ZOO : If You Lose Your Woman & Mammouth
taken from their self-titled album on Bacilus (197?)

B.B. Seaton : Hold On (My People), No More Tribalism, & Brothers Beware
taken from the album “Dancing Shoes” on Virgin (1974)

The Real Thing : Vicious Circle Pt. 1
taken from the 7″ single on Bell (197?)

The DES All Stars : Rub It Down
taken from the 12″ single on Black Joy (197?)

As promised, some of the fruits of my European record digs. Bit of a random assortment, but that’s generally the way it works when you’re thumbing through old crates. ZOO was the only group here that I’d ever heard about before, the rest were guesses. Google searches reveal very little about any of these folks, so I’m gonna have to let the music do most of the explaining.

The Zoo album is an amazing listen all the way through. I’m gradually getting more into the hard psych sound- heavy drums, fuzz, and general aural weirdness. The funkyness of this set is also undeniable, which helps a non-rock head like myself ease into it. I know the group is from France. I know I recognize the intro break on “If You Lose Your Woman” from somewhere, but I can’t place it. Other than that, I’m as clueless as Inspector Gadget.

Dancing Shoes is a funky collection produced and engineered by Mr. Sid Bucknor. Mostly originals, but in addition to this excellent version of Eddie Kendricks’ “Hold On”, he does covers of “I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)” and “Any Day Now”. More info about B.B. can be found on his website.

The Real Thing is an American soul group. Pic sleeve 7″ is where it’s at. Copped for 1 euro due to dope artwork. Artwork proved to be a proper representation of the music therein. If anyone knows anything else about these guys (full length album ever?), please school a fellow music lover.

And finally, one of a handful of reggae 12″s that I picked up at a flea market outside of Vienna (Purkesdorf to be exact). The DES All Stars bring the reggae skank to Marvin Gaye’s “Ain’t That Peculiar” and flip the title (probably to avoid publishing fees). Again, I know nada about the group, but I love this tune, especially all the breakdowns toward the end that are typical of these extended reggae “disco mixes”.

Enjoy the music, and please share any other info that you might have about the music!

Ticklah : Si Hecho Palante & Nine Years
taken from the album “Ticklah vs. Axelrod” on Easy Star (2007)

Amp Fiddler : Scared / Afro Butt (Interlude)
taken from the album “Afro Strut” on Genuine (2007)

Black Moth Super Rainbow : Sun Lips & Rollerdisco
taken from the album “Dandelion Gum” on Graveface (2007)

Of course I love old and dusty vinyl, but I also feel obliged to share the recent highlights from my iPod. Here’s proof that the same things I’ve always loved about records are still thriving in some lesser-known releases. Deep dubby dynamics meets soulful spanish songstress in “Si Hecho Palante” – that’s Mayra Vega on vox, same lady who voiced the Antibalas remake of “Che Che Cole”. Ticklah, who some may know from his participation in Afrobeat supergroup Antibalas or his hand in producing “Dub Side Of The Moon”, is one of the nastiest reggae & dub producers out there right now. Any fans of King Tubby & Scientist absolutely need to buy this album.

Once again, Amp Fiddler comes through with funky fuel for the dancefloor. The new album features guest vocalists Corrine Bailey Rae & Stephanie McKay among others. “Scared / Afro Butt” is apparently only on the US edition of the album, so you foreigners are getting the exclusive import edition!

Finally, perhaps the album that I’ve had on repeat in it’s entirety more than any other this year (this was my Eurorail soundtrack) – “Dandelion Gum”. This music is a bizarre and enchanting cloud of sound that disorients me and pulls me away from the ground every time I listen. The album, which I highly reccommend copping, is a non-stop, vocoder-infused (or is it a talkbox?), dream sequence. These two tracks go back to back, to give you an idea of how the whole record flows. I see on the group’s website, that they have other records too, which I will now proceed to order. Big thanks to Ant for the tip-off on this one.

Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters & Do Diddley :
Ooh, Baby / Wrecking My Love Life
taken from the album “Super Super Blues Band” on Checker (1967)

Bo Diddley : A Good Thing, Hey Jerome, & Take It All Off
taken from the album “Where It All Began” on Chess (1972)

Snooks Eaglin : Boogie Children, Lucille, & Drive It Home
taken from the album “The Legacy Of The Blues Vol. 2” on Sonet (1971)

Back from EUROPE! This time I really mean it when I say I’m gonna be getting back on track with regular posts. I SWEAR! My first proper Euro exploration (meaning I spent more than 4 days travelling) was highly rewarding, even if it cost me an arm and a leg (cottdamn EURO is beating the DOLLAR into oblivion right now). Also found some cool vinyl digs along the way – including a random reggae collection from an otherwise dead flea market in a tiny Austrian suburb – which will get posted soon. But TODAY, finally home and showered and in fresh clothes and feeling more happy than ever to be in The States (twisted, right?) I’m taking it back to some rootsy, funky and all the way American music.

