Been chillin’ in the ol’ stomping grounds of the ATL for the past few weeks and my normal flipping through the crates has been on hiatus. Instead, WCLK has been dominating the hi-fi. Love revisiting the sounds from Clark Atlanta University, especially The Soul of Jazz show, in the late afternoons, hosted by Jamal Ahmad who crushes it on the daily. Beautiful sets to delight the ears!
Here are just a few cuts that had my head noddin’. A couple new platters, “We Live Today” from Derrick Hodge featuring Common and “Get Started” from Mark de Clive-Lowe featuring Omar and Sheila E, that just dropped in recent weeks and the stellar “Rebirth of the Cool” cut from the DJ Cam Quartet from a few years back. Dope!
Derrick Hodge – “We Live Today” featuring Common
Mark de Clive-Lowe – “Get Started” featuring Omar and Sheila E
Unfortunately, I can’t embed the MdCL cut, but I highly recommend you click here to listen. Seriously on-point sounds from his Renegades LP.
Just as in the last posting, way back in April, flooding continues to remain an issue for Thailand. While it was in the southern area earlier this year, it is presently the central region that is in a crisis state and the water is now moving into Bangkok with the situation worsening by the day.
While in Bangkok last week, I had hoped to go up to Ayutthaya, an ancient city in Thailand, and the former capital of the kingdom, that is littered with places that I could spend hour upon hour checking out. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen as the area has been totally evacuated and flood waters have inundated the entire city center and beyond. On the day I was going to set forth, the front page of the Bangkok Post featured this stunning shot.
Check out the events of Thai politics via this excellent timeline (2001-2010) created by Wit Pimkanchanapong. It starts with the election of Thaksin Shinawatra as Prime Minister back in 2001 and ends just one week before the assassination of Maj. Gen. Khattiya Sawasdipol, commonly known as Seh Daeng, which would lead to the end of three-month-long Red Shirt protest in Bangkok. Campaigns would follow and, in the beginning of July, Thailand elected their first female Prime Minister, Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra, sister of the former Prime Minister who was ousted nearly five years earlier through a military coup. Clearly things have come full circle around here. Is that a good thing?
In my experience, I have met far too many Thais who possess very little knowledge of geography and historical events around the world. I can even go further to say that many don’t know the same subject matter in regards to their own country. Rather amazing, yet sad, to be honest. The Thai school system fails miserably in these areas. Case and point is the choice of costume at a school parade by students in Chiang Mai, the second largest city in Thailand. Teenagers dressed as Nazi soldiers! Click the link and shake your head in disbelief that this happened in 2011.
The video below was taken while riding on the canal boats of San Seab in Bangkok. A journey which consisted of being thrilled by the fast pace of the boats, the craziness of watching the workers traverse the narrow ledge of the boat, the disgust of the stench of sewage that was present throughout, the unfortunate surprise of being drenched in said sewage from an unexpected wave, the amazement of seeing a local guy fishing in the waters (can’t imagine eating anything out of those waters!) and, I shit you not, the shock of seeing a dead body of a person who hung himself on an overpass! Fucking for real! If you are looking for an adventure in Bangkok, it’s guaranteed to be just around every corner. Just spend 15 baht and ride these canal boats and you’ll never forget it. Holy shit!
Here’s the shitty picture I got. Had just put my camera up after getting drenched and couldn’t get it out in time. Probably better I didn’t get a close up. All the onlookers are on the far left side with the coppers on the bridge.
On the shitty pictures of amazing moments tip, here’s another one. This time it was a more pleasant siting in the water. It was the beautiful Indo-Pacific pink humpback dolphins that live off the waters of Khanom, Nakhon Sri Thammarat and Don Sak, Surat Thani. My jaw dropped when I was hanging over the railing of the ferry as we left the port and the pink dolphin jumped out of the water right next to me. Fumbled from my camera and wasn’t able to fire off in time for what might have been an incredible shot. Totally awesome moment!
