Jose Roberto : Crioula Multicolorida
taken from the compilation “Brazilian Beats Brooklyn” on Mr. Bongo (2006)

Free Som Orchestra : The Kings Bounce
taken from the compilation “Ultimate Brazilian Breaks & Beats” on Murge Discos (2006)

Bappi Lahiri, Amit Kumar & Sulahshana Pandit : Kya Jaan Yeh Duniya Kya Jane
taken from the compilation “The Bombay Connection” on Normal (2006)

OP Nayyar : Kismat Title Music
taken from the compilation “Bomshell Baby of Bombay” on Normal (2006)

I’ve felt a bit intimidated about posting any Brazilian music lately due to the influx of heavyhitters on the scene. I mean, these guys pretty much have it covered. Full albums of samba-funk, tropicalia-psyche, and bossa-jazziness on the daily. My library of Brazilian music is a bit overwhelming right now. My fear is that I’ll never be able to properly listen to it all. That’s part of the reason why compilations like these are so important- they pick through the overwhelming mass of music and pull out the most important nuggets for us. They’re especially helpful when you’re dealing with a genre like Brazilian funk (where the likelyhood of turning up one of these originals in a local record store is about as rare as stumbling upon a Velvet Underground acetate for a $.75 – okay, maybe not quite that rare). Thankfully, a couple of my favorite Brooklyn DJ’s (Greg Caz & Sean Marquand of the weekly Brazil Beat Brooklyn party) have put together this goldmine of Brazilian booty. In addition to being music connoisseurs (check out Academy records where Greg can help you find good records in many genres), these guys are hard working DJ’s, which means that each track on the album has been tested for danceability. Listening to this collection, it’s easy to see why their Sunday night samba party has been going strong for 5 years now. Buy this comp now because you need it in your life.

Another recent gleaning effort, Ultimate Brazilian Breaks & Beats, draws a greater focus on one important aspect of the music- the drums. To any producers out there, I’m sure this will not disappoint, as each track comes equipped with a massive breakbeat ripe for picking- ready to be chopped and served up freshhhhh. Knowing that this comp is associated with some cats from the Raw Fusion label (much respect), something tells me that this one isn’t as legit as the Mr. Bongo
release (is it just me, or do I hear some vinyl crackle on “The Kings Bounce”?). Do your sampler a favor and pick this one up!

Bollywood proves to be a difficult hunting ground as well- within the vast quantities of Indian film recordings, only a small number delve into “fusion”-style tracks that incorporate rock, funk or disco. Not that I can’t appreciate the more traditional style soundtracks as well, but it’s the moog infested, wah-wah tickled, breakbeat battered goodness that I seek the most. Similarly minded Dutchmen Sacha Dieu & Edo Bouman have spent years putting together the most thorough and complete collections I’ve ever seen. On top of superb song selection, the albums come with beautiful detailed liner notes with artist bios and even mini film synopses! Check out their website where you can find out about the Bombay Connection band and a Remix project that’s currently in the works: www.Bombay-Connection.com. Apparently, there’s more collections in the works as well. I want to be down!

Chairmen Of The Board: Men Are Getting Scarce
Taken from the album “Bittersweet” on Invictus (1972)

This track stands as a belated update to my earlier post–a sort of counterpoint to its somber predecessor. And while it certainly is not an earnest attempt at serious antiwar narrative, it is undeniably fonky; unapologetically bizarre (“the hour of permanent women’s liberation and domination is coming sooner than you think!” or perhaps, “give that girl the gun/ let her drop the bomb”); and surprisingly gripping for a track that borders on sci-fi.

It helps, of course, that the voice behind this psychaedelic call to arms is none other than General Johnson, who could turn an egg salad sandwich into a cause worth marching for. What a warble!

Anyhow, this should tide you over until… well, until the last man on earth succumbs to that seemingly inevitable fate: extinction. March on General…

Viva Gozadera Mix : the latest Latin/Brazilian throwdown by Capt. P
UPDATE! click here to download the mix separated into tracks for your listening convenience. 80 mins of music, 27 joints, 1 .Zip file…

“Passport” Best of 2006 : broadcast from 01/08/2007

I feel like I’m always struggling to keep up with all this music around me. But I suppose that’s a good thing. Viva Gozadera is the new mix I made for S.O.B.’s, so it’s heavy on the Spanish and Portugese joints. I spent way too many hours putting it together, but the mixing is tight and the selection features a lot of the tunes that I’ve been spinning out on my Thursday night gigs. It’s definitely a good soundtrack for a steamy party or pump-up music to keep you sweeping on house-cleaning day.

This latest edition of “Passport” is my extra special best of 2006. Yeah, I know, this should of been up a month ago… but check the selection. Afrobeat, Samba, Peruvian House, Funk, etc. Due to the global format of the show, there’s plenty of U.S.- based fav’s that don’t appear here, but that stuff is easier to find elsewhere. Here in the crate, we keep it Gumbo Funky.

