Ghettoblaster Runs Downtown!

I’ll be spinning some tunes on Thursday December 17th at Bar 107, likely one big long set starting off around 11:30ish. 60s/70s funk, soul, psych, and more. Swing by and check it all out!

Hazy, Lazy Tunes from Chicago's Barry Goldberg

Barry Goldberg – Sittin’ In Circles
Barry Goldberg – Strung and Young
Barry Goldberg – Another Day

Back in my early college days I hosted a blues show called Crossroads on Album 88 in Atlanta. In learning about and searching for music I started to gain a big appreciation for the revivalist sound of the 60s out of Chicago, including white artists from the windy city like Paul Butterfield, Mike Bloomfield, Charlie Musselwhite, Harvey Mandel, Nick Gravenites and Barry Goldberg. I’ve already featured one record that features many of these players, Harvey Mandel’s debut, of the records of that period I think this one from Goldberg is my favorite, just because of the sound. Partially it’s the diversity of sounds on this album, the group is allover the map, performing Dylan meets the Velvets numbers, bloozy Southside strutters, wah-wah heavy rock and even a couple of country psych joints.

Mainly my love for this record is all about the way it’s produced. The sound on this record is big, so big I like to call it the Chicago Wall of Sound record. Everything just washes over you on the better tracks, the slightly echoed drums from a mellowed “Fast” Eddie Hoh, slightly reverbed bass, gorgeous clean lines from Mandel (or groovy wah-wah psych outs), floaty horns and organ. You can hear this especially on the slow burners like “Sittin’ In Circles,” “Another Day,” and the instrumental “Strung and Young” and the mostly instrumental “I Think I’m Gonna Cry.”

Of that bunch, “Sittin’ In Circles” has to be one of my favorite songs from this period of time. One of the other groups Goldberg was associated with, The Electric Flag, also recorded a version of this song, but this one is light years away from that one, sounding like a hazy drugged out summer night of sound once those drums shuffle the whole group in and Goldberg lazily sings his lines…just slays me every time.

Cheers,

Michael

Things started off quite fine with the alternate mix of “Memory of a Free Festival” from David Bowie, but throughout the course of the show, I was beset with invisible gremlins wreaking havoc on my usually tight technical show. Nonetheless you do get some very nice music from Manu Chao, Inara George, Edan, King Khan & BBQ Show, recently highlighted Black Hollies and new music from Jason Molina and Will Johnson. Some dusty cuts (which the gremlins apparently loved, most of the issues were with the turntables this show) from Syl Johnson, McDonald & Giles, Bobby Powell, and reissued work from The Ghetto Brothers. Plus a bevy of requests, including Jason Karaban, Annie Lennox, Melaaz, Amon Tobin & Mint Royale. Enjoy it while you can, on demand for a week…

David Bowie – Memory of A Free Festival – David Bowie (40th Anniversary Edition)
Jason Karaban – A Far Better Place – Mayfly EP
Annie Lennox – Primitive – Diva
Taken By Trees – Bekannelse – East of Eden

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Manu Chao – Volver, Volver / Radio Bemba / Eldorado 1997 – Baionarena – Live
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – Rabbit Hop – Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
The Minutemen – Bob Dylan Wrote Propaganda Songs – What Makes A Man Start Fires?
Vivian Girls – Double Vision – Everything Goes Wrong

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Blakroc feat. Mos Def & Jim Jones – Ain’t Nothing Like You – Blakroc
Heavy Trash – (Sometimes You Got To Be) Gentle – Midnight Soul Serenade
Flamin’ Groovies – Second Cousin – Flamingo
King Khan & the BBQ Show – Tryin’ – Invisible Girl
Syl Johnson – Different Strokes – 7”

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Daniel Merriweather – Impossible – Live on Morning Becomes Eclectic
Richie Havens – What About Me – Great Blind Degree
Amon Tobin – One Day In My Garden – Bricolage
Johnny Clarke – Do You Love Me – Real Authentic Reggae, Vol. 2

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Edan – Echo Party – Echo Party
Treacherous Three – The New Rap Language – 12”
Bobby Powell – Love Man – 7”

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Pollyn – Still Love (Sid Roams Remix) – 12”
Melaaz – Non Non Non – Sounds Like Paris
Mint Royale – Miles and Miles – Dancehall Places

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Molina & Johnson – Lenore’s Lullaby / The Lily and the Brakeman – Molina & Johnson
McDonald & Giles – Flight of the Ibis – McDonald & Giles
Atlas Sound – Attic Lights – Logos
Sebadoh – Total Peace – III

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Beautiful Days – Full of Fear – Back To Peru, Vol. 2
The Black Hollies – Gloomy Monday Morning – Softly Towards the Light
Natural Yogurt Band – Pipe Dreams – Away With Melancholy
The Ghetto Brothers – Power – 7”

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Inara George – Right As Wrong – Accidental Experimental
The XX – Shelter – XX
Fink – Walking In The sun – Sort of Revolution
The Dutchess & the Duke – Living This Life – Sunset/Sunrise
Mulatu Astatke – Ene Alantchie Alnorem – New York-Addis-London: The Story of Ethio-Jazz 1965-1975

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Doesn’t happen too often, but here’s another giveaway (our second), a pair of tickets to see Ice Cube at the Grove in Anaheim this Sunday. Very short turnaround on this, so don’t waste your time. E-mail me at michael[at]meltingpotblog.com by Saturday, December 12th at 5pm (left coast time) to be entered. I’ll draw the winner at random and let you know who won shortly after that.

And just in case you done forgot why you should be interested in seeing this show, you never know if he’s going to bring this back or not, after all the 1990s are comin’ back in a big way!

Peace,

Michael