Earl Zero : Home Sweet Home
taken from the album “Visions Of Love” on Epiphany (1979)

Cultural Roots : Age Of Creation
taken from the album “Revolutionary Sounds” on Germain (1980)

Wayne Wade : Poor And Humble
taken from the album “Poor And Humble” on Live & Learn (1982)

Even the most high spiriterd folks need a little upliftment now and then. When the wallet is empty and the relationship is all fuss & fight, and the work is hard, and the future is hazy (or even glum)- for these trials and tribulations I thank the highest for the healing forces of roots reggae music. The bass and skank speak nostalgia for a Zion lost, sing acknowledgement of the brutality and injustice of Babylon, but low… within the void between the spaceous delay there too exists the room for change. Proudly prounounced with each hitting horn burst and throughout every wailing verse glimmers that promise of a brighter future for all righteous creatures. Feeling low myself, I dug out these forgotten gems- too many records to keep track of- and I’m starting to feel like I’m doing alright. Also helps to eat proper ital.

Earl only has 2 records by his own name, but it looks like he’s still keeping active by the will of Jah. “13 Months of sunshine all the time” sounds pretty nice to me right now (water is currently boiling for hot cup of tea #6). Really love the work from one Agustus Pablo on the melodica here. Guitar and musical production by Chinna. The album ends with a highly danceable steppers cut called “None Shall Escape The Judgement”, but you’re gonna have to dig for that one.

I like how Cultural Roots manage to rebel against scientific reasoning by saying that scientists “are only surmising”. No concrete evidence for the big bang? Sometimes I feel that fed up with the whole thing as well. Musical backing here by one of my all-time favorite reggae bands- The Revolutionaries. Another hot track on here is “Jah No Partial”.

Wayne Wade really speaks to me right now. Not just broke, but in debt (sorry gui), and the holidays are here and I got to get presents for people or else I look (and feel) real shmucky. But I’ll scheme up something, always do. I don’t know if I can claim to be humble- can anyone? It kinda seems like calling yourself humble is oxymoronic. But I’ll try… (cough, cough)

If you haven’t peeped the Defibrillator remixes we did, do so now, ’cause they’re SIIIIICK. Also, this party on Thursday night is gonna be really fun for all ye music lovers in the NYC vicinity. Spread love and get loved.

Trick Daddy, Big Boi, Cee-Lo, Vaughn Mason & Crew :
In Da Wind (Captain Planet Remix)
taken from the remix CD that we’re giving out at our party, so come out!

Yup, we been putting off our seasonal to the point where Fall is just about over, but the party is on nonetheless. If you live in the NYC area, then get your ass to Williamsburg this Saturday night for another proper Bashment- VIA stylee. Peep the flyer here.

We’ve got dope mix mastery from extended fam members Caps & Jones who have been making big moves recently. If you’ve never heard one of their mixes, then consider yourself inexperienced. Seriously, these guys have the artform DOWN! Also on the decks will be compadre DRM – ill cat and the Bastard Jazz overlord.

Hope to see you there!

Dengue Fever: Tip My Canoe
Taken from the album Escape From Dragon House on Mimicry (2005)

Dengue Fever: Sleepwalking Through The Mekong
Taken from the album Escape From Dragon House on Mimicry (2005)

A contemporary treat for you all today. While the A.W.O.L. Captain hibernates through the ever-colder New York winter days, things in the City of Angels are heating up, in no small part owing to a smoking local band that caught my attention at an in-store performance at Amoeba Records a few weeks back.

With a five pieve backing-band heavy on crisp, break-laden go-go drumming (from Beck collaborator Paul Smith) and soaring organ work, Dengue had a lackadaisacal Tuesday night record-shopping crowd in full-on boogie mode. Front woman, Chhom Nimol (who could probably attract a sell-out crowd just by showing up) dropped a forty-minute set that swept the Hollywood crowd away. Suddenly, Sunset Boulevard seemed a very distant memory. And here we were, en masse, in a banging Cambodian discoteque cerca 1970. Woah!

The tracks I’ve posted for you guys are teasers; honestly, support these cats. Check out their website, see them live, buy their record. This is homegrown Gumbo Funk. Show love.

Little Sister: Stanga
Taken from the 7″ on Stone Flower (1970)

Little Sister: Somebody’s Watching You
Taken from the 7″ on Stone Flower (1970)

The holidays are upon us. Family disfunction, overeating, et al. A time to celebrate the sometimes tenuous linkage of blood. A time to revel or wallow in the ties that bind.

For those of you who don’t know, The Crate is curated by brothers. This post is in honor of the good Captain: a gentleman, a scholar, an inspirational beat-hunter, and a fine brother. Now if only we could get our funk collabo on, Stone-style!