Watched this a helluva long time ago, but just now posting it. It’s the trailer to the upcoming documentary,Take Me Away Fast, which follows Frank Gossner, of Voodoo Funk, as he journeys around West Africa in search of records. Can’t wait to see the full length feature of this one!
Column Five Media presents “The Value of Data Visualization” for a look into the intersection of data and design. Peep it.
Greenpeace activists and artist John Quigley created Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Vitruvian Man in the Arctic Ocean using copper pipes. The incomplete image was done to highlight the effects of climate change. Click here for a few more photos and to read the story.
Ever wanted to be Mikey Dread? Well, now you can! Check out the virtual Mikey Dread site and mash up di dance. Love that the selecta is a lion! Run di riddim! Raaaaaah!
Been a huge fan of the Kashmere Stage Band since 2006 when Now-Again dropped the Texas Thunder Soul anthology. Director Mark Landsman traced the roots of the band and delivered the story of bandleader Conrad O. Johnson with the Thunder Soul documentary. I’ve been watching with anticipation for it to be released ever since the first premiere was held at SXSW back in March in Austin, TX. Now it has arrived! Just gotta hunt down a screen that has it showing!
Check DJ Shadow’s short from the SXSW premiere.
Go for a ride on the International Space Station as it traverses the Earth from over the Pacific Ocean and continues over North and South America before entering daylight near Antarctica. Awesome!
3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38,000 miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage…all to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food….into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films. Courtesy of Rick Mereki, director and producer; Tim White, director of photography, producer and editor; and Andrew Lees, actor. Move. Learn. Eat.
On the hi-fi while compiling this post is the Willows’ “Send Another Moses”. Original Roots style from Studio One. Extending the vibes with the Brentford Reggae Band’s version on the flip. Massive sounds!
Artist/Designer Lewis Heriz and DJ Hugo Mendez are the founders of Sofrito, a party held in London that is equal parts killer on the eyes, with incredible poster art, and on the ears, with plentiful amounts of tropical sounds from all corners of the globe. Check out the history of the event below and visit here, here, here, here and here for the vibes!
The Mikiphone Pocket Phonograph. One of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. Dope!
Tim Armstrong aka Lint aka Tim Timebomb of Rancid debuts his RockNRoll Theater series. Here’s the trailer to the first episode titled “Dante”. Excited to see the full episode and for more from the series to be delivered our way.
Roger Rivas, boss organist for the Aggrolites, serves up more Skinhead Reggae in this second volume of his Organ Versions series (…grab the first volume here). This time he was working with Mark Morales, L.A.-based record collector, and Jurassic Sound outta Brazil. Hotness!
Strut serves up a tribute to mark the anniversary with this special set. This selecta was known for his broad taste in music and this offering delivers nuff variety. Enjoy!
Punk rock, drinkin’, chillin’, crusin’ around on motorbikes. That’s the culture of Lexington, Kentucky as documented in Carlos Puga’s Satan Since 2003. Check it out!
Finally! Finally! Finally! It has arrived! Ron Fricke’s Samsara, which I have been anticipating for years, finally debuted on September 11th at the Toronto International Film Festival! Future showings are in the works and, while it may take some time for this to grace my eyes, I’m patiently awaiting that wonderful day.
All of the projects he has worked on in the past have had a significant impact on me after viewing them and this one will undoubtedly do the same. Check out a few of the stills below which certainly only represent a true fraction of the beauty that lies in the reels.
This last image of a mandala brought back memories of watching Werner Herzog’s Wheel of Time and recalling one of its more powerful and moving scenes, to me personally of course. I was in awe when watching this and learning for the first time about the Tibetan Buddhist monks who perform prostrations along their entire journey to Bodhgaya, India for the Kalachakra Initiation. Simply remarkable.
