The Whispers : Needle In A Haystack & Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong
taken from the album “Planets Of Life” on Janus (1973)
(originally released on Soul Clock records in 1971)

The Whispers : My Illusions
taken from the album “Life And Breath” on Janus (1972)

Between having to get my computer fixed and moving (way too many CRATES!!!), I’ve been seriously neglecting blog duties. Once things get settled down I’m going to go crazy with all the new music I’ve been acquiring lately, but first, a little quickie of sweet soul.

Let’s give it up to the Scott twins (Scotty and Walter) and crew who share the softer side of Watts while still keeping the message clear- and for sprouting some of the strongest facial hair in the game. While I have no shortage of love for their later hits like “And The Beat Goes On”, it’s this early material that seems a little more appropriate for their band name.

“Needle In A Haystack” is the easy crowd pleaser, with its punchy hook and driving movements that undoubtedly send dancefloors in Northern England ablaze. However, my favorite cut off this first album is the inquisitive melancholy monster “Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong”. More in spirit than sound, the song brings Syl Johnson’s “Is It Because I’m Black” to mind.

Penned by master songstress Sugar Pie DeSanto, “My Illusions”, has me curling up into a ball like a little scared kitten with every listen. Is that an oboe in the intro that makes me feel like ghosts are in the room?

La Playa Sextet : Hong Kong, Hunca Munca , Olaya & El Chico Boogaloo
taken from the album Bailando El Boogaloo on Musicor (1967)

La Playa Sextet : Le-Lo-Lai & Sugar’s Delight
taken from the album Vaya Means Go! on United Artists (196?)

La Playa Sextet : Coco Seco/Anabacca & Mambo Inn
taken from the album The Exciting New La Playa Sound
on United Artists (196?)

I felt inspired to give La Playa (even THEY have a myspace page!) their due respect for several reasons. The first is selfish: I’ve been carrying these records in my crate consistently, week-in week-out, for probably a year now, and before I wear out the grooves on my favorite tunes, I wanted to retire the vinyl properly and let the music itself live on forever in digitally-preserved mp3/serato heaven. The second reason is because I’d also like to start doing a regular feature on somewhat overlooked latin groups. “Dura Obscura” or something like that. If I highlight a big name artist like Tito Puente or Eddie Palmieri, I’ll pick out something that is a bit lesser-known from their catalogue. La Playa seemed like as good a place as any to start. Chronologically, they rose to popularity on the Latin tidal wave that crashed in 1968 with the death of the Boogaloo and the subsequent birth of “Salsa” superpower Fania. Cha-cha, Charanga, Mambo, Bomba, Bolero all got branded conveniently under one banner, and La Playa somehow didn’t make the grade.

Most of what little I know about La Playa I picked up here and here. But without knowing about all the players and particulars, one of the major aspects of the group’s sound that stood out to me from the start, and caused me to seek out other titles, is the killer electric guitar playing by Payo Alicea. Beyond simply taking over the montuno parts traditionally played on piano, Payo really steered the sound of the group in a latin-rock direction (pre-Santana). “Hunca Munca” has that classic bluesy rock progression that sounds pretty dated today (maybe even tacky to some), but back then I imagine this was some pretty progressive stuff. I’m not sure what happened to the group after “Bailando..” was released, but their music is still heating up dancefloors here in Brooklyn on a weekly basis.

Santogold : Shove It
taken from her self-titled alum on Downtown (2008)

MGMT : Electric Feel
taken from the album Oracular Spectacular on Sony (2007)

Plantlife : Rollerskate Jam & Fool For U
taken from the album Time Traveller on Decon (2008)

As a person who spends perhaps too much time digging into the past, it’s important to be reminded that there’s still just as much life being lived now as there ever was back in the day. For anyone who finds themselves waxing nostalgia over a lost golden era of greatness, I recommend going out to some live concerts and picking up an album or two by artists, like the ones I’m posting today, who remind us all that music history is happening right now and we still have a very bright future to look forward to. THESE ALBUMS ARE FREAKING UNBELIEVABLY GREAT, so stop asking why you don’t like what’s on the radio and start spending your loot on the good stuff.

I won’t act like I had too much of a role in Santi’s recent explosive exposure, but me and my bandmate buddies can at least take credit for putting her on for her first solo show in NYC, so we’re helping the cause. This girl deserves every bit of shine she gets. In addition to being a suuuper mellow, down-to-earth, and incredibly talented person, she has crafted a broad-reaching, unique sound (read- NOT an M.I.A. imitation like some fools may claim) on her new album that warns the villagers of the oncoming flash-flood of more that is sure to come. Her voice slashes through the punchy, punky, electro-funky, reggae-bottomed beats like a blazing light saber. When I listen to her record, I hear the demolition of an invisible wall that separates CBGB’s (R.I.P.) from a big bass club like Brooklyn’s Studio B, where the mosh pit reaches a new fervor with the introduction of the sub-woofer and the multicolored mohawks get a glitter treatment from the disco ball overhead. I picked “Shove It” just because it’s getting hotter each day now as summer draws nigh, and there’s a nice little guest appearance from the one MC Spank Rock on here too, and the beat was produced by the late great Disco D (R.I.P.). Now go SUPPORT THIS ARTIST and get yourself the goods.