Little Sister was a flash in the pan in their own right, but owing to their familial and sonic connection to one of the great funk outfits of all time, they will have a secured place in musical history. It doesn’t take much in the way of abstraction to hear the Older Brother’s influence on Lil’ Sis. After the tremendous success of There’s A Riot Going On, Sly Stone created Stone Flower records and released a handful (four, to be exact) of tasty singles recorded by his younger sister, Vet Stone and two of her cohorts, Mary McCreary and Elva Mouton. In addition to their limited solo material, the trio made notable contributions to some of Sly and The Family Stone’s classic tracks: “Everyday People”, “Stand!”, “I Want To Take You Higher”.

The tracks are solid and bear the inimitable imprint of Sly, who wrote and arranged all of Little Sister’s material. (“Somebody’s Watching You” would later be re-recorded by Sly and released on Stand!). In its initial incarnation, however, “Somebody’s Watching You” will go down in the books as the first charted song in history (!) to used programmed drums. Eat your heart out Timmy Thomas.

You can check out Vet’s website here. Give your fam a hug from Murphy; spread the love. Peace y’all.

Jimmy Sabater : Kool It (Here Comes The Fuzz)
taken from the compilation Explosivos: Deep-Soul From The Latin Heart on Vampi Soul (2005)

Lord Rhaburn : Disco Connection
taken from the compliation Cult Cargo: Belize City Boiil-Up on Numero Group (2005)

Don Atom ft. Tea Time : Mueve La Cintura (Live Version)
taken from the compilation Coconut FM: Legendary Latin Club Tunes on Essay Recordings (2005)

Long live the mix! And the mix masters responsible for putting out these collections that dig deep into worlds of oft-overlooked funky music, revealing to us our own ignorance yet again (just when we thought we was getting wise!). True, all the tunes I picked out have a Latin link, but beyond that, these albums all offer up some serious history lessons and celebrate the groovy side of globalization. Don’t put it past a record label (or a DJ for that matter) to be able to school you in more ways than rhythm and melody. Academics are all up in the mix, can’t avoid ’em.

If you’re looking to learn about the Latinized cross-pollinations of soul, rock, psych and funk that grew out of the late 60’s and early 70’s Spanish Harlem, then Explosivos is a very good starting point. Think you know a lot about Boogaloo and Shingaling already? Then check it out anyway, ’cause the cats at Vampi Soul are no joke! It’s a rare feat that’s accomplished here, where each song seems to be surpassed in quality by the next, rounding things off with the absolute dancefloor bomb Hit De Bongo by Tito Puente. Another highlight is the acid trip shakedown provided by Flash & The Dynamics. FUEGO!

I knew it was dangerous for the folks at Numero Group to start up some international business. After thoroughly enjoying their Eccentric Soul offerings, I thought they had built themselves a very comfy niche, and I wouldn’t have asked anything more than that they continue stirring up forgotten heart strings and wallowing wails from lesser known latter day saints. BUT BELIZE! Who would have known? Cult Cargo pulls together the best material from the ONLY record label that was recording in Belize through the 70’s (C.E.S.). With a wild assortment ranging from regggae to boogaloo to straight ahead soul to raw funk madness, it’s clear that Belize was finding inspiration in an array of Caribbean sources as well as drawing on styles from its relocated U.S. contingent. Disco Connection comes from Lord Rhaburn (pictured on the cover) who was perhaps the most prominent character from the scene, but other joints here include a breakbeat version of Theme From The Godfather played by the Professionals and the dirty, dirty Funky Jive Parts I and II from the Soul Creations. The liner notes make nice reading material with a substantial bit of historical background and scans of the original album covers. Get yourself a copy here.

Finally, I’m giving you one of the least kooky selections from Senor Coconut’s latest mix project. Coconut FM is a pan-latin ghetto booty bass work of art. Bridging the musical offspring of Cumbia, Reggaeton and Brazilian Funk Carioca (aka “Baile Funk” or just plain “Funk”) on a virtual frequency that “belongs to no terrestrial zone”, this radio station brings you the contemporary sound of our electrified globe (at least the spanish speaking portion of it), casio keyboards, 808 drum machines and all. It’s the latest in a line-up of releases from Essay Recordings, who brought us the groundbreaking collections of Balkan Beats from Shantel’s Bucovina Club, and the hype inducing Rio Baile Funk compilation. Check out what Pop Matters had to say about it. And look at some of the other work that Mr. Coconut has gotten himself into. If you’re not one who can appreciate a bit of humor with your groove or some kitsch with your cooking, then this probably isn’t for you. But for gumbo funkers such as myself, seeking the utopian union of our disparate forms of flavor, this is exactly what the doctor ordered. I could go on and on, “but half the story is already there in the edits, the beats, the borrowing. It’s all, at heart, the soundtrack of post-colonialism, where one person’s oil drum is another’s steel drum, where copyright takes a left turn and disappears in a crowded street packed with bootlegs, derivatives, and jury-rigged improvements humming with stolen electricity.”
–Philip Sherburne (taken from the liner notes)

ALSO, don’t sleep on the latest addition to our site: IX PICS. Our boy Ixley is putting his eyes up on display for you to scrutinize. Photos on the daily for pure eye-candy enjoyment.