Showin’ some love and support to the man called General Moses as he pursues funding to complete the Legends of Ska film. Get the chills just watchin’ the trailer and dearly hope this gets to see its completion one day. Regret not making the drive to Toronto to witness what would have likely been one of the most memorable events I would have ever attended. Didn’t happen though, so I’m hoping to relive it through this film. Check the trailer here and a personal message from G.M. here. Click the link to donate money via Kickstarter! 16 days and counting ’til the deadline!
Great news! Congrats to General Moses for the goal has been met! Full length ah cometh! Big tings!
Embedding the latest trailer, the original trailer and the message from the director himself, just isn’t working for this post. Be sure to visit here to check them out!
Check out this set of coasters modeled after Jamaican 45s. I picked them up a while back when they were being sold to support the legendary Alpha Boys School in Kingston, JA. Killer style on these. No drinks allowed!
The skies opened recently over Southern Thailand and, before finally moving to the Andaman region and out to sea, left a wake of destruction, across areas of Nakhon Si Thammarat, Krabi and Surat Thani, from flooding and landslides. The low-pressure mass that remained stagnant over the area was entirely unseasonal as this is the height of dry season.
Here on Samui and surrounding islands, life largely came to a halt with widespread flooding resulting in impassable roads, electricity outages and the cancellation of all flights and ferries leaving no way to access or depart the island. The infrastructure improved quite rapidly and, once the weather system moved out, we welcomed sunny skies to help dry up the land. Glad to welcome blue skies, feel the scorching sun typical of the peak of summer and see the rebuilding taking place. My thoughts are with all those who lost loved ones and the thousands who lost their possessions.
We all know the Earth can show its incredible beauty and its sheer destructive power as well. Check the simply stunning time-lapse footage, from Terje Sorgjerd, taken atop El Tiede, the highest peak in Spain, for evidence of the former.
Been vibin’ on Ikebe Shakedown’s Hard Steppin’ EP for a few months now and I’m highly anticipating hearing the sounds of their upcoming release on Ubiquity due out in early June. Give the tune “Tujunga” a listen below and stay on the lookout for the full length. If you haven’t heard the EP, pick it up here.
Long-lost video reels of the NYC Ska Mob have been unearthed courtesy of the YouTube channel from StrikkklyROCKERS. On offer is a stellar collection of videos featuring the Version City Rockers performing some crucial covers as well as videos of other members from the NYC scene.
Months have passed since the NBA Sprite Slam Dunk Contest went down, but I gotta serve up my two cents since no ruminations have been delivered since then. Overall, I was definitely impressed with the jams and there were some pretty innovative dunks in the mix that I had never imagined. Serge Ibaka retrieved a teddy bear from the rim with his teeth which was pretty clever and took off from the charity stripe which is always impressive, but doesn’t shine that much to me. Blake Griffin was a monster on the court this year, but his dunks (side of the backboard windmill, 360, off-the-glass honey dip, and jumping over a car…or the hood of a car to be more clear) were certainly nice, but fell below what I imagined would come from his powerful arsenal. Not surprised he was the winner as a result of the fans from “They Dunk. You Decide.”, who must have assumed it was a popularity contest.
My final round would have featured Javale McGee, who showed off his multiple ball tricks including three balls on one dunk and two balls on separate goals on the same dunk…Nice!…and the true winner in my book, Demar Derozan, whose highlights included the ‘East Bay Funk Remix’ dunk which was hella difficult (44 = bullshit) and the killer ‘Show Stopper’ dunk which was the best of the evening. Check it below as it’s certified sick! He got robbed again this year, but I hope to see him take it to ‘em in 2012.
Cheers to the Samui Flair Monster who can be found at Lamai Walking Street every Sunday evening on the beach road. These guys have some tight tricks up their sleeves when it comes to bartending and constantly rock a smile on their face even if a shaker gets spilled, an ice cube gets dropped or a bottle gets smashed. They definitely don’t take it too seriously that is for sure. Rarely order cocktails from them, but always check out their show as I wait for my pizza at the booth beside theirs while listening to them blare either House or Luk Thung vibes.