Now I’ve spent almost all my precious little writing time on Santi, but you need to check out MGMT who are more of that next shit out of Brooklyn! Psychedelic, dance-inducing, electro-rock with a catchy factor that is devastating. Don’t sleep and then feel bad later when your little brother tells you, “I told you so” – PICK UP THE ALBUM NOW.

And it’s the return of PLANTLIFE! Here’s an album that brings more falsetto and funk than all the funky falsetto records of the past few years combined (since the release of the first Plantlife album). Jack Splash gives us 19 tracks worth of casio party beats, quasimoto-styled chipmunk raps, dirty samples, and raw unabashed SOUL. There’s so many tracks I could have highlighted on this one to show you a different reason why you need the whole record, but isn’t “Fool For U” enough? This is quite possibly the sweetest soul tune I’ve heard a young man sing since the Chi-Lites stopped recording. Time traveller indeed. Get it while it’s hot.

BONUS BEAT- Mark Ronson ft. Santogold : Pretty Green
(originally by The Jam)
taken from the album Version on Columbia (2007)

Etoile De Dakar : Tolou Badou Ndiaye
taken from their self-titled album on SACEM

Elias Rahbani : From The Moon
taken from the 12″ single on EMI

Formula 7 : Trouble
taken from their self-titled album on Castelinho

Erick Cosaque Et Les Voltages 8 : Decere Nou De Maye
taken from the album “Chene A Kunta Kinte”

In case you didn’t already know by now, I get more geeked off vinyl than your average DJ. Moreso even than your run-of-the-mill skinny-necked record nerd. I even have nightmares that I will oneday join the ranks of those golem-esque record-fiending freaks who stop bathing and lose all social skills in the sole pursuit of posessing the holy plastic grail. If you see me start to get like that, please intervene.

However, in the meantime what that means for you all is that I’ve been hoarding some serious monsters for a special occaision. As a frequenter of the Soulstrut.com forums, I found my occaision in the form of what we strutters call an “ISH”. This ISH business provides a place for similarly crazed crate-diggers to show off some of their favorite obscurities to fellow record nerds. Being the geek that I am, I went for it. Today’s tunes are culled from the same stash that made it into my ISH. For those that are new to this website, I highly recommend hanging out for a little while. Amid the flurry of non-record-related bullshwank, there’s the occaisional nuggets of real-world knowledge- not to mention a whole lot of music sharing. Without further ado, onto the music…

READ MY “ISH” TO GET THE INFO

Paul Simon : Late… (Edit De DJ Spun)
taken from the 12″ on Editions Disco

LTJ Xperience Ft. Joe Bataan : Ordinary Guy (Latin Club Edit)
taken from the 12″ on Irma (also available on this CD)

Oreja vs. Plenafro : Julieta
taken from the 12″ on Candela

Schoolly D : Skool’s Out (Les Rythmes Digitales Remix)
taken from the 12″ on Wall Of Sound

Last week Spring burst into the city with a palpable gush of long-dormant virility. The mere site of magnolia blossoms stirring in the sun evoked more artistic appreciation and divine wellness in the collective heart of New York City than all it’s art museums, galleries and theaters combined throughout the entire rest of the year. In every direction you could find someone smiling and taking a long-deserved deep breath of rebirth. Looking out on the dancefloor, the stink of fermented pheromones was spilling out in bucketloads as party people remembered why they live in the land of Gotham. This music is as close as I can get right now to expressing the communal kinetic release I see in my neighbors and friends and feel in the warmest part of myself. Enjoy these true treasures of bombasticism and use them to shake loose whatever cantankerous crust you created over winter.

Erykah Badu :Cleva (Captain Planet Smarter Samba Remix)
taken from the upcoming 12″ on BSTRD BOOTS
(available as DL for a limited time only! then you gotta buy it!)

YO!!! I miss this blog. Been way too busy with other hustling these past couple weeks, but I promise to return full force next week. In the meantime, feast your ears on the latest remix and come out to see my band THE BEATARDS tonight at Mercury Lounge. We’re joined by extended family members Vamoose. If you don’t know by now, then you need to get wise ’cause we know how to turn a show into a party.

And yeah, if you haven’t yet, join our FAM CLUB for just $8 and get our full-length CD in full-color, super-stunning, digi-pack vibrancy. It’s SOOOO worth it! On top of 12 original Beatards tunes, you get a handful of our remixes and tracks from our friends like Santogold, Stephanie McKay, Jahcoozi, Roxy Cottontail, Kid Acne, Vamoose and more!!!