Sometimes I have to return to the basics, to the beautiful things that got me into blogging to begin with, and one of my primary inspirations for making music… OLD VINYL! I don’t have the time to digitize these bad boys as often as I’d like, but when I do, you better believe I’m gonna pull out some secret stash gems. Here’s a handful of recent digging discoveries, good ole gumbo funk for the masses…

Akido :       Gone With Yesterday
Early ‘afro-rock’ crossover from Nigerian music maestro (and producer of Lijadu Sisters infamous ‘Danger’ album) Biddy Wright. I always knew about this record for its heavy percussion and K&D vocal sample (still sample hunting!).

Rim & Kasa :       Love Me For Real
Most people know this funky ex-Fela drummer from his earlier LP Rim Arrives, but don’t sleep on this ‘mini-album’ called Too Tough which introduced the wolrd to his unique ‘Combination Music’ & the ‘Earthboogie Dance’. Sounds like pure ‘Gumbo Funk’ to me. Heavy break around minute 4 mark is NOT TO BE MISSED.

Mack & The Creators :       Brick Road (Part1) &       Brick Road (Part2)
Blazing disco funk from… BELIZE! This is the type of record cover that is almost unbelievably funky- brief life story on the back, crooked type set, afro pics aplenty. The beauty is just how pre-irony era it is.

Michael Boothman :       Greasy
Boothman verges on too smooth here, but hits it home on Greasy with a hard syncopated breakbeat and airy vocals that would have been fitting on a top tier 70’s release from Quincy Jones or Roy Ayers. The little steel drum is a nice touch in the mix as well.

Jimi Solanke :       Owo Orisa
I really don’t know much about the man behind this record, but once again, when I saw this record cover at the flea a few weeks back, I just knew it HAD to be good.

Kalyanji Anandji ft. Amit Kumar :       Y.O.G.A.
old time Bollywood favorites of mine, the K&A brother duo come correct as usual on this epic multi-part moog-disco bomb dedicated to keeping your figure fly with the help of India’s biggest export- YOGA!!!

Sonny Davis :       Runnin'
from St. Thomas (the Virgin Islands) we have Mr. Davis. Also a member of Tremile & The Jamals, this 2-track disco 12″ might be the man’s only solo release.

Caribbean Torpedoes :       Love Making Mood &       Freedom Ride
can we just take a moment to appreciate that these guys misspelled their own band name on the cover!?! Apparently a later pressing of the same record fixed that problem. I’m a total sucker for wah-wah ballads (shouldn’t this be a genre?) and Love Making Mood is a prime example. Also a lover of drum breaks, and Freedom Ride has a goodie!

Star Band De Dakar :       Cheri Coco &       Malaguena
it’s no secret that I’m a bit of a fanatic when it comes to African music. This is one of the few records here that I actually spent some significant loot on, and happily! This entire Star Band LP, while it may sound like it was recorded using technology from the 30’s, is a beautiful coming together of Cuban classics with a Senegalese Mbalax twist.

Roots Rock Reeeeeeemix! This one’s for all my reggae lovers out there, and for people who are feelin Katy B (I can’t front, I’m including myself in that later category as well). Once again I was hoping this would go official, but who needs a label to put out your music when you’ve got the magical connectivity of the interweb! Get yourself a subwoofer and turn up the volume on this one for maximum effect. And don’t be stingy, share with friends since this is the season for giving. Big shouts to Anthony & Dave from The Lions for blessing the track with horns!

Katy On A Mission (Captain Planet Remix) by DJ Captain Planet

Just found out that my official Captain Planet remix for AM & Shawn Lee has been available for a couple weeks already! It goes to show how well organized record labels are- definitely NOT an industry full of stoners and forgetful DJ’s. Better late than never of course. This one being official and all, I can’t give it away for free, but I should have another FREE-mix for you by the end of next week (you know I always try to be as generous as possible). If you find it in your heart to support a struggling music junky like myself, go ahead and purchase the MP3 and help me pay rent! And if you haven’t yet, check out the rest of the Celestial Electric album that dropped earlier this fall.