Big ups to NYCTrust for sending me one of their limited-edition mixtapes. The Swing-A-Ling session is the first of many to come from NYCTrust Radio. Keep up the great work with the label and ‘preciate the hookup.
Where’s that Swing-A-Ling name from you ask? Charlie Ace’s mobile record shop of course! While browsing some pictures of it on the Web, I came across Jah Bill’s custom model. Guilty of being jealous. That’s a boss replica!
Love seeing the Swing-A-Ling Mobile Record Shack in action and, even more so, Charlie Ace’s reply to “Where did you get the idea from?” and “Do you think you are doing a function by getting the music to the poor black people?”. One love!
Finally got my hands on two kilograms of the inimitable aroma of Srinavas Sugandhalaya nag champa. Its constant presence in my home has been well missed for years. Fantastic to take in that scent again when I opened the box. Now I just gotta keep that supply comin’ from here forth.
There are literally tons of platters that blend nicely with burnin’ nag champa, but, for that initial one, you know I had to tossThis is Augustus Pablo onto the turntable. Strictly meditative!
On the hi-fi at the present while compiling these thoughts is the CE crew, from the ATL, preachin’ the truth!
Check the wealth of boss wax served up from the following YouTube channels. Wicked Roots tunes on these vinyl sides that were thankfully shared from SamCeMar, JamaicanRootsWebsite and PabloKingStoned. There are more cats out there dishin’ out similar vibes, but just wanted to feature these. Nuff respect and keep the grooves flowin’.
Just one selection of the many crucial roots vibrations to be found is Sangie Davis and the Gatherers with “Words of my Mouth” b/w The Upsetters “Word a Mouth Dub”. Massive chune! Jah bless!
Big ups to my crew from the ATL, Esperanza, for continuing to deliver choice designs as they have been doin’ for years. Wish I could check out a Bravos ballgame with you at the Ted, cheer on the Hawks as we look to finish off the Magic in Game 5 (sweetness!) or just chill out doin’ nuthin’ but chattin’ on the porch with a delicious brew in hand. Someday soon I hope. Until then, keep holdin’ it down in the ol’ hometown. Guidance!
Cool crooner Courtney John sets the mood for this day with his 45 from last year titled “Love Is”, a killer version of The Melodians “You Don’t Need Me” riddim. Love is the one thing that is never out of season!
Following their release to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Groove Merchant Record Store in San Francisco, Ubiquity has just put out this limited-edition record case along with a set of 10 seven inches. Read about the details here and watch below how The Key Printing and Binding in Oakland made them.
Adrian Quesada, member of Grupo Fantasma, Ocote Soul Sounds and Brownout, is set to launch his latest project under the moniker The Echocentrics. Sample a selection of two cuts to be featured on the upcoming full length titled Sunshadows, to be released by Ubiquity in early April.
This piece of killer animation demonstrates that no matter how many times you try, you simply cannot walk in a straight line if you are blindfolded. Without a point of reference like the Sun, a star, a mountain, etc., you’ll end up just going in circles. Interesting stuff.
Have you ever seen the Chinese artist Liu Bolin’s work? Dubbed “The Invisible Man”, he camouflages himself in various settings and the results are nothing less than brilliant. I’d bet that if I didn’t tip you off to what was going on in these pictures that you’d probably gloss right over a few of them without knowing there was a person standing there. Check the following galleries of his work. Gallery #1, #2, #3.
Here’s some various shit about the man like DJ Nu-Mark. He recently served up his latest mixtape, Take Me With You. Check out the 20-minute snippet mix of the same name here and pick up the LP here. His next full length, titled Broken Sunlight, is set to be released in the coming months. He also recently dropped a remix of Nas & Damian Marley’s “Nah Mean” cut off their Distant Relatives record from last year. Gotta say I love the original banger way more, but certainly happy to toss this in the crates as well. Listen online here or download a copy here. Lastly, Mochilla paid him a visit and checked out his mad collection of musical toys to be found at his crib. Dude is one of the most creative beat makers out there and this video pretty much reaffirms that. Wanted to embed it below, but it’s having issues. So…peep it here.