Viva Gozadera Tracklisting:
1. Luiz Bonfa – “Bonfa Nova”
2. Marcelo D2 – “A Procura Da Batida Perfeita”
3. Curumin – “Guerreiro”
4. Stereo Marcana – “Onde E Que Tu Ta
5. Jorge Ben – “Sou Da Pesada (7 Samurai Rmx)
6. Emilio Santiago – “Bananeira”
7. Edson Frederico – “Bobeira”
8. Cut Chemist – “The Garden”
9. Osvaldinho Da Cuica E Grupo Vai-Vai – “Vendaval”
10. Antibalas – “Che Che Cole”
11. Red Astaire – “Tito”
12. Louie Ramirez – “The New Breed”
13. The Latin Brothers – “Son Del Caballo”
14. Hector Rivera – “Llora Como Yo”
15. Andy Harlow – “La Musica Brava”
16. Calle 13 – “Atrevete”
17. Fulanito – “Suave”
18. Blanquito Man, Control Machete & Carlos Peña Y Su Ronda Bogota – “Cumbia Sobre El Rio”
19. Quantic & Nickodemus – “Mi Swing Es Tropical”
20. Los Amigos Invisibles – “Esto Es Lo Que Hay (Reggaeton Rmx)
21. Rodolfo – “Anito Viejo”
22. The Lat-teens – “El Nuevo Swing”
23. Sidestepper – “Campo”
24. Beatfanatic – “Jogando Capoeira”
25. Troubleman – “Toda Hora (ft. Nina Miranda)”
26. Bebel Gilberto – “Aganju (Rmx)”
27. LTJ X-Perience ft. Joe Bataan – “Ordinary Guy (Latin Club Edit)”

“Passport” Best Of 2006 Tracklisting:
artist – track title – album – (label)
1. Nomo “Nu Tones” New Tones (Ubiquity)
2. Ali Farka Toure “Machengoidi” Savane (World Circuit)
3. Salah Ragab & The Cairo Jazz Band “Oriental Mood” Egyptian Jazz (Art Yard)
4. Victor Boa Y Su Musica “Soy Solo Para Ti” Panama! (Soundway)
5. Jose Roberto “Crioula Multicolorida” Brazilian Beats Brooklyn (Mr. Bongo)
6. Aloe Blacc “Patria Mia” Shine Through (Stones Throw)
7. Novalima “Machete” Afro (Quango)
8. Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars “Soda Soap” Living LIke A Refugee (Anti-)
9. Hallelujah Chicken Run Band “Mudzimu Ndiringe” Take One (Alula)
10. Ok-Oyot System “Osama Rach” Extra Golden (Thrill Jockey)
11. Jorge Ben “Lalari-Olala” Gilles Peterson Back In Brazil (Ether)
12. Mustafa Ozkent “Zeytinyagli” Genclik Ile Elele (Finders Keepers)

Ellen McIlwaine : Toe Hold
taken from the album “Honky Tonk Angel” on Polydor (1972)

Jorge Ben : Oba La Vem Ela
taken from the album “Forca Bruta” on Philips (1970)

Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers : San Juan 2000
taken from the album “Yaina” on Right-On (197?)

Sir Victor Uwaifo & His Titibitis : Sakpaide Special
taken from the album “Jackpot” on Makossa (1981)

It appears as though the digital music takeover, like the warming of our winters, is inevitable. It’s no longer a prospect for us to ponder, it’s our condition. While most of us bought MP3 players and started finding (or creating) music blogs, an army of tiny, efficient, 4MB songs crept it’s way into the comfortable vantage of our lowest common denominator. And now, as DJ after DJ gives in to the alluring convenience of the latest technology, music enthusiasts of every ilk– from the olde-tyme collectors of 78rpm hillbilly blues platters to the latest hipsters trying their luck as electro-clash trend setters– have no option but to surrender. Because whatever type of music it is that makes you crazy (however rare and obscure), there’s a place online where you can find it– probably for free.

When faced with the choice between A) maintaining the integrity of your physical music library at the cost of missing out on thousands of songs that you would surely love, and B) downloading more music than you could possibly listen to in this lifetime, every music-lover I know opts for B. The endless itunes library, set on shuffle, is just too appealing. What are the ramifications? Well, for me at least, it means a whole lot of recording records… Although the process is less than fun, I find some meager reward in the form of creating MP3s that will possibly outlive the records from which they came. When the arctic-melt flood waters reach my doorstep, it’ll be a lot easier to pack my hardrive than my record collection. This does not mean however, that I’m going to stop searching, scouring, looting, and hording while the gettin’s good. There is much still to be discovered in these plastic plates. And there’s a grumpy old man inside me somewhere that thinks I ought to earn my iTunes library with a bit of actual context. hmpf.

Check out funky guitar mistress Ellen McIlwaine here.

Explore the greatness of Jorge Ben by checking here.

Find more about Pucho and His Latin Soul Brothers right here.

Dig the truth about Sir Victor by peeping this.

