! hahaha..Mallards are beautiful though and it's a cleaver usage of quail and standard field mice and mirrors. All the perfect elements for a live-action fractal art show. The Kraftwerk-esque music enhances the visuals to a point where we anticipate more and want to peer deeper into the complexity of the visuals to find more patterns and meaning.
AHHHH...this next one is straight up drugs! Watch all 3 parts!! Especially part 3..if you have a really fast internet connection view it on YouTube as higher quality.
UPDATE: I totally forgot to include this in the post originally. This video is weird and looks painful but is highly entertaining. Turn the volume down if you need to..I did!
I'm feeling this song...and I'm really feeling Alicia Keys here. Seriously, she's sitting on my lap as I write this. Neither of us know why there's no clips from Quantum of Solace or even more 007 references but her and I agree it was very tastefully done.
Future Shock 086 is one of the parties DJ Skipmode (ill!) does. It's a monthly party that takes place at The Kyber here in Philly. I've rocked this party with Skipmode on several occasions and although the money is short it's still one of my favorite parties to play. Everything from hip-hop, classic and underground '80s dance trax, funk and even current 'hipster' tunes. This is the only party where I get to play some of my weird punk/disco/house/rock tunes and people love it. This past month was pretty slow at the gate but everybody there was on the dance floor gettin' it in. Here's a sample from the last hour of the night (sorry about the recording quality...it sounded right in the club and that's more important than the recording. enjoy!
Live from Future Shock 086 (July 2008, end of night snippet) Download this mix
I'm covering for Skipmode this month too....bring your stankin' ass out! It's free, there's cheap beer (only $1 until 11!!) and the music is on point.
I live in a cave that makes time stand still. This explains why I don't catch on to some things until after everybody else. Case in point, the "Who's Gonna Save My Soul?" video by Gnarls Barkley. I've liked this song since I first heard it but the video is really powerful. I'm soooo glad I don't feel like the dude in this video. (been there, done that, never again) Ugh....I could go on and on about what's wrong with women and how they fuck with our minds (and their own) but I will refrain. Watch the video-
If you've noticed, I've stayed true to my word and didn't post nearly as many songs this time! Also, I hope you've been checking out the mixes I've put up for you to listen to in the player and to download (click on that big 'download' icon at the top right). Anyway, I had a bout six 45's just sitting here by this desk and I can't remember why these were singled out. Maybe you can help to remind me!
