Every year around this time, there is a organized effort to support and celebrate Independent Record stores around the world, known as Record Store Day. Many artists and labels produce special limited recordings to be available on that day. One of the best for this year is from Ubiquity, which is releasing three separate 12″ records, curated by Shawn Lee, Groove Merchant’s Cool Chris and BTS Radio (There is a CD release that compiles most of the tracks too). I’ve chosen a classic B-boy jam, with a little Indian flavor added to it to highlight, now go out and support your local independent record stores!
All week long on my drives around LA, especially down to Long Beach to teach, I’ve been listening to this record from this Oakland based rock’n'roll outfit. Hunx was originally a member of Gravy Train, a dirty minded queer-electro group in the Bay, but he’s got a very different sound performing with his “Punx,” a kind of slightly post-modern mix of 1950s girl-group teen pop and gritty NYC style early punk rock (it’s fitting given the latter than Ivan Julian, one of the guitarists for Richard Hell, produced this record). Added to the sugar-coated yet gritty style of the songs is Hunx’s vocals, which are generally playful and often endearingly sweet. His “Punx” on this record are his all-girl backing band (sometimes referred to as the “punkettes,” though “Punx” just has a better ring to it) who are exceedingly game on their own, so much so I wouldn’t be surprised if they someday soon strike out as a stand alone band. All these things are in evidence on the lead track from the record “Lover’s Lane.” I’ve listened to this track probably 30 times this week and I’m still floored by the way the backing vocals tumble out in waves during the chorus. It seems rare to have multiple singers sing in harmony, yet retain distinctive voices, perhaps it’s a slight studio trick, but it’s something I haven’t heard too much before. The way all those voices come together and separate, particularly in the last third of the song, just kills me everytime. I can almost guarantee that this song will be one of my faves at the end of the year.
It’s always nice when dreams come true and here we have Rose Melberg, formely of the much beloved Tiger Trap and the Softies, back at it in a full-fledged “twee as fuck!” indie-pop outfit. The band takes their name from a children’s book of the same title released in 1986 by William Stieg, who also incidentially wrote the original picture book Shrek! (yes THAT Shrek!) and his the father of jazz flute player Jeremy Steig! They’ve just released a sparklingly lovely EP on the always solid Slumberland records and here’s to hoping they come to Los Angeles and spend some quality time with us on Melting Pot.
I’ve had this fantastic record, the debut release and solo project for Cheky of Jóvenes y Sexys, for well over a month, but as is customary for me on this blog, I’ve waiting until it’s had its proper release to say anything about the record (though listeners to Melting Pot on KPFK have already heard several tracks from La Lucha Constante including “El Día Previo”). Algodón Egipcio allows Cheky to showcase more of his own songwriting and sonic landscapes. In contrast to Jóvenes y Sexys’ generally lo-fi acoustic indie-pop with shades of electronic sound, Algodón Egipcio’s sound is a bit more expansive and denser, with layers of guitars, synth styled beats and Cheky’s languid vocals. At times the sound is a bit on the shoegazey side of things, but its generally too upbeat to just sit there staring at your shoes. I’m not sure if this qualifies as chillwave or if there’s too many guitars here for that, but truth be told, I’m fairly tired of trying to fit music into neat labels. I’ve always agreed with Duke Ellington’s assesment of labels, there’s really only two types of music, good music and the other kind…this is very good music and you should listen to it.
Sofrito is a sound system out of the UK run by DJs Hugo Mendez and Frankie Francis, that mixes up African, Latin and various other Tropical sounds. They’ve just now compiled this collection for Strut records that presents the best of their trademark style and believe me, this is exactly the kind of party you want to be at. One listen of “Pitchito” by Frente Cumbiero should be more than enough to convince you of that.
During one of my off-air conversations on the most recent fundraising excursion at KPFK with Morgan Rhodes (who hosts the Listening Station on KPFK Sundays from 4-6am and hopefully will be sitting in for me on Melting Pot sometime in the next couple months), I was talking about how most of the better next level “Soul” music coming out these days seems to be coming exclusively from Europe (just for starters, Little Dragon, Quadron and most recently WildCookie come to mind) Morgan mentioned a newer Los Angeles based trio that might change my mind on that dynamic. The name of the group is King and since she pointed me in their direction I’ve been listening to tracks from their brand new 3 song EP on repeat. King is made up of three talented women, two of which are twin sisters, and they make a kind of multi-layered modern electronic soul that is simply to die for. “The Story” is the lead and there’s a self-produced video that is so utterly charming I just had to share it with you. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT sleep on this…
Feeling a deep need to lay some really good music on you after the latest Pound For Pound post, here’s a record that I only just now received though it came out in January from the esteemed Chicago label the Numero Group. As with most of their projects, Willie Wright didn’t really make it big, but he did release a couple of very nice records in the 1970s. “Telling The Truth” is primarily a reissue of his second record, which features work from the drummer from the Skull Snaps and the guitarist from the Jimmy Castor bunch. But instead of the straight funk you might expect, Wright employs a low-key largely acoustic feel to his soul, very much on the Terry Callier tip, with a warm and rich voice.
An added bonus to the CD (and apparently not available with the LP) is this 4″ 33rpm reproduction of Wright’s only 45 a cover of Curtis Mayfield’s “Right On For The Darkness” b/w an original from Wright titled “Africa.” My wife flipped out when she saw it just because it’s so very tiny and yet completely functional (this little record has now become “her” record). A really nice touch from a label that never seems to disappoint.
