{Update 1/24/2011: Below is a tribute mix that I broadcast on the 1/23/11 edition of Melting Pot, just my 10 favorite songs from Broadcast and Trish Keenan…I hope we’ll hear more music from the sessions already recorded, but if not, I’m sure thankful for time spent listening to this music}
The extraordinarily tragic news hit today that Trish Keenan of Broadcast passed earlier this morning from H1N1 related pneumonia contracted during the band’s tour of Australia. Keenan was a founding member and integral part of the UK group Broadcast, one of my favorite groups of the last 10 years. I first heard their music while I was at KALX in 2000 and was drawn immediately to their mix of 60s psychedelic, electronic experimentation and girl group harmony with Trish’s ethereal vocals at the fore. With each successive release they seemed to become more and more experimental in their approach to sound. I was supposed to have played a track from Broadcast in my most recent show on KPFK, in hopes that a new album would finally be released in 2011 (Broadcast hasn’t released a proper LP since 2005’s Tender Buttons, though 2009’s Broadcast and the Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age, should certainly count, it is like several other releases in this interim period, a collaboration). From interviews I’d heard before this fateful tour to Australia it does seem that they’ve been recording, but likely had not finished the new record. I sincerely hope there is more music to be heard, now that we’ve lost this unique voice.
There are a number of videos and performances of Broadcast to be found on the internet, but I’ve chosen an exceptional performance recorded at KCRW back in 2006:
Sound Foundation – Soul Foundation
Sound Foundation – Bruised
Sound Foundation – Aquarius
This is a record I really just lucked upon. Last week while I was prepping for my guest stint at Funky Sole, I was checking out some tunes on youtube as I was considering a trip to some local record stores. By sheer luck I came across a post that featured “Soul Foundation” from this group. Instantly smitten with the raw drums, handclaps and fuzzy guitars (the trifecta of perfect ingredients for a perfect song in my book, how could I resist!) I set about trying to find a copy. Local stores didn’t turn anything up, so I turned to the internet as a last ditch effort. Given the break heavy nature of this track, I wasn’t surprised that copies were running in the $50-$65+ range. After a fair amount of searching though I came across a listing for the record for $11 (including priority shipping!) at a Chicago area record store Reckless Records. Condition was listed as “good,” (which if you don’t know means “crap” in vinyl parlance) but given the price and the possibility of the record arriving in time for Funky Sole, I figured it was worth the shot.
My luck continued as the LP arrived late on Saturday just hours before my guest set. Better still the condition of the LP itself was actually quite excellent, the cover was a little beat up but the album itself was beautiful, it didn’t even have much surface noise. I was also surprised with how deep the LP turned out to be, “Soul Foundation” is a bonafide monster of an instrumental cut, but the album was filled with a number of other solid numbers. From the sound of things, Sound Foundation listened to quite a bit of Sly & the Family Stone, and that’s clearly the vibe and audience they were going for on this LP, especially on the lead track “Morning Dew” which has a couple of bits that sound just like Sly’s “Higher.”
The two biggest surprises on this record connected to songs that have been covered quite a bit during this same period of time. Their version of “Get Out My Life Woman,” a song that is almost always simply breaktastic, is probably the weakest song on the album without a single discernable break, while their version of “Aquarius” from Hair, a cover that is almost always terribly boring, has a fabulous break and nice (though still heavily hippie-fied) funky style throughout. I’m also fond of their original track “Bruised” that leads off the second side with it’s super sweet breakdown behind the singer’s “think about it now” lyrics in the waning moments.
All in all, my first real buy of 2011 (and first Dig Deep post of the year) might turn out to be one of my favorite finds of the entire year. Big thanks once again to the crew at Reckless Records for sending this out to me quick fast (I will definitely stop by on my next trip to Chi-town!) and to the crowd at Funky Sole for making the whole affair absolutely worth every single penny and then some.
Cheers,
Michael
…p.s. here’s an example of what a proper DJ can do with materials such as these:
{Congrats to winners Nathaniel B. and Christopher H.!}
Been a little while since we had a giveaway here on Melting Pot, but this one is mighty fine. The Budos Band will be in LA later this week, performing at the El Rey on Friday Jan. 14th. Also on the bill is KCRW’s Jeremy Sole who I believe is just doing a DJ set, but might include some live musicians in the mix. If you want to go to the show, just send me an e-mail at michael[at]meltingpotblog.com before 6pm on Thursday Jan. 13th!!!