Big ups to LWR MGMT, for the heads up on the NBA Slam Dunk Contest Video Visualization from Hoopism. It is a timeline that compiles nearly every dunk from the years 1984-2010, and sorts each dunk by year and score. Only gripe, and not sure if it is just on my side, is that the playback controls for the videos are missing. Other than that, this thing is pure fucking brilliance for dunk enthusiasts like myself.
The Edge of the Earth is a documentary filmed solely using solar power. It was shot over the course of two weeks in the complete wilderness that is the Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska and takes you on a journey down the Alatna River. The results are exceptionally stunning!
Photographer Luke Duggleby and reporter Ron Gluckman were granted access into the Dhammakaya movement at their main temple in Pathum Thani province. Check the pictures of this rather strange and controversial sect of Buddhism here.
Learn more about Scoutmob via the Esperanza Transmission. They’re an ATL-based company that provides insight into local shops and eateries, and, more importantly, hard-to-resist deals, on your mobile phone, to get you out to visit such places. Enjoyed listening to the philosophy behind the company and the guidelines they have used to attain their success. Had to laugh when they were ripping on clamshell phones and I glanced over at the hella-advanced piece of technology laying on my desk. Suits my needs, so I got no worries on being light-years behind. To both of these crews, keep up the great work. Peace out from the Land of No 3G Networks.
Diggin’ through a box of some stuff from back in my high school days and thought I’d share this for a select few, namely Los, the coolest Latino punk rocker I’ve ever met, back home in the ATL.
Included in this mix are newsletters, etc. from The Riverdales, The Queers and Jawbreaker, fanzine featuring Ben Weasel, Dan Panic and Joe Queer, items from Sicko including the Dateless Losers Club, press photo and some pictures from a house show behind KFC in Athens, GA. Wanted to go to the show after that one in Columbia, SC with Keith, Megan and Los, but my parents wouldn’t let me; however, my Dad was generous enough to drive me an hour away to this show on a school night, wait in the car for hours and then take me back home. Awesome!
Among the rest are flyers from local punk bands that I loved, and still do, from shows at the Somber Reptile, Man…or Astroman? stuff, MST3K Fan Club membership card and a transparency with Crow, Joel and Tom Servo silhouettes that you can stick to your TV, a poster taken off the side of Wuxtry in Athens for a show at the 40 Watt featuring The Woggles and Satan’s Pilgrims, Lookout Records poster from 1995 with their full catalog on the back, and a few ads, clipped from The Loaf, of shows at the Masquerade, BLT’s, Somber Reptile and the Wreck Room. There’s also a collection of Ticketmaster stubs collected from 1995-2005. When showing these to my girlfriend here in Thailand, she said “You went to ALL these shows!?” upon which I laughed as the true amount of shows I attended, the vast amount of which had a hand stamp and not a ticket stub, was well over one hundred times more than shown here. Good memories from these shows and many many more.
Fun to look back on this stuff, but upsetting in a sense as there were heaps and heaps more of similar items that, were it not for a regretful clean-out session one night, I would still have. Can’t get it all back though, so whateva.
When you enter this nightclub called Kor Tor Mor, there is a glass case on the left-hand side. In it, is a collection of fake passports, fake IDs, and all the brews pictured below. One would think that they’d be available for purchase at the bar. However, that’d be an incorrect assumption as all of the following: Sierra Nevada Pale Bock, Anchor Steam, Brooklyn Lager, Elephant, Red Brew-ster, Corona, Sol, Humboldt Gold Rush, Strongbow, Grant’s Weis Beer, Broken Hill, Holsten, Odoul’s (?), Bicycle, Miller Genuine Draft, Simpatico, Beck’s, Grolsch, Point Special, Saint Andrews, Coors Dry, Carlsberg, Olympia, and Bud Light…are for display only.