One of the CDs that I’m most excited about in my current 4 pack for the KPFK fundraiser is this new collaboration between Freddie Cruger aka Red Astaire and singer Anthony Mills. Together they form WildCookie and make some really sharp modern electronic soul. This full-length record builds off of a prior EP, and includes many of the “drug” tracks from that release, including “Heroine,” and “Serious Drug.” One of the new originals for the LP is “Something About Those Days,” which brings to mind a heavy dose of 1990s nostalgia (especially this classic from Pete Rock & CL Smooth) and makes me feel like summer has come a little early here in 2011.
Here also is a short film made for their song “Heroine,” also from this record, that I think clears up nicely whether or not this is an anti/pro drug kind of song:
Out of all the songs about love that have been spinning around on my turntable or my hard-drive over the past weekend (many of which I played during yesterday’s edition of Melting Pot), this song from Janis Joplin has been stuck in my mind the most. “To Love Somebody” starts off the second side of what was essentially her debut solo release, I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama!, which featured Janis with a more soulful group and perhaps because of that it seems this record doesn’t get the acclaim of Pearl, or the Big Brother records that Janis sang on. This one though remains my favorite, and especially this track. It’s just so massively soulful, every single element, the drums, the understated guitar, the periodic washes of organ, the bass that is up front through most of the verses and those great horns. I just love how all the elements get stripped down for the verses and then everything rushes back for the chorus and the bridge. Pure magic. On this Valentine’s Day, I hope sincerely that your love life is better than Janis Joplin’s was reported to be, and certainly better than the unrequited love she singing about in this song, but even if you’ve got it worse, I do hope you appreciate this soulful track.
The amazingly prolific Shawn Lee returns with another mix-mash of funky styles from all over the world with World of Funk, his 3,277th record (okay, perhaps it’s closer to 20, but dude puts out three records a year!). As with several of his recent releases, Lee brings in a number of guest players to feature on these tracks, including Natacha Atlas, Curumin, Eliot Bergman of Nomo, Michael Leonheart, Clutchy Hopkins and Cava. The track I’ll feature includes work from Bardo Martinez of LA group Chicano Batman, finally showing more of the influence of Tropicalia in a nice bit of Latin-Psych titled “La Eterna Felicidad.” Seems like a lot of this was put together during Lee’s recent stint in LA, during which he spent a little time at KPFK. World Of Funk might just be Shawn Lee’s best realized project since 2008′s Miles of Styles.
DJ Lengua is a LA based spinner, primarily with the Mas Exitos crew, who produces breakbeat heavy latin styled electronic music. His previous EP (also on Club Unicornio, the label who put out Chicano Batman’s debut on vinyl) was one of my favorite local releases a couple years back and I have nothing but respect for his sound and aesthetic. He also clearly has good taste in artists, based off of his use of the fantastic artwork on the front and back of the LP from Julio Cesar Morales.
I dare you…just try not to move and groove to “La Jungla” from his latest 12″…yep, it’s impossible to sit tight during this infectious groove.
Lots of buzz around this band, and rightfully so. La Sera is the latest project from Kickball Katy of the indomitable Vivian Girls. After a relatively quiet 2010, it looks like it will be a busy year for Katy and Cassie of Vivian Girls, both have separate side projects, Cassie has a solo record and we’ll get a new record from Vivian Girls. Of the bunch, the upcoming LP from La Sera is the one I’m looking most forward to, especially after this, their second single. Katy is the primary songwriter and singer for this project, which allows her to explore some bittersweet emotions and narratives paired with blissfully sweet melodies. “Devils Hearts” is a perfect example of the style of this new project. There’s something strangely unsettling about the Raymond Pettibon-esque cover for the single. These elderly people look happy, but at the same time, something just doesn’t seem quite right here. However, when it comes to the sound, everything is right with its mix of 60s styled pop and 80s/90s C86 twee.
As a bonus (and a clear sign of the whole sweet/sour vibe of the group) here’s the video for the first single “Never Come Around” shot with a definite Hershell Gordon Lewis 1970s Horror film aesthetic combined with some Evil Dead absurdity in the ending sing-a-long:
Here in the new year, there still haven’t been a lot of new releases, so I’m still checking out things that I might not have paid enough attention to in 2010. Martina Topley-Bird is one of my favorite vocalists, both for her work with Tricky in the 1990s and as a solo artist. This LP came out to little fanfare in 2010, and in my move from KCRW to KPFK I haven’t been able to make great contacts overseas. Thankfully I managed to get a copy of this album towards the end of last year and I really wish I’d been able to play it more. MTB basically remixes tracks from her prior solo releases, but not with guest producers remixing the original recordings, instead she offers alternate versions of these tracks with her band. In some cases the subtlety of these new versions surpasses the originals as is the case on “Snowman”.
Ghostface Killah feat. Black Thought – In The Park
For whatever reason it always seems like Ghostface Killah’s releases slip through the cracks and take a long time to make it to my ears. It took 3 or 4 years after it came out for me to hear his first solo record and similar lapses have happened with subsequent releases. So, perhaps not surprisingly, I hadn’t heard his latest release until a recent Facebook post by a DJ friend of mine Soul Marcosa. I initially thought the fuzzy sample for this lesson in Hip-Hop history was from Johnny Thunders of New York Dolls fame, but instead its based off of this stunner from Johnny Thunder. Either way, it’s hot like fire!
Still digging my way out of a pile of final exams as I wrap up a semester of teaching at CSULB, but definitely wanted to make sure I say a little about this amazing comp., one that almost slipped under my rader. I’m always on the lookout for interesting hybrid styles of funky music and this comp. points me in a new direction, with some wild sounds from Thailand recorded from 1964-1975. The star of the show, if you ask me, has to be Chaweewan Dumnern, not only because they have the most tracks (3) on this 19 track collection, but because all of them are extra killer, with “Sao Lam Plearn” being the best of the bunch. Don’t sleep on this one, this might be one of the best compilations of 2010.
Become a fan on Facebook or drop me a line with the icons below