Here’s a little taste of what’s in store for you if you win the tickets:
It was my great pleasure to be a guest DJ at what I consider to be one of the best deep funk nights in the entire world, Funky Sole. For over 10 years, Funky Sole has been an LA institution bringing together a nicely mixed crowd of dancers and some of the best DJs around to celebrate the funkiest vinyl they could find.
I tried to put together a set that would keep the floor packed and hopefully include a few tracks that aren’t often heard there on Saturday nights. I knew the latter would be particularly difficult the moment I walked in and Clifton was playing a tune I was looking forward to playing later! Clifton aka Soft Touch and Music Man Miles of Breakestra pack some serious heat, but I think everyone was pleased with the set you can hear below.
The set I played has a mix of deep cuts and classic sounds, with nods to my homeland of Georgia (via James Brown and Franciene Thomas), years spent in the Bay Area, especially at Soulvation at the Ruby Room (“G.S.T.S.K.D.T.S” and “Here Come The Girls” were staples of those Wednesday nights) and my love of Brazilian and Latin soul (courtesy of Toni Tornado, Ray Barretto and Pete Rodriguez).
The only moment where things got a little iffy on the dancefloor was actually by design. I played “Azucar” from Eddie Palmieri & Harlem River Drive, a song that begins as if it’s a salsa number before morphing into latin soul with English and Spanish lyrics, just to see how far I could take the crowd. I have to admit that even though most of the time people just standing around is not a reaction a DJ ever wants to have, I was pretty amused by the confused looks, especially once the drums and English lyrics kicked in, and people slowly started to find their groove.
On the opposite end, I was really impressed with how much people dug the Sound Foundation’s “Soul Foundation,” an instrumental with some massive drum breaks that has “B-Boy” written all over it (more on this record later in the week). Next time (and I seriously hope there will be a next time in the near future) I’ll make sure to bring more B-boy songs and maybe dig a little deeper. Until then, enjoy the set below and if you’re in LA, make sure to check out Funky Sole every Saturday from 10pm-2am at the Echo over at 1822 Sunset Blvd. in Echo Park!
Alvin Cash & the Registers – Keep On Dancing – 7” (Toodlin’ Town)
Pete Rodriguez – Oh That’s Nice – Ay Que Bueno/Oh That’s Nice (Alegre)
Mauricio Smith – Old Shoes – Bitter Acid (Mainstream)
Jun Mayuzumi – Black Room – 7” (Capitol)
Irene Reid – Dirty Old Man – 7” (Old Town)
Sound Foundation – Soul Foundation – Sound Foundation (Smobro)
Toni Tornado – Aposta – Toni Tornado (Odeon)
James Brown – Make It Good To Yourself – Black Caesar: Original Soundtrack (Polydor)
Franciene Thomas – I’ll Be There – 7” (Tragar)
Ray Barretto – Together – Together (Fania)
Eddie Palmieri w/ Harlem River Drive – Azucar – Live At Sing Sing (Roulette)
Rufus Thomas – The Breakdown Pt. 1 – 7” (Stax)
Vera Hamilton – But I Ain’t No More (G.S.T.S.K.D.T.S.) – 7” (Epic)
Ike & Tina Turner – I Better Get Ta Steppin’ – Too Hot To Hold (Pickwick)
Simtec & Wylie – Gotta Get Over The Hump – 7” (Mister Chand)
Ruby Andrews – You Made Me A Believer – 7” (Zodiac)
Ernie K. Doe – Here Come The Girls – Ernie K. Doe (Janus)
Lee Dorsey – A Lover Was Born – 7” (Amy)
Shows early on in a new year are often a little difficult to program. After you’ve done a retrospective of the prior year’s music, there’s a desire to move on to something new, but it takes time for new releases to start comin’ out. So, this first “real” show includes a couple of tracks from upcoming releases, a few from artists who should have records in 2011, and a few that slipped under my radar in 2010 or that I simply just did not play enough. One particularly interesting moment happens towards the end, when for some reason my laptop decided to play Mad Villian’s “Papermill” at a much slower speed, like it was chopped and screwed. That actually kept me from playing the Ghostface Killah track I just posted in Heavy Rotation, but everything worked out in the end. The show begins with a teaser from my set at Funky Sole on Saturday Jan. 8th. I’ll post up the full set tomorrow, along with a few pictures, but until then, enjoy yesterday’s show and remember Jan. 16th I’m doing a 2 hour tribute to Captain Beefheart!