The Snooks Eaglin – funkiest, rawest blues ever in my opinion – is a record I’ve had and treasured for many years, but these other two are new acquisitions, and total revelations too. I’d heard more than a couple people reccommend Bo Diddley but it wasn’t until I scooped up the Super Blues Band LP that I first understood what everyone was raving over. In ’67 these cats had a proto-wah-wah reverb (gotta be Diddley) and hard-as-bricks drum sound that would set the stage for funk to come. The looseness of the impromptu vocals and their sense of humor makes me feel like I’m sitting in the room with them (the panning of the vocals helps too) while they just play around on a single riff and shoot the shit.

Then most recently I picked up Diddley’s “Where It All Began” and again I was flabbergasted by the funkyness. The subject matter has this simple warmth and humor (cue “Take It All Off”) that is unmistakably blues, but the backbeat and the syncopated picking is all funk. I know he’s got some other records I need to pick up as well including this new addition to the wants list.

Stay tuned, more posts coming VERY SOON.

The Beatards : Scooby Snack and That’s How It Is
taken from the upcoming mixtape…

So this is the reason my posts have been dwindling to a mere trickle lately- I haven’t been lazy, just hustling like mad. For the past year or so, I’ve been doing parties and rocking shows with two partners in crime under the guise of The Beatards. We’ve also been recording songs and remixes here and there. Just recently, we went into HIGH GEAR. It’s no strectch to say that I’ve never worked this hard on anything before- talking about 10 – 13 hour long days for almost 3 weeks straight. There’s no real studio, and none of us have any “real” engineering knowledge, but we make the most of our little bedroom facilities.

These two songs are just the freebies, the official real deal will debut on our mixtape that’s due to drop in less than 14 days (the hustle conitnues). I will definitely be hyping that and making it available here when it’s done, but in the meantime, I wanted to give you a little something to bob your head to and remind you that I’m not dead.

Expect a mix of hip hop, pop, punk, and booty music that’s not quite like anything you’ve heard. I’m not trying to toot my own horn here, it’s just the truth. Our music, especially our newest songs, are just downright weird. See the Turntar in the pic above (don’t try jacking our idea, shit is patented already fool), that’s what I’m talking about. More of this gumbo funk coming at you soon…

DJ Sandrinho : Berimbau
taken from the Baile Funk Masters EP on (2007)

Nickodemus : Conmigo
taken from the Mi Swing Es Tropical Remix 12″ on Candela (2007)

Spiritual South : Hullabaloo
taken from the Hullabaloo 12″ on Raw Fusion (2007)

Boys And Girls Club : Summer In The City
taken from the album A Simple Night Of Dancing With… independently released (2007)

Just setting the mood for the BIG PARRRRRTY this Friday at Cielo. I’ll be DJ-ing alongside Nickodemus, Chris Annibel, and Derek Beres in celebration of the Vieux Farka Toure Remixed: UFO’s Over Bamako record release party. The album is fire (my remix of “Ana” is on there), proceeds go to help fight malaria in Mali, and the party itself will no doubt be reeedonkulous.

All of today’s tunes come from singles that you really ought to have, produced by indie artists that you really should support. Brazil’s DJ Sandrinho is making that boom for your butt. Nickodemus continues heating things up with this new single, the flipside contains a perfect reggae remix of “Mi Swing Es Tropical” (which became the new iTunes ad not that long ago). The remix allows Dj’s like myself to play this dancefloor favorite again without feeling like we’re just jumping on the iTunes bandwagon- COP IT. Spiritual South has also been really consistant with their “Worldwide Future Music” output lately- more gumbo funk greatness. And this last track from The Boys And Girls Club helps wind down the night smoothly. Lookout for more from these cats, associated with the Nuclear Family right here in Brooklyn.

Ray Rivera : Guava, Sumptin’ Like Dat & Afro Girl
taken from the album “The Now Sound Of The Ray Rivera Orchestra” on MGM (1970)

Ray Rivera : Night Flight To Puerto Rico & Mambo At The Corso
taken from the album “Puerto Rico To Soulsvill” on Zanzee (1972)

I’m not even going to try a proper post right now. Just upping some tunes I’ve been meaning to share for a while now. Not your standard latin soul, certainly not salsa, and too funky for latin jazz – this album lays in that little niche between them all. On Soulsvill (no “e” on the end is how he spelled it), Rivera is joined by fellow latin groove maestro Pucho as well as Brazilian fusion don Eumir Deodato. Wishing I was on that flight to PR right about now…

Congratulations to Tim Kearns & Joe Galante who e-mailed me: Hector Juan Perez Martinez- “La Voz” Lavoe’s birth name.