If I lived in the ATL, I’d toss these vibes on the turntable tonight, tilt back a few pints with the fellas and head over to the Pietasters show at the Star Bar for some drunken revelry. Bet it’s gonna be a fun evening!
Top Rankin’ Hi-Fi – ATL: The Best Place in the World, 2011
Here’s to the Spirit of ‘77! Sounds from the Streetpunk and Oi! crates from back in the day. Livicated to my homeboy Squat and all the punks, skins, misfits, misunderstood kids, freaks, runts, street kids and wayward ones around the globe.
Top Rankin Hi-Fi – Never Hang Up Your Boots, 2011; Playlist
Stop the presses! Top Rankin’ Hi-Fi ah gwan murder di session once again. Here comes another killer slab o’ wax following on the heels of Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: Version #1. Inna dis here time, the one-word theme remains, but the focus is on Roots and Dancehall vibes to delight the ears. Strictly rough and tough sounds!
Top Rankin’ Hi-Fi – Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: Version #2; 2011
1. Binghy Carlton & Patrick Andy – Can’t Stop the Youths
2. Sizzla – Stop It Right Now
3. Anthony B – Can’t Stop Me
4. Dennis Brown – (Brother) Stop the Fussing and Fighting
5. Linval Thompson – Can’t Stop Natty Dread Again
6. Barry Brown – Stop Them Jah Jah
7. Prince Mohammed – Hooligan Stop A While
8. Johnny Clarke – Stop the Tribal War
9. U Brown – Stop Them Jah
10. Leroy Smart – Stop Your Warring
11. Yabby You – Stop Your Quarelling
12. Tappa Zukie – Stop the Gun Shooting
13. Dillinger – Stop Stealing in the Name of Jah
14. Prince Far I – Stop the War
15. Sister Nancy – Ain’t No Stopping Nancy
16. Ranking Joe – Can’t Stop Natty Dread
17. Clint Eastwood & General Saint – Stop That Train
18. The Viceroys – They Can’t Stop Us Now
19. Johnny Osbourne – Never Stop Fighting
20. Horace Andy – Stop the Fuss
21. Noel Ellis – Stop Your Fighting
22. Barry Brown – Just Can’t Stop Us
23. Willie Williams – No One Can Stop Us
Siam meets São Paulo in this collection of Thai songs in the Bossa Nova tradition accompanied by a few laid-back Ska grooves to round out the set. Ponklai glai talay lae gin duem yen aroi dee lae fahng rawng plaeng lao nee na khap!
Top Rankin Hi-Fi – Siam Meets São Paulo, 2011
One, two, three, four, five
Counting Numbers Version #4 has arrived
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten
Droppin’ ill vibes once again
Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen
Diggin’ inna di crates with that eye so keen
Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen
Cop this platter, nah mean
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This marks the final journey from 1 to 19. Hope you enjoyed listening to the various sets as much I did making them. What started on a whim quickly developed into four versions. Top Rankin’ got dem hella deep crates! Let me know which one you were vibin’ on the most or, better yet, serve up a dish of your own and send it my way.
Top Rankin’ Hi-Fi – Counting Numbers Version #4, 2011
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Top Rankin’ Hi-Fi ah di number one station fi numerical vibrations!
Keepin’ things a bit more cohesive this go-around while servin’ up another version of counting from 1 to 19 with selections from the Dancehall, Reggae, Funk, Jazz and Hip-Hop crates. One two, you know what to do.
Top Rankin’ Hi-Fi – Counting Numbers Version #3, 2011
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Don’t hesitate to pick up the first two versions for more sequential excursions.
In the followup to Counting Numbers Version #1, this set once again ascends from 1 to 19 while serving up cuts from various sections of the crates. Never thought I’d throw together a mixtape with the likes of The Ducky Boys, Public Enemy, The Mercenaries, RA Scion, Choking Victim, Shel Silverstein, Big Rube, Rancid, and Prince Heron among others on the same reel. Here it is though, so dig the diverse vibes.