Nephews Of Phela : Mulah 2
taken from the whitelabel 12″

Red Astaire : Move Yo Ass (at +6 speed)
taken from the whitelabel 12″

Elvis meets The Wailers : Crying In The Chapel
taken from the whitelabel 7″

SCANDINAVIA RUUUUUUULES!!!!!! That short little trip was undeniably rad. The people were amazing, the clubs were packed, the clubbers were bouncing, the weather was not nearly as cold as we thought it would be (I see you Al), and I exceeded my longest running stint without sleep by 48 hours– which made for a grand total of about 4 days non-stop! I’m still recovering as I sit here at work and daze fondly back into thoughts of fastfood waffles and afterparties of afterparties with endless hash spliffs that don’t get you high and rolling nordic hillsides crowned with actual wooden windmills! I just pray that the people who readily invited us back keep up their end of the deal. After two days in NYC, I’m ready to return.

We successfully managed to meet Freddie Cruger aka Red Astaire, who’s got a new album coming out shortly. Not only is this man a genuinely good dood, but he was open and encouraging enough to record a track with us in the few hours that we spent together at his studio. It ain’t finished yet, but it’s a start! Let’s collabo some more mang…

And we also finnagled our way onto Tommy Tee’s National Rap Show in Oslo. Freestyling and previewing some of our newly written material on air was a high point as well. So much goodness. It put me in the mood to give back, BIG time. So, here are some surefire jams that have been in my sets as of late. Enjoy em. And party like you’re Henrik, a regular Crate reader in Oslo who showed MAD love at club BLAA– where were you for the last beer of the night?

A quick note on the tunes: all of these superfly remixes are available at the everbumpin’ Turntable Lab. Cop ’em while you can.

PEACE.

Bill Withers: I Can’t Write Left Handed
Taken from the album “Live At Carnegie Hall” on Sussex (1973)

Sorry for the delay in posting. We’ve been doing some site upkeep over here. So I’m returning with some real heft. Today’s gonna be a doosy…

What is the anatomy of a superb soul song? For starters I’ll say this: the same elements that build a great rock tune do not apply here; for while those artists will drift sometimes (and successfully so) into the soulful realm, the framework of the music itself rarely supports the kind of delicate, unaffected emoting that R&B not only allows for, but actually encourages.

Certainly to my mind, there seems little question that in the relatively brief histories of both popular rock and popular soul music, the former has benefitted from having an audience more ready (largely because of drugs, no doubt) to embrace a greater level of experimentation, both lyrically and musically. The effect of this can be thrilling, or at least… interesting. (Who doesn’t love a a track with a sitar and a fender rhodes threaded under the vocals of a scrawny white dude singing about catching butterflies?)

Soul music, though, thrives on its unremitting passion. Its yelps, shrieks and, yes, occasionally tears. Sometimes the music over-relies on these things, to the detriment of lyrics that actually enhance the depth and complexity of the vocals. (Sure, there are about a million exceptions to this rule (see earlier post), but bear with me a second…) Even still, there can be little question of the raw power of soul.

Now, with this in mind, ask yourself a question: Why– with soul music being the emotional powerhouse, the pacemaker of conscience, the visceral call-to-arms, that it is– why with all of these qualities in mind, has it not been more successfully employed in the making of great anti-war music?

Good question, right? Obviously, Edwin Starr had that one little song (ha.). And Gil Scott , god bless ‘im, had plenty to say. But name a few others… Anyone? Bueller?

Part of it is, I think, that political soul music consistently turned its focus on the local level: our ghettos, our drugs, our struggle. And considering the origins of the music itself (slavery, repression, etc.), a certain level of afro-centricity should be expected. But, in Vietnam, black folks were dying too. Who would stand up as the voice of reason in a time of massive social discontent? Who would transgress the thickly drawn lines of a racialized country, and perhaps even more racialized music, to address the problems that affected every American?

Enter Bill Withers. In my mind a greater statesman of soul music never lived… (save, maybe, Marvin Gaye). Not the most prolific, the most vocally gifted, or the most musicially original, but, in his subdued delivery and nuanced lyricism, more evocative than virtually any of his peers. He wrote music that made you think. He told stories. And he sang his songs unpretentiously enough that, listening to them today, I feel like Bill’s just sitting down to rap with me for a few minutes before heading off to the grocery store.

This song–the entire record, really– highlights all of those qualities. (If you’ve never heard the whole of this album, BUY IT TODAY. It contends with Donny Hathaway’s live album as best ev-ar. Check the version of “Use Me”.) But it also manages to make a profound topical statement about war and its unspoken casualities, issued with an impossibly understated elegance.

The result makes me weak: The hypnotic piano line. The almost hymn-like vocals. The bluesy guitar flourishes. And all of this made even more amazing by the singer himself, who manages to straddle ever-so-deftly the line between precise individual narrative and large-scale social drama.

This is a real-deal anti-war song, however Bill may have tried to de-politicize it by introduction. And without trying to get too preachy on you, I will say this:

3,054 American Soldiers Dead. 22,951 (officially–riiiight) Wounded. 20,000 more waiting to be deployed…