Catching up on all kinds of good music right now while taking a much appreciated vacation in the country. I guess this blog is becoming slightly poopular because the number of promos I get sent daily just keeps increasing exponentially and I’ve even been sent offers to cover music on here for $$$! WTF?!? I still remember when I was worried about getting shut down for posting copyright protected material, guess those days are long gone. I think I’m also always late enough on posting new songs (one week is a year in the hipster blogosphere) that they’ve given up by the time I get to it. Either way, I’ll keep doing what I do, sharing whatever I’m feelin at the moment, and today it happens to be this…

Coastal Cities :       Relief
punky funky indie pop rock done proper, from these young bloods out of the UK

Miike Snow :       Pretender &       Bavarian #1 (Say You Will)
I don’t care if you Europeans call this “power pop”, I still love it. Over here in The States pop singers are afraid of breakbeats. I don’t know why, but that needs to change because I can’t stand to hear another electro-house, deadmau5-rip-off with added auto-tune vocals hijack the airwaves. I’m not in love with the whole album, but I still consider this good music.

Frank Ocean :       Lost &       Sweet Life
Somebody went and made an amazing album (for 2.99?!?).  Thank you Frank, for being an extremely brave and painfully real artist.

Reptar :       Thank You Gliese 370 b &       Isoprene Bath
got tipped off on this group from regular reader Dangerscouse and am very thankful for that. Like Vampire Weekend with more vintage synths and cowbell.

Twin Sister :       Bad Street
don’t remember how I found this band or this song, but it fits.

Fujiya & Miyagi :       Collarbone &       OK
this was a radio discovery. These guys have quite a few albums, all pretty mellow and vibey. Dare I say, “Whisper Funk”?

St. Vincent :       Cruel
I’m usually really hesitant to share stuff that I feel is being overly-hyped, but this song is truly deserving. Rest of the album is pretty crazy too.

Yacht :       Psychic City (Classixx Remix)
ok, really really late on this, but maybe some of you missed it too.

Thought :       The Hardest Thing
once again, no idea how this ended up in my itunes. Standout track for me from this album.

Poolside :       Next To You &       Slow Down
this album is pretty much the epitome of summer days in Southern California. I feel like these guys are to LA what Holy Ghost is to NY. Where the Ghost boys go black & white, Poolside is all pastels. Both groups however, love their disco and vintage synths.

Blogging to you live & direct from hot-as-balls NYC! Damn it feels good to be home (one of multiple homes I now claim). Been an absolutely craaaaazy week with all the LAMC shows and parties, plus catching up with homies and soaking up as much of the city as I can while I’m here. Yesterday I was privileged to have another quintessential Brooklyn Summer experience: dancing in pouring rain, with lightning above me, while Afrika Bambaata, DJ Spun & Tim Sweeney threw down records at the new Dekalb Market. Gottdam I love this city! Later tonite I’m catching Louie Vega on the rooftop of the Standard hotel… and of course there’s like 5 other ridiculous events going on at the same time as well.

Today I’m also happy to announce the release of this top-notch compilation of global bass from my good friends Mash It Up! in Cologne in collaboration with the truly global label Urban World. I’ve got a new exclusive song on here (below), so of course I gotta promote it, but don’t sleep on other heaters from Uproot Andy, Sabo, Matanza, and DJ Melo among many others. The whole comp is a free download, so do yourself a favor and GET IT HERE.

Unfortunately, I don’t have the long player above that undoubtedly contains multiple dub masterpieces, however I do have plenty of other heavyweight material for you this week which should leave you with no room to complain. I’m celebrating another return to NYC this week for the massive LAMC festival. There’s a million artists I’m hoping to catch, but this show in particular, at one of my all-time favorite venues, ranks high on the list. I’m opening tomorrow night at Bowery Electric for my badass homies Outernational who recently released this politically charged video for the title track off their debut album. Friday night I’ll be back in Brooklyn with the Bastard Jazz family at Trophy Bar for a night of funky eclectic dance music and pickle back shots. Saturday I’ll be at my 2nd home, Bembe, with a great line-up of DJs and a live set from another MTR favorite- Xenia Rubinos. So if you’re in NYC, there’s no excuses, pick a night and show up!

La Pesada :       Cumbia Y Tambo
Concept Neuf :       The Path (Sofrito Edit)
both taken from the top-notch new compilation International Soundclash on Strut Records.

Cos-Ber-Zam :       Ne Noya (Daphni Edit)
another deep trippy re-work from Caribou’s alter-ego

Cumbia Cosmonaut :       Tribal Amazonico
nice electro 3ball style banger from this Aussie duo 

Los 4 :       No La Recuerdo
I realize this is bachata-pop, but I can’t help but love it. The beat reminds me of early Timbaland. I can easily picture a very crunk remix of this.

Pernett :       Cumbia Computer (Zeb Remix)
another nice release from the Wonderwheel familia, this time blending Andean flutes with some Jamaican dancehall skank.

Sonia :       Aqui En Mi Nube
slightly random selection, but it’s the Latin Alt conference, and this Spanish Stones cover just seemed to fit.

Soreng Santi :       Iron Man
on the topic of covers… this one from Indonesia is not to be overlooked.

Courtney John :       Love Is
new, old-sounding goodness from one of my favorite contemporary Jamaicans.