Top Rankin’ Hi-Fi – Counting Numbers Version #2, 2011
After my iPod was on random and played a few songs about numbers consecutively, I decided to keep the theme going and put this set together. Once the cuts in the crates to choose from were sorted, I ended up with way too many for a single set, so, in this first version, the focus is on Reggae, Ska, Rocksteady and Dub vibes. The rule was that the title of the song had to include a number, thus a few instrumental selections are present here and there. Enjoy the journey from one to nineteen and be on the lookout for a second set, culled from a variety of genres, in the future.
Top Rankin’ Hi-Fi – Counting Numbers Version #1, 2011
The followup to volume one, Dta Wan Awk Jer Dta Wan Dtok: Cha Bap Sawng showcases more lost 45s, dating from the 60s and 70s, that have been unearthed here in the Land of Smiles. Delving into crates of a different genre this time with the output ranging from garage rock and surf vibes to groovy, mod-beat, a-go-go numbers to psychedelic-exotica guitar explosions. Electric organs, fuzzy guitar riffs, and more intriguing vocals. Once again, the tunes are originals, covers, and adapted covers that resulted from the influence of the sounds of the East meeting those of the West.
Top Rankin’ Hi-Fi – Dta Wan Awk Jer Dta Wan Dtok: Cha Bap Sawng, 2010
Man…or Astroman?, one of my favorite bands ever and the band I’ve seen perform live the most in my life (The Woggles and The Robustos following closely behind), is reuniting for a select amount of shows in Atlanta, Birmingham and Austin next month. Read Chunklet magazine’s reunion interview here.
Getting in the mode of thought that I was actually going to be able to attend the shows, I started diggin’ in my limited surf crates and came out with the tunes I’d use to get psyched about it.
Regretfully, I was still in the phase of exchanging records when I was heavily into surf music and many vanished from the crates. I did hang on to my favorites though and was able to recover some via blogs. Hadn’t listened to these tunes in a long time, and, upon revisiting them, it took me back to the days of high school and remembering some of those amazing surf and garage shows at the Wreck Room, Cotton Club (original location on P’tree and 11th), The Point, The Star Bar, Echo Lounge, Somber Reptile, Masquerade, The Bottletree, inside WREK 91.1 FM studios, and the 40 Watt.
Top Rankin’ Hi-Fi – Static Impulses of Collapsing Vortices; 2010
The first of a two-part series, Dta Wan Awk Jer Dta Wan Dtok: Cha Bap Nueng showcases lost 45s, dating from the 60s and 70s, that have been unearthed here in The Land of Smiles. This session features sounds ranging from Luk-Thueng, roots-funk grooves from Isaan to Morlam-influenced arrangements played on the phin, khaen and sor to offbeat-disco dance scorchers to who knows what is coming out of my speaker. Thick horn lines, traditional percussion and string elements, deep bass lines, and intriguing vocals. The tunes are originals, covers, and adapted covers that were formed by the hybrid of Western-influenced sounds and instrumentation, and the native, traditional sounds of Thailand.
Top Rankin’ Hi-Fi – Dta Wan Awk Jer Dta Wan Dtok: Cha Bap Nueng, 2010
Soundin’ in the New Year with vibes strictly from the Version City stable.
Top Rankin’ Hi-Fi – Love Is All I Bring; 2010
Steady rockin’ reggae and ska vibrations direct from Thailand.
Top Rankin’ Hi-Fi – Tuk Hua Khao Ja Dtawng Kam Nab; 2009
Vibes from last Saturday nite while sippin’ Two Oceans Shiraz from 7-11 and gettin’ loose with some hip-hop beats that were added to the stacks recently.
Top Rankin’ Hi-Fi – Gettin’ Loose; 2009
Choice cuts inna punk-ska fashion picked up along the way from here and there throughout The Land of Smiles. I’ve been rockin’ out to this one for a while now, hope you dig it too. Rudeboys and rudegirls…Luak Man Kun!
Top Rankin’ Hi-Fi – Luak Man Kun; 2009
