Here’s a toast to people who make my life easier. To the like minded enablers who allow my fiendish appetite for new music to rage out of control. To the people who dig for gold around the world and don’t hesitate in sharing the love. To the people behind Strut & Soundway (two of my favorite labels), here’s a big fat CHEERS! These labels have been putting out solid releases for years and show no signs of slowing down. Today’s playlist comes from just a few of their most recent releases: classic nuyorican Latin sabor, Afrobeat gems, Disco dancefloor fuel, Colombian roots music and Panamanian soul. Go cop the full albums and support the people who keep feeding us funk.

Mongo Santamaria :       O Mi Shango
Ralfi Pagan :       Brother
both taken from Salsa Explosion

Ebo Taylor :       Victory &       Mizin
from Love & Death

Sandy Mercer :       You Are My Love (Walter Gibbons 12
from Jungle Music

Mad Man Jaga :       Hankuri
Bongos Ikwue & The Groovies :       Otachikpopo
both from Nigeria Afrobeat Special

Wganda Kenya :       Pim Pom
Son Palenque :       Palenque Palenque
both from Palenque Palenque

Little Francisco Greaves :        Moving-Grooving
Los Silvertones :       Carmen
both from Panama! 3

Funny how my paths have continued to cross with this man’s. Before the many mutual friends we now share, I had randomly gotten a CD of his old band and sampled it to make the beat for one of the earliest Beatards songs. Later in LA, he was in the crowd at the Roxy when I performed that song. The small world always gets smaller. We then worked together on a yet-unfinished track for soulstress Brit Manor (the girl with dreads singing in the pic above) and now his band is KILLING the game down here in “Hell A” (yes, it was 113 degrees downtown this week and I don’t have AC or a fan yet). Anyway, look out for these guys, you will be hearing more funky stuff from them soon…

Yellow Alex & The Feelings :
      I'm Gonna Make It On My Own &       Black and Blue

(if the Emotionals EP was available online I’d link to it, but sadly it’s un-google-able)

Feels like damn near eternity since I’ve had a DJ gig. Left Brooklyn with a slew of parties ending in mid August, and I’ve been fiending since. This Sunday night I’m finally getting back into the mix out here in LA. If you’re in the area, Murphy’s Law and I will be doing what we do at Mandrake in Culver City. I’m leaving you with a handful of funky synth goodness that has been helping me survive the drought by inspiring imaginary crowds to throb on the bollywood-style illuminated dancefloor in my mind.

Alan Wilkis :       Pink And Purple &       Snuggle Up To Nail Down

Junior Boys :       Hazel

Aldo Vanucci :       Knew You Were Coming

Knightlife :       Crusader

K’bonus :       Kletsmariet

I finally made it to LA and am starting to get settled. On night number two of being here my boy played me this 50 Cent remix of Cee-Lo’s new single. After I picked my jaw off the floor I realized that the coming together of two such polar opposites in the music world had particular resonance with me right now- Brooklyn to Hollywood steez. It’s funny how much 50 loves being a villain, and he’s damn good at it. Cee-Lo’s song just got a little better. BUT, it’s still not as good as “Georgia”, the other single from his forthcoming album produced by Dap-Kings clan members Menahan Street Band (Brooklyn!!!). In case you couldn’t tell, I’m a little homesick already.

Cee-Lo :       Fuck You (Remix ft. 50 Cent) &       Georgia

While plenty of people I know are getting freaky at Burning Man this week, I’m playing soccer dad to my two little Ethiopian sisters (ages 11 & 7). Tomorrow we’re celebrating Ethiopian new year in the East Bay with what will undoubtedly end up being a bellyache’s worth of tongue-singeing Berbere. We’ve been doing a fair amount of pre-gaming this week, which has primarily consisted of them playing ethio youtube hits on repeat. This track from Sayat Demissie (who I believe was also Ms. Ethiopia) comes from that playlist of theirs. Thing is, I wouldn’t have had a good quality mp3 to share if it weren’t for the help of fellow NYC DJ/producer/promoter/nice guy Sirak. He’s the man behind Africology Media, and is also now hosting a weekly radio show in Addis Ababa. He also sent “Aroge Arada” which sounds like it would mix perfectly into any song on the Coolie Dance Riddim. I felt inclined to throw in a few oldies too, ’cause they still sound so damn good.

Sayat Demissie :       Tew Man Neh

Baye Speedy :       Aroge Arada

Alèmayèhu Eshèté :       Tèy Gedyèlèshem ,       Haméta &       Tèmèlès

Agustus Pablo :       Straight To Ethiopia

After a certain number of hours on the road (many, many hours), all pretense of my sophisticated musical tastes evaporated in a cloud of deep-rooted nostalgia, leaving me craving the not-so-sophisticated alt-rock classics of my angst ridden youth. Sure, at the time I was also listening to some lesser-known material that may have foreshadowed the latent DJ/digger in me, but the tracks I’m sharing today (staples for me in the 90’s) represent the cream of the Top 40 radio crop.  Believe it or not, The Cranberries are not my most shameful pop music love affair. If you don’t already have these in your library, you probably should, if for nothing else then for some long road trip you have in your future.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones :       The Impression That I Get

Sublime :       Scarlet Begonias

Beck :       Devil's Haircut

The Cranberries :       Dreams

Counting Crows :       Omaha (soundtrack to a sea of cornfields)

The Proclaimers : I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)
(technically ’88, but I knew it from the Benny & Joon soundtrack)

Presidents Of The United States Of America :       Lump

Weezer :       Holiday &       Say It Ain't So