Richie Phoe :       Bumpy's Lament
nice dubby cover of an Isaac Hayes classic by UK DJ/producer Richie Phoe, from his new album Echo Outernational 

Ijahman Levi :       Closer To You
I had been looking for this LP for 10 years! I finally found it in Amsterdam of all places. After hearing this heartbreaker, maybe you’ll be on the search now…

The rebellious birth of my nation is truly something to be thankful for, and grounds for at least a smidgin of national pride. I mean, who doesn’t love a good tea party? Oh wait, certain American crazies went and fucked that up too. However, if there’s one thing we can all agree on as the true strength and character of this big fat country, it’s the gumbo that was already cooking when the founding fathers (and mothers) were fighting for independence. Every other country in the world has a population here, and probably an amazing restaurant or two (or two million, thank you China).  Best believe Thomas Jefferson loved some curry goat. After all the dirty dealings and clandestine violence that this country has been involved in (and continues to perpetrate), my search to find anything redeeming in my homeland has generally focussed on the healthy plethora of counter-cultures that plot and scheme and throw parties in the parking lots behind the McDonald’s. So this year as the USA turns 236 (just a couple years senior to ole “Hanako” the koi), I’m once again celebrating fireworks with a soundtrack that includes not a single American pop song.

Makala :       Friendly Fire (Smakalites Original Version)
produced by my Basque rumba-punk-surfer brother Makala. Check his album here.

 Ondatropica :       Punkero Sonidero
what an insane project, but then again, I expect no less from Will Quantic.

Sierra Leone’s Refugee All-Stars :       Gbara Case
this whole album (produced by my dude Ticklah) is top notch.

Paco Mendoza :       Fosforito (Vadim Mix) &       Adicto
I kicked it with Paco in Berlin last month and couldn’t believe I hadn’t already heard his music. Not only is he an extremely rad individual, but he’s got a massive catalogue of tunes- I’m hoping for a collabo soon…

The Funk Ark :       Green Trees &       Rancho
not re-inventing the wheel, but putting those firestones to work on bumpy tropical terrain.

The Soul Session :       Hamjam (Pushin Wood Remix)
heavy organ and some nice little psychedelic touches on a solid cumbia 2-step, I’m not mad at this at all.

Congo Sanchez :       Oleada Calor
dubby downtempo afrobeat that sounds like it was made during a heatwave. Check out more.

Sono Rhizmo :       Soledad
another nice bootleg remix from the good folks at Resense.

El Rego :       Zon Dede &       E Nan Mian Nuku
heavy rootical sounds from an OG.

Alhaji K. Frimpong :       Hwehwe Mu
surprised I haven’t shared this one before. One of my all-time favorite West African songs (and the sample source for an afro-house classic).

Time to start soaking it up. Find a pool, a grill, a cold beer, a rooftop and of course a little crew of friends, and spend a Summer day the right way. This sun-soaked latest installment for BrooklynRadio.com should also help you complete the picture. If you’re in the LA area, then come through to this party I’m throwing on Saturday night to help get things started off on the good-foot.

Also, as I mention in the podcast, my Chico Mann Remix is now available as a free download, so treat your playlist to an early Chanukah present.

LISTEN/STREAM:

Summer has officially arrived. New moon. Late sunset. The all-prevailing song of the ice cream truck ringing out to school-less children everywhere.  And with a flip of a switch, hot ass days are here as well. We revolve around the sun and this is the time of year when old mother gaia reminds us of that. I was out dancing the other night, and the bouncer straight passed out right in front of me due to the club being 200 degrees farenheit. He got some water and fresh air and was back to standing statuesque in less than 10 minutes (this time with slightly bent knees). In lieu of all this heat, some hot ones for you today.

Niama Makalou et African Soul Band :       Kognokoura
this is the type of record, that when I first heard it, I couldn’t believe it was actually recorded in 1979. Thank you Sofrito for this beautiful heavy press reissue accompanied by the late-night friendly re-edit from a man called Daphni on the B-side.

Orchestra Of Spheres :       Hypersphere (Daphni Edit)
speaking of Daphni, gottdamn! Homie is on some shit right now. I have to thank him for introducing me to this band, and if you’re not familiar, you should thank him too.

Débruit :       Afro Booty Musique &       Ogene Udu
been waiting a minute on this. Debut full-length from this funky frenchman hits all the bizarre places in your eardrum that you never knew existed.

Maga Bo :       Xororô ft. Russo Passapusso (Uproot Andy Remix)
&       É da Nossa Cor ft. Mestre Camaleão (Sabo Remix)
First you should probably get the OG album, but then there’s all these bangin remixes too. My favorites happen to come from friends, but maybe I’m biased.

Superpendejos :       El Macho Pendejo (La Sintonia Es Total)
first word I learned in spanish was “pendejo”. Thanks to these dudes and to Urban World records, I now remember why it’s a necessary part of your vocabulary.

Nacho Patrol :       Lineas Angola (Edit)
deep trippy electro-cumbia/merengue 12″ I picked up in London. Insane Shangaan Electro remix on the B-side.

Curumin :       Passarinho &       Paris Vila Matilde
great new album from this man. Sounds like a hot brazilian afternoon with friends and good weed.

Nickodemus :       Under the Volcano ft. Navegante
very happy to see and hear the new release from my friend Nickodemus. Deep soulful late-night heaters from a true originator.

Rascalz :       Top Of The World (DJ Theory Remix)
this one just keeps growing on me, to the point where I now need it multiple times daily. Thank you sir.

Ghetto Knowledge :       Deep Within
Jah Cure gets screwed in the best way possible.