Just a couple great songs for you today. Before I went through all the promo CD’s I got at SXSW, I realized I had never even listened to half of the one’s I got there last year. I get tons of promos every week and it’s pretty easy for songs to slip through the cracks and be forgotten, or for entire stacks of CD’s to remain untouched for a year. But now that I’m unemployed- which brings particular poignancy to today’s first song (from a promo CD)- I actually do have more time to listen to music. And while most of the promo’s I get are total garbage, I still keep listening to find unknown gems like today’s second song from Ellie Holland. I guess I should have listened to her promo a while ago because her myspace page has since gone defunct and I can’t find any traces of her on google. I hope this means she’s just changed her performing name and not that she’s given up singing. If you’re not familiar with Aloe Blacc, get acquainted, he’s a little easier to track down.

Aloe Blacc :       I Need A Dollar

Ellie Holland :       Guilty Man

Haven’t had a chance to post anything because I’ve been caught up entirely in the madness of SXSW in Austin, TX all week. We played 5 shows in as many days (my count might be a little off since we also jumped up on stage with other bands a bunch too). If you’ve never experienced this particular music festival, it’s hard to explain just how overwhelming it is to be in a small city with literally thousands of bands all playing simultaneously, clashing guitars competing for ear time every ten steps. I saw so many artists perform in such a small time period, the highlights reel alone could constitute a month’s worth of blog posts (Estelle, Dam Funk, Chico Mann, The Force, Major Lazer, The Very Best, Ninjasonik, DJ Craze, Shinobi Ninja, Juiceboxxx…). I won’t even try to cover it all, instead I wanted to leave you with a tiny taste from a fellow Brooklynite band who played on a late sunny afternoon to a crowd of about 20 people including me. I did a handful of interviews with The Beatards as well, met some amazing folks (whattup Scoop Deville, Rad Girls, The Pink Pony hahaa!), and got into just enough trouble (one black eye in the band ain’t bad). Peep the freestyle we did for PBS, more to come soon…

Beach Fossils :       Daydream

You might think that after all these years as a DJ I’d learn to be a better party promoter, somehow I’m still haven’t. BUT this is my last minute shout out to all you peoples and friends in and near NYC- COME OUT TONITE! I’m very proud of my new music video (watch it in HD!), and I’m going to be celebrating in FULL FORM. Last show before going to SXSW, last show before the new album is finished, last show until who knows when. Come party with us!

And here’s one song I hope to play tomorrow late nite…

Lee Douglass :       Same Changes

clockwise from upper left: Lil PJ, Young E, Brooklyn Supergirls

Last week I finally took the leap of faith that I’d been dreaming about for a LONG time- I quit my dayjob! This means it’s all music, all day, everyday, and somehow I gotta pay rent with that. I have total confidence and have believed in my ability to do this for a while, but there was a damn good reason for holding off so long. My dayjob had some incredible perks, foremost among them being that I got to make music with kids and help them write incredible songs. For the past 4 years I’ve run a little production “studio” out of a computer room in the Sunset Park recreation center, directly in the heart of one of Brooklyn’s most diverse neighborhoods. In the early afternoon it would be the elementary and middle school kids, then after 6pm I had a steady crew of high schoolers who would come in and start writing furiously while I banged out a new beat for them.

I loved it, learned a TON from doing it, and was inspired daily, but I also found myself getting worn down and frustrated with all the other BS I had to deal with working for a City funded organization with ridiculous amounts of bureaucracy. A lot of these kids are pretty heartbroken about me bouncing, but they realize where I’m coming from, and I also plan to keep working with the ones who really take it seriously. Before I left, I finished the 3rd compilation of songs from the group (there’s tons more material that didn’t make the cut- too dirty or street for the higher up’s to stomach) but there’s some seriously classic material here. I also uploaded volumes 1 and 2 as well since the world at large needs to hear this stuff. I’m giving you a few favorites off the latest album, but download the zip files for the complete albums with artwork included. You’ll hear a tribute to garbage men, the freshest homage to Dublin Ireland ever written, and a tearjerking mom appreciation song complete with vintage vocoder hook. Much love to all my kiddies and long live SUNSET STUDIOS!

