Here in NYC the temperature is dropping like panties at a Pretty Ricky concert. All week I’ve been under the influence of influenza, but I’m definitely on the upswing now. HUGE thanks to all of you who have been downloading the Music = Medicine mixtape and spreading the word to your friends. I’ve gotten so many good emails from appreciative listeners- it reminds me why I put so much work into this website. I’ve currently received over $4,300 in donation receipts and Partners In Health has told me they plan to feature the mix on their website next week! I love thinking about all those Haitian oldies warming up rooms from Norway to New Zealand. Today I’m sharing more slices of summery sound- some afrobeat, a little dub, y una cumbia caliente. On my way to the bath house later today I’ll be needing the extra warmth while waiting on the frigid train platform.

Superpowers :       American Exceptionalism
from the album Trance For Nation – featuring my homie Claude Gomis on vocals (son of legendary Baobab singer Rudy Gomis)

Horace Andy & Ashley Beedle :       Watch We (Souljazz Orchestra Remix)
The Souljazz Orchestra :       Mamaya
get familiar with Souljazz

Miike Snow :       Animal (Mark Ronson Remix)
Damn, Ronson does it again

Cumbiagra :       Al Calor De La Cumbia
local Brooklyn cumbia cats that hold it down weekly at Bembe where I DJ

Here’s a mix of great old school haitian records pulled from my crates. If you aren’t familiar with Kompa or other classic Hatian sounds, nows the perfect time to get schooled. There’s some great tunes on here that you probably won’t find anywhere else. Donate at least $5 to Partners In Health and forward me the confirmation email that you get and I’ll give you a link to download the whole mix (broken into separate tracks for your listening enjoyment). Forward your donation receipt to this address: charlie@mixtaperiot.com

PEACE

Back in NYC, back to work. Hittin the new year at full speed, with a fresh sunbaked gusto, thanks to Guatemala. I’ve locked myself up in the studio this week with my Beatards buddies. We finished up a couple remixes and now we’re blitzing through a bunch of songs for our upcoming album. In all honesty, I’m not even listening to much other music right now, but since I care for the well-being of this blog and love sharing- here are some new (to me at least) remixes that I will be playing a lot as soon as I take my next break. In the meanwhile, I’m enjoying them vicariously through you. And peep the related links to download more remix/re-edit heat from these producers.

Also, the video above featuring touch-screen turntables comes courtesy of this site. Random but cool.

Willie Colon & Hector Lavoe :       La Banda (Whiskey Barons Edit)
peep the Flavorheard site for more goods from these guys

Bobby Reed :       Time Is Right For Love (Prince of Ballard Remix)
jacked from Soul-Sides.com, but you can see more from the Prince at his Armed Snobbery blog

Hollyweerd :       Weerdo (Astronote Rmx)
more from Astronote on his myspace

Jadan Blackkamoore :       The General (Ticklah Remix)
my man Victor aka Ticklah back with more reggae FIYA!

Patti Jo :       Make Me Believe In You (Loud Minority Edit)
how do you make a perfect song better? MORE COWBELL! Respect to the Loud Minority DJs from Vienna

Been on hiatus for a damn good reason. Young brother Murphy and I are living it up in paradise. The picture above was taken yesterday in Semuc Champey, Guatemala. I honestly don’t think I could picture a more perfect place (even after seeing AVATAR– which any self respecting person should view while under the influence of psilocybin). We’re back in lake Atitlan now after exploring some caves, jumping off enormous waterfalls, and climbing a 10,000ft. volcano. The rest of the trip I plan on doing as little as possible while listening to this stack of bootleg CDs I picked up at the mercado. If I get up the gusto, I may try to post a best of 2009, but then again I may be preoccupied playing futbol with local heads at the little field in town. Todays picks come from an ambiguously labeled CD which gives no artist credits and improperly lists some song titles, so if anyone out there can help identify these cumbias it would be much appreciated. There’s supposed to be a 3-day rave on a nearby volcano starting tomorrow, so if I don’t post before 2010, enjoy yourselves!

Unknown Artist :       Cumbia

Unkown Artist #2 :       Cumbia Arabe

Luz Roja de San Marcos :       El Gallo Mojado

This one you really don’t want to miss! And I’m not just saying that. FREE GIVEAWAYS from our homie’s rad clothing company run called DEATH/TRAITORS. Happy Hour 10-11, NO COVER, live show that will certainly be unruly, and yes POLE DANCERS! I’ve talked about Ninjasonik a few times on here, broke my nose in the pit at one of their SXSW shows, and I heartily support what they do. My other friend DJ Morsy (who did a remix for my Gettin Jacked song and has done a BUNCH of other dope production) will also be performing with his group Claire Hux. You should be there! Just sayin

And here’s some songs that will be played for those of you reading this all the way in Norway…

Quintino :       Parapapa

Ninjasonik :       Pregnant (Morsy Mix)

Death From Above 1979 :       Romantic Rights (Erol Akan's Love From Below Re-Edit)

I ain’t gonna lie: I wasn’t exactly buying the whole “Solange-as-aesthete-outsider” story that was going around last year in advance of the release of her latest album. I get that she (or the execs at her label, anyway) wanted to make it clear she wasn’t her sister. I get that. I get that they were pursuing the “this is the substantive younger sister” avenue; the “more than just a SuperDiva” angle. I get that. They wanted us to believe that she was the genuine article — a real artist. And the record was pretty darn good… but, I don’t know, I just wasn’t biting. They were pitching her like she was some kind of left-field art-school lo-fi indie-chick phenom. Like she was recording chorus-less banjo music for exclusive release on 8-track and cassette single.

Reality check: Her name is Solange. Knowles. As in Beyonce. I mean really.

And then I heard this song.

Now, part of me feels like this is just one facet of the ploy to win over wary skeptics like myself. And maybe she’s trying to convince us that unexpected is equivalent to artistic, which of course it’s not. I’ll even concede that Solange’s version doesn’t touch the original… But I mean, for the love of Jehovah, she’s covering the Dirty Projectors here. Where does a Knowles girl even hear of the Dirty Projectors. And I don’t care that it’s a recycled beat (a legendary, epic recycled beat); or that the song begins to drag by the end. The girl tackles a substantially dense track by one of the great Art-Outfit bands of the 00’s and absolutely pulls it off. It may not reach new heights, but it soars pretty damn high. Don’t look now, I’m a believer.

(And, ps. if you ain’t acquainted with the Dirty Projectors, remedy that.)

Dirty Projectors: Stillness Is The Move

Solange:       Stillness Is The Move