 
City Boy (Captain Planet Remix) by DJ Captain Planet

Happy as a dog with a stick. Maybe happier. I’ve got a million and five things to be thankful for, but more than anything right now, I’m giving praises to the most high for helping my youngest brother make it safe and sound through an 8-hour surgery yesterday. Today’s songs don’t really have anything to do with the worrying, or good health, or giving thanks per say, but sometimes joyful distraction is just what the doctor ordered. I realize there’s a bit of a clinical flavor to the funk today, maybe that’s the connection (I’ve been spending a fair amount of time in a hospital this past week, which might explain it).

Benny Sings :       Big Brown Eyes &       One II
from this album. Shouts to Marlee (& indirectly Radio Nova) for hipping me to this smoothed out electro soul

Carte Blanche :       With You (ft. Alexis Taylor)
mellow blue-eyed soul crooning from Hot Chip vocalist has kept this simple bouncey electro house jammer in steady rotation lately

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs :       Trouble &       Dream On
more funky white-boy electro house. I’m not sure if any of these tracks would really go over too well on a dancefloor (unless perhaps you’re playing the 3-5am shift at a Bushwick warehouse party), but “Trouble” in particular is hitting a sweet spot for me.

DJ Self Help :       Cape Cassandra
Straight outta Columbus Ohio, DJ Self Help comes supremely correct on this blend of afro-tropical-bass and white-boy-electro-house. I’ve been meaning to post this joint for a minute but finally found the playlist to fit with it.

New Navy :       Zimbabwe
Afro-pop meets indy rock and they fall in love on this song. I don’t think a holiday in Zimbabwe would actually be as rewarding as the lyrics by New Navy suggest, considering Mugabe is still president, but don’t let that get in your way from appreciating the nice drum break down.

Jamie Woon :       Lady Luck
while some of this guy’s singing leans a bit on the cheesy side, this track (which I believe he also produced) falls right in the pocket.

Alan Wilkis :       Come & Go (ft. The KickDrums)
really glad to hear this hard-hitting collabo off Wilkis‘ upcoming album “Prints”. The grimey dubstep styles on here are a pretty big departure from both Wilkis & The KickDrums more 80’s funk styled earlier tracks, but I’m liking the new direction. Check here for the whole EP with remixes from RJD2 & Big Pooh among others

DJ Shadow :       Scale It Back (ft. Little Dragon)
I can’t whole-heartedly recommend Shadow‘s new album in it’s entirety (sorry dude, the hard rock shit ain’t for me), but this unexpected collabo is a total standout on there.

Gotye :       Puzzle With A Piece Missing
excellent dubby sounds from an earlier album by this man who’s catalogue I’m just now discovering.

Back on the road again (thus the lag in posting). The pic above comes courtesy of my new homie DJ SUN who kinda runs all things funky in Houston, TX. I had a whirlwind stay with the man where we managed 4 dj gigs in 3 days, got busy in the studio on a new track, and played lots of funk 45’s. Oh yeah, and then there was that $600 bottle of wine that we drank… Big shouts to The ARE, Krystal Hardwick and all the other cool people I met and chilled with in H-Town.

Then I stopped in NOLA for an action packed reunion with my Beatards brothers. Much more drinking, eating of amazing food, dancing to live music, and general tomfoolery ensued- as well as some very fruitful record digging (which you’ll hear more about soon). But for now, while I’m stranded in the Philly airport on a delayed layover, some tunes! Good ones at that. Props to another new friend of mine, DJ THC, for a bunch of today’s selections.

Munk :       Tipsy? &       Violent Love
taken from this recent album which I highly recommend. Tripped out funky mid-tempo disco with bouncy vocal melodies that have a tendency to stay with me long after the song is over (check “Kitchen Call” for a prime example).