Young E, B Good & Lil PJ :       What Time Is It? (these guys are 16 and 14)

Brooklyn Super Girls :       Super Girl (9 years old!)

Blue Level :       Besos Mojados (15yr-old Dominican superstar in the making)

Download the full albums here:
Sunset Up Next Vol.I (2007)
Sunset Up Next Vol.II (2008)
Sunset Up Next Vol.III (2010)

And peep some of the music videos we made: What’s Bubblin In Dublin? & NY Minute

21 Ten Eyck St. was my first Brooklyn address. I can hardly believe it’s been so long now (8.5 years). The place was a massive, newly renovated duplex with a HUGE shared yard and a community garden next door. I also find it hard to believe how hooked up I was! A lot has changed on that street, and in Brooklyn. Same day I moved in, local cops approached me and gave me a breakdown of the dealers on the block (“keep your eyes on the guy in the wheelchair”). Now this monstrosity is a block alway, sticking it’s tongue out at the still-pretty-gully projects that you can see on the right side of the photo. More important than the space itself though, was that I lived with 3 other guys, all of them nasty musicians. We collectively built the space into extra bedrooms to fit us, went through 9-11 together, and had many epic nights of bad cooking and underage drinking (mostly Mustang tallboys as I recall). These guys always inspired me back then, probably one of the reasons I decided to follow the music path over the painter/multi-media-installationist one, and it’s still very inspiring to see what they’re up to now.

Sam Barsh, keyboardist extraordinaire and sometimes exhibitionist, has a bunch of different groups and projects that he’s involved with, but a recent release of his called The Years has some tracks that especially need to be heard. Roomie #2 was Max aka “Traxxx” who went to high school with me- we started making music together at age 15. He’s also always bouncing between bands, but as one of the 2 drummers for Francis & The Lights, he’s showing off his exceptionally funky touch. Expect big things from these guys soon since they are opening up for Drake on tour (crazy, I know). Roomie #3 was Chris Bear, who just might be the origin of the band name Grizzly Bear. These guys have been huge for a long time already, doing stadiums on the regular, performing with symphonies, and I believe opening for Radiohead. BUT I remember seeing them play to crowds of 10 in grimey Brooklyn lofts under the name Teenage Jesus when we lived together and for a little while after that.

Finally, since I’ve been in NY for a while now and have made a lot of new friends along the way, I figured I’d include a couple recent tracks by friends that I hung out with this week- Maggie Horn (vocalist on Telephoned) and Ibe (remixer/producer/cool guy). Because that’s how it is here in the city, and it might be the lure that keeps me living here for a long time to come.

The Years :       Lets Stay In Love
this song features Sam’s soulful lil bro Sy on vocals. peep the rest of the album here

Francis & The Lights :       LIME

Grizzly Bear :       Cheerleader

La Roux :       Bulletproof (Ibe Remix)

Telephoned :       Rockin' That Thang
get her whole club killin EP here and the mixtape here

My homie and fellow funk freak, DJ Tantric, just passed his latest mixtape my way and it’s a good one! If you like vintage electro, freestyle, vocoders, the 80’s and, most importantly, doing the robot dance- then this one’s for you. Some staples and classics in here, but also new discoveries for me, including the Photocall track in the beginning of the mix. I’ve done a few shows alongside Tantric and his crew of funkateers Planet Rump and I heartily endorse them and the massive amounts of glitter spandex they wear. Tantric opens up the mix with a little bit of his own vocoder madness, if you like what you hear, then find yourself at one of his parties in the near future.

In Tantric‘s words: “This mix is inspired by the work of 1980’s Renaissance man and American hero, Macgyver.”

TRACKLIST
Intro
Silver Clouds – Photocall
Al Naafiysh (The Soul) – Hashim
Clear – Cybotron
Body Mechanic (Original Vocal Version) – Quadrant Six
Every Sunday – Crazy Gang
Rendez Vous At Rimini – Alden Tyrell
Electric Kingdom – Twilight 22
Situation Hot – Arabian Prince
Freaky DJ – The Egyptian Lover
Diamond Girl – Nice & Wild
Give Me Back My Heart – Corina
Leave It All Behind – Tolga
There’s A Party Going On – Yvonne
What Goes Around Comes Around – Giggles
Reckless With Your Love – Azari & III