I’m not saying all of those are choice selections by any means, but you have to understand what life is like as a beer drinker (or former beer drinker as it is now!) in the Land of Smiles. It took a lot willpower not to smash that glass to get my hands on the Sierra Nevada and Anchor Steam bottles though. Lookin’ about 10 years old or more, definitely not the taste that was intended when it was crafted and a possible risk of digesting some bacteria that has been growing inside; don’t care and totally worth the gamble were I able to down one. Alas, I couldn’t get my hands on them and was forced to bow my head in disappointment, belly up to the bar and weep over the lager-dominated choices presented to me here in Thailand that include Siamsato, Heineken, Cheers, Asahi, Chang, Leo, Archa, Singha, Tiger, and San Miguel Light. Fuck me.
This is the single worst tradeoff made for living abroad here in Southern Thailand. A taste of some supremely-delicious Sweetwater from good ol’ Georgia would be unimaginably perfect right about now. Goddamn I miss home.
Spent my New Year’s Eve chillin’ pon di shore at Ska Bar in Kata, Phuket. Reggae vibes on the soundsystem, bucket of Sang Som Lae Sapporot in hand and a sky filled with khom loy and fireworks. Nice way to ring in the new year. Check the video below that someone captured from a location much further away from the beach than where I was sitting. To all who stop by this site, Happy New Year!
Never knew Brigadier Jerry and Sister Nancy were siblings. Interesting tidbit from Jamaican deejay culture. Learned it while listening to the massive sounds of Papa Finnigan on the Version City Podcast #12. Check the sounds and be sure to hit up the previous podcasts if you haven’t tuned in before. Boss vibes outta the Stubborn stable with a musical biscuit laid ‘pon your table. Glad to see they are back on the airwaves after an extended hiatus.
49% Motherfucker. 51% Son of a Bitch. That’s the tagline for the badass-looking Lemmy Kilmister documentary that was released in the November of last year. Awesome flick, but disappointed that Lars Frederiksen was only in it for less than thirty seconds. Boo! Regardless, pick up a copy below or check the film’s site to see if it is coming to a theatre near you. For my folks in the ATL, be sure to grab a brew at the Righteous Room and then head over to The Plaza between Jan. 15-20 to catch the film!
Wish I had video or audio of me trying to purchase A&W Root Beer at 3:00 in the afternoon at Tesco Lotus. (You can’t purchase alcohol between 2:00-5:00 in the afternoon here in Thailand – normally only observed at major retailers) Spent three to four minutes explaining to the teenager working the checkout counter that it was, in fact, not “beer” even though the side of the can said “Root Beer”. After having my patience tested, I finally convinced her and was able to laugh and enjoy those refreshing flavors.
Interesting math fact: 1 x 8 + 1 = 9; 12 x 8 + 2 = 98; 123 x 8 + 3 = 987; 1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876; 12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765; 123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654; 1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543; 12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432; 123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321
The latest effort from Federico Aubele, titled Berlin 13, is set to drop, via ESL, on the 22nd of March and I absolutely cannot wait to hear the sounds it’ll offer. He’s been one of my favorite musicians for years now and I’m sure his latest compositions will be equally as beautiful as those in his existing songbook. Check the video below to hear him discussing the project.
On a side note, I got a laugh after finding out that I have been saying his name wrong for about six years now. It’s Aubele (Oh-Bell) and not Aubele (Awe-Bay-Lay) as I always thought it was. Guess the e’s don’t have accent marks, so I should have known better. Anyways, glad to be corrected.
Have you seen the latest “Where Amazing Happens” commercials, under the campaign of ‘Encouragement’, from the Association? Excellent video/audio trickery on these. The first two feature Kevin Durant and Amar’e Stoudemire (click to watch) and a few more are on the way from Stephen Curry, Steve Nash and Chris Paul. Should be winners for sure.