Midnight Magic :       Beam Me Up &       What The Eyes Can't See
irresistible from the first conga slap. This disco group from BK stands out with powerful vocals and a hilarious sense of humor

Hypnolove :       Holiday Reverie
perfect song title for my week. Really a sucker for the percussion and afro-pop style guitar intro on this one. Check out their Holiday Reverie EP

Penguin Prison :       Don't Fuck With My Money
the man makes perfect sense, and does it over a synth groove that would leave Prince drooling. I think we all can relate.

Jessica 6 :       East West Funk
just saw them open for Holy Ghost in NOLA this past weekend and was very pleasantly surprised when I realized I was seeing members of Hercules & Love Affair on stage without even realizing it. More here.

WhoMadeWho :       The Plot (Discodein Remix) ,       Motown Bizarre , &       Small Town City
Found out about this group by the old tried-and-true-over-the-shoulder-dj-trainspotting technique I’ve been working to master for 10 years.  “Motown Bizarre” has just the right amount of fucked-uppedness.

Gregory Porter :       1960 What? (Opolopo Bass & Kick Rerub)
So happy to share this new soul jazz gem. The OG version didn’t need much tweaking (already such a winner), but I really respect the subtle touches that Opolopo added to make this one just that much more devastating.

For the first time since babyhood, I haven’t had a bite of solid food in 10 days. Surprisingly, I feel great. I’m currently wrapping up my first experience with the master cleanse– subsisting on fresh squeezed lemon juice with maple syrup & cayenne pepper. I’ve had a bunch of friends and family do it and recommend it, but I just never had the right moment or thought I really needed it. Thing is, I drink a LOT of whiskey, and double that amount in coffee, on a daily basis. When I realized I hadn’t had more than a single night off the sauce for about a year, I figured it was time to focus and give my liver an early holiday gift. Thus, the cleanse. It’s primarily a battle of the mind, but I’m proud to say I’m winning. I’ve been able to work, DJ, even do some light exercise. I’m always a healthy eater, but I feel like after this is over I’m going to appreciate food with a whole new intensity (for 3 nights in a row I’ve had food dreams!). Anyway, all of this is to say, I’ve also been in a very mellow mood, and these songs have helped keep me in the right mind state.

Hollie Cook :       Body Beat &       Milk And Honey
The daughter of Sex Pistol Paul Cook, and singer for The Slits, has teamed up with Prince Fatty and made an album of catchy retro reggae pop. What’s not to love about this equation?

The Shoes :       Baby (ft. Hollie Cook)
Speaking of Ms. Cook, apparently she teamed up with The Shoes and made this dubby electro head-nod masterpiece as well.

Benny Tones :       Home (ft. Joe Dukie) &       On My Way (ft. Mara TK)
Recent discovery thanks to Jeremy Sole. Check out the rest of Benny’s very solid debut album on BBE.

Amp Live :       Differ.e.n.t.
Considering I had a Zion I cassette tape in high school (TRUE!), I’ve seen Amp Live come a long way. Really feeling this instrumental off his new EP.

New Look :       Nap On The Bow
Fresh sounds from Brooklyn = fresssssh indeed. Can’t remember where I first heard this, but the hook slays me. Really looking forward to more from this moody synth pop duo, and it looks like they have an album

Trolle Siebenhaar :       Sweet Dogs
My friend Marlee hipped me to this one. Simple throwback trip-hop goodness from a Danish duo. That little harmonica solo is a nice touch.

King Biscuit Time :       I Walk The Earth
More mellow trip-hop (wow haven’t even used that word in so long, today twice in one post!) from Steve Mason (ex-Beta Band frontman)

The Bees :       Winter Rose
The Bees come through with more downer psych goodness on their latest album. Get it on Amazon for the bonus tracks

Air :       How Does It Make You Feel? (Adrian Sherwood Version)
Shouts to my girl Austin for sending me this tripped out dub psych bomb. If there’s a better song to make you feel really high without blazing a fat one, then I haven’t heard it.