The world infamous Blue Jays. Romantic and mysterious road signs written in both French and English. The illustrious (and one-time world record holding) CN Tower. These are but a few of the many wonders that remain in my mind from childhood trips to visit my Grandma (Yaweh bless her soul) in Canada’s crown jewel: Toronto. All the while, I was entirely oblivious to the real treasures that the city had to offer in the form of raw funk, soul and ROOTS REGGAE. Funny how you can have an album for a while and not even listen to it properly for way too long. When I finally did revisit this collection, prompted by hearing “Memories” on a mix from my ever-schooling older sister, I was floored. Every cut on here is a winner, and even as the styles switch up from Northern Soul to dub, there’s a consistency to the whole mix that can only be attributed to one thing- the ethos of Toronto. Didn’t know it existed, certainly doubted it would be soulful if it was there at all, but once again my prejudicial mind was blinding me from the truth. Noel Ellis (son of Studio One/Treasure Isle legend Alton) delivers what I believe to be the greatest nostalgia song of all time. I accept challenges to this claim, but really, the crucial factor here is the extended dub which allows perfectly for someone such as myself (who loves to sing along, occasionally out of key) to go on a lengthy freestyle while the beat is tweaked and delayed into near cosmic oblivion. It’s as if the echoing chords are reverberating off the walls of my inner longing, disappearing into a faint whisper somewhere in my childhood where the sun was shining and the world was simple. REAL TALK. The other songs are kickass too. Really, you need to track down the whole album. 

Hitch-Hikers/Mighty Pope :       Mr. Fortune
Cougars :       I Wish It Would Rain
Noel Ellis :       Memories
all taken from the compilation “Jamaica to Toronto” on Light In The Attic (2006)

***ALSO*** My good friends have started a non-profit to raise education funds for Liberian refugees living in Ghana. Their kick-off fundraiser party is tomorrow in SOHO and everyone who goes gets a copy of the new West African mixtape I just made for the event. OPEN BAR 7-9, donation at the door, good peoples… more info here

Danger Mouse is back with a new project  – this time teamed up with Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse, and David Lynch in the mix with some visual contributions as well. The music does not dissapoint. The two musical masterminds wrote the songs in collaboration with the variety of vocalists they feature from bands like The Shins, The Flaming Lips, the Pixies, Iggy Pop and others, and each of the singers brings a bit of their own style to the largely dark and melancholy tracks.

David Lynch, whose contribution takes the form of a limited edition book of photos to accompany the album, also does right by them. But I use the term ‘album’ in the loose sense, since while the limited edition package includes a custom designed CD, there’s not actually any music on it. Yes, you heard me, it’s a blank CD-R. Due to legal disputes with EMI, the discs will be labeled: “For Legal Reasons, enclosed CD-R contains no music. Use it as you will.” Very tongue-in-cheek. We like it.

You can preview the whole album on NPR, check the official site here, and maybe use google to help find something for that blank CD-R. Continue reading…

Many of you now know of the Dap-Kings for their production on Amy Winehouse’s album, or maybe you’ve even heard Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. And if any of you have dug even a little deeper to discover Truth & Soul Records, then you’ve no doubt unearthed several overlapping bands (no venn diagrams, sorry), whose music takes us back to the late sixties and early seventies in such an authentic fashion that many have been struck by disbelief in these recordings being produced post-millenium.

One of these groups is El Michel’s Affair. Though they recorded their first 12″ in 2002, and their debut album, Sounding Out The City, came out a couple years ago, nothing will pluck at the heart strings of true-school hip-hop heads like their most recent project, Enter the 37th Chamber. It is an instrumental rendering of the Wu’s most classic joints, and while some might presumptously claim “gimmick!” (and sure, maybe it is a little), it is also an awesome project. I think Can It All Be So Simple is my favorite track and will definitely be on repeat this summer, but I’m also loving the unexpected voices (and only vocals for the whole project) on Shimmy Shimmy Ya.

I highly recommend checking out more of El Michels Affairs music, though, and hearing what these dudes have to offer. Continue reading…

We’re so on top of our game here at MTR that we left posting about our latest party til the day of. You’ve heard me say it before, but once again, we be foolish. If you’re in the NY area though, and are looking for a serious Tuesday night get down, look no further. Tonight’s Mixtape Riot party brings live performances from MC K-Swift and Chen Lo. Both of these guys are good friends, but that doesn’t sway my opinion on their music at all- it’s undeniably premium. Come out and hear for yourself! If you’re one of the first 100 you’ll get the latest limited edition mixtape- this time expertly woven together by the fathers of feel-good: Soul Imperial. And in case you needed any extra incentive, I’m sharing this fresh remix from The Rub’s DJ Ayres. He’s been putting out mashups and remixes consistently for a minute now, and they’rejust getting better and better. Check his website for more goodies.

Afrika Bambatta vs. Breakout :       Planet Rock Unplugged (DJ Ayres Edit)

For more info on the party, peep here and rsvp for the fun of it.