The NBA Slam Dunk Contest is just around the corner and the lineup features Javale McGee aka The Family Man, Serge Ibaka aka The Team Player, Brandon Jennings aka The Comeback Kid and, my favorite, Blake Griffin aka The Top Pick. Hope this year’s show is memorable unlike last year’s which was incredibly weak. I’ll be on the lookout for the highlights come February 19th.
Still a huge Duke Blue Devils fan despite not having watched any college hoops in the past four years. Haven’t seen Kyle Singler’s on-court play except for highlights here and there, but definitely diggin’ the trick-shot reel he did from inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Names You Can Trust (NYCT) has recently revamped their site as well as adding a dozen or so podcasts that are available for download. In the coming year, they intend to dish out more and more and I’ll be sure to pick them up once they do. Head over there to pick up the sounds from the label with a choice taste in vibes.
In case you’ve been sleepin’, Pete Philly finally served up all of the tracks on his Open Loops project. Here’s the tracks from the past fourteen weeks collected just for you.
Psych Funk Sa-Re-Ga! Seminar: Aesthetic Expressions of Psych Funk Music in India 1970-83 has been dominating the hi-fi as of late. Killer selection of some cuts in the crates already and plenty of others that weren’t. Head nod deluxe! Can you identify which dynamic duo sampled Kalyanji Anandji’s “Dharmatma Theme Music (Sad)” for an incredibly ill banger?
Only recently did I find out that Reason Y Records issued a set of previously-unreleased tracks from Partisan, one of my favorite bands to come out of Atlanta, GA. The material is from 2002 and laid dormant after being shelved as the band progressed toward the sounds heard on their debut pressing, The Gothic and the Gospel. Purchase a copy of the LP, simply titled The Partisan, here or stream the album in its entirety here.
Oh shit! New Madvillain joints up in your area. Check the snippets of “Avalanche” and “Victory Lap” on their lonesome here or pick up the Stones Throw’s 2011 podcast mixed by Peanut Butter Wolf here. Yeah yeah!
The top-seeded Dirty Birds head into the NFL playoffs to take on the Green Bay Packers this coming weekend. Cheers to the Falcons for killin’ it all season. Now let’s get ‘em and bring the Lombardi trophy back home to the ATL for the first time!
1 x 8 + 1 = 9; 12 x 8 + 2 = 98; 123 x 8 + 3 = 987; 1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876; 12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765; 123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654; 1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543; 12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432; 123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321
One EP and two seven inches. Eight incredibly-rare tracks dug up from the past. Twenty-four minutes in length. Garage Psych Rock blended with Afro-Funk. Fuzzy guitars, Vox organ vibes, vocals with loads of reverb, dirty drum breaks throughout. It’s the raw sounds of The Psychedelic Aliens from Accra, Ghana recorded in the late ’60s and early ’70s.
It was after midnight had come, That the new year had begun / It was time man to drink some rum, Celebrate all the new things to come / Man say you want to live a brand new life, Sing a new song old habits must die / I know you want to try and try, But when you say that it can’t be no lie / Man you must try and change your ways, Cause if you don’t it might be too late / Bring the new year and happy days, Stop this fussing and fighting today
Just came across the Critical Past website that was launched earlier this year. It’s a treasure trove of archived footage including videos and photographs. The presentation of the site is key and searching through the database is incredibly easy. Head over there and expect to spend hour upon hour browsing the goods. Quality stuff!
Talk about confused as a mutha when I flipped on the tube and the sport of Kabbadi from the 2010 Asian Games was on. Never had seen it before in my life and couldn’t figure out the object of the game in the least bit. Click here and see if you can tell me what is going on?
The 3J’s, which features Jesse and Josh of the Aggrolites and Josh from ¡Aparato!, serve up a Brazilian-Jazz version of “Free Time” by the Aggrolites off their Reggae Hit L.A. album.
Flying Lotus x Adult Swim dropped the video for “Zodiac Shit” recently. An absolutely killer, tripped-out journey through the celestial sphere and its various representations of the zodiac.
Watching the above reminds me of the work of Vince Collins, creator of some crazy hallucinogenic visuals. Holy insanity!
Ubiquity just put out these super-sick slipmats for your wheels of steel as a part of their commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Groove Merchant record store. Pick up the slipmats here and the choice selections on the compilation here. Fresh!
A wealth of amazing photos are to be found in the 2010 National Geographic Photo Contest collections. Haven’t browsed through all of the galleries to pick a favorite, so featured below is the winning photograph from Aaron Lim Boon Teck. Stunning. Click the picture to view the other entries.
Haven’t had the opportunity to watch any NBA games this year (and it is gonna remain that way all season…again!), but I try to peep the highlights when I can. One thing I do know, Blake Griffin is a fuggin’ beast. Never had a chance to see him in his college days, so seeing his aggressive inside play and how he attacks the rim is a first for me. Nasty!
Watch the highlight reel below (and this more-than-half-court oop which happened this past week before the reel was made) which represents only the first month or so of the season! Here’s the snapshot from the #1 dunk which is completely filthy. If you don’t like this, you don’t like NBA basketball!
Not a supporter of the newly-assembled Miami Heat squad, however the photograph below is sick. Yes, D-Wade’s right pinky looks cut off (looks like some foreshortening going on), and, yes, the perspective makes BronBron look a bit like a mini-BronBron, but the swagger of D-Wade celebrating before the flush is straight boss in my book. Killer snap.
P.U.T.S. reminded me recently of two things I miss from back home in the States. House parties and beer! Would’ve be sweet to check out one (or more) of those Secret House Party shows they did recently and to get wasted on something other than fuckin’ lager beer which is about all you can find here in Thailand. Ugh!
DJ Day drops some mad flavor on his cut “Fuss and Fight” featuring Blame One and Aloe Blacc. This joint has been featured in a few mixes out there, but here it is in its own glory. Hella nice vibes. Run di reel below for a listen and grab the track here.
Give a listen to “Bina”, the first cut to be served up off of Shawn Lee’s World of Funk set to be issued on Feb. 8th of next year. Been a fan of his for years and his output never fails to amaze me. Truly impressive how much he releases and that all the beats rank as top-notch. If you haven’t already, pick up his interpretations of well-known classical arrangements titled Hooked Up Classics which dropped recently, and, if you don’t have any of his material at all, it’s time to get diggin’!
DJ Nu-Mark dropped this 20-minute mix of Samba, Cumbia, Calypso, Rumba, Afro-beat and Balkan beats as a sampler to his upcoming mixtape of the same name, Take Me With You, which is intended to be a platter you can take with you in your travels wherever you may go. Be on the lookout for his full length, Broken Sunlight, to drop early next year.
Recycling some Christmas vibes from a post last year. Wishing everyone who stops by this site a happy holiday season and all the best to each of you in the year to come. Get into the spirit and enjoy these holiday vibes that I’ll be spinnin’ this time of year. Two classic albums that have been present on the hi-fi since childhood, a bit of comedy from the Adult Swim crew, another record that perfectly regrooves the traditional Christmas songbook, choice selections from Bob Dylan’s ‘Theme Time Radio Hour’, and a final platter (…with ridiculously-boss cover art) filled with stone-cold Funk & Soul rarities in the Yuletide tradition.
Nico Gomez is actually Josef Van Het Groenewoud, a Belgian writer/composer who recorded Latin-American sounds. Ritual, containing a choice blend of Latin-Funk grooves, dirty breaks, fuzzy guitars, heavy organ and deep Afro-Soul, fires on all cylinders. Don’t hesitate to grab this beyond-dope platter.