{opening theme} Booker T & the MGs – Melting Pot – Melting Pot (Stax)
~~~~ Break ~~~~
Funky Sole Set:
Irene Reid – Dirty Old Man – 7” (Old Town)
Sound Foundation – Soul Foundation – Sound Foundation (Smobro)
Toni Tornado – Aposta – Toni Tornado (Odeon)
James Brown – Make It Good To Yourself – Black Caesar: Original Soundtrack (Polydor)
Franciene Thomas – I’ll Be There – 7” (Tragar)
Ray Barretto – Together – Together (Fania)
Eddie Palmieri & Harlem River Drive – Azucar – Live At Sing Sing (Roulette)
~~~~ Break ~~~~
Charles Bradley – The World Is Going Up In Flames – No Time For Dreaming (Dunham/Daptone)
Tim Maia – Compadre – Tim Maia (Polydor)
Numonics – You Lied – Groove Merchant 20 (Ubiquity)
Mansfield TYA – Sur Le Plafond – Seuls Au Bout De 23 Secondes (Vicious Circle)
~~~~ Break ~~~~
Andreya Triana – Darker Than Blue – Lost Where I Belong (Ninja Tune)
Sun Kil Moon – Church Of The Pines – Admiral Fell Promises (Caldo Verde)
Jovenes y Sexys – Suerte – Bruno EP (Poni Republic)
Chicano Batman – A Hundred Dead and Loving Souls – Recorded Live at KPFK
~~~~ Break ~~~~
Captain Beefheart – Clear Spot – Clear Spot (Reprise)
Grinderman – Mickey Mouse & the Goodbye Man – Grinderman 2 (XL)
The Black Beats – The Mod Trade – Psych Funk Sa Re Ga! (Now Again)
~~~~ Break ~~~~
The 5.6.7.8’s – Tallahassie Lassie – The 5.6.7.8’s (Third Man Records)
Yuzo Kayama – Kimi Ga Suki Dakara – All About Yuzo Kayama (Toshiba)
Sebadoh – Rebound – Bakesale (Sub Pop)
P.E. Hewitt Jazz Ensemble – It’s Got Two and That’s Alright (Show Me The Way) – Winter Winds (Now Again)
The Avalanches – Two Hearts In ¾ Time – Since I Left You (Modular)
(Attempted play of Mad Villian…)
~~~~ Break ~~~~
Saknatee Srichiangmai – Nom Samai Mai – The Sound Of Siam (Soundway)
DJ shadow – Def Surrounds Us – 12” (Self Released)
Mad Villian – Papermill – Adult Swim Singles (Adult Swim)
~~~~ Break ~~~~
{closing theme} Dungen – C. Visar Vagen – Tio Batar (Kemado)
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!
I’ll be making my first appearance at the legendary deep funk night Funky Sole doing a guest set this Saturday January 8th, just after Midnight, after what I’m sure will be dynamite sets from resident DJs Clifton aka Soft Touch and Music Man Miles of Breakestra. I’m in the process of planning my set right now, a mix of classics, some left-field tracks and some heavy international cuts. I’ll be sure to throw up a mix and perhaps some pictures next week. Swing by if you can, say hello and get yourself together on the dance floor at perhaps the best funk night in the entire US of A. Funky Sole goes down every Saturday from 10pm-2am at the Echo, 1822 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles/Echo Park 90026. No Cover!
Here’s a taste of what’s in store for you, if you’ve never made it out to Funky Sole:
Here is the final post in this week’s look back at the best music from 2010. Unlike my difficulty in choosing top records, choosing my 5 favorite songs of 2010 was relatively easy. It’s interesting how certain songs just grab onto and won’t let go, while others simply fade from memory. These are the ones that will be stuck in my mind for many years to come…share your favorite tracks of 2010 here or on our facebook page!
***Honorable Mentions: The Walkmen – “Victory,” The Strange Boys – “Between Us,” Chicano Batman – “Itotiani,” Bonobo – “El Toro,” Dungen – “Soda,” Corin Tucker Band – “Doubt,” Adam Franklin – “Carousel City,” M.I.A. – “Born Free”
5. Real Estate – “Reservoir” – Out Of Tune 7” (True Panther Sounds)
I happened upon Real Estate completely by chance in 2009, barely hearing some instrumental sounds through the static of KXLU’s signal. They now stand as one of my favorite contemporary indie-rock groups. In truth I could have just as easily chosen the flipside of this 7″, “Out Of Tune,” to be on this list, it’s also an amazing song, but I love “Reservoir” just a bit more for the way it seems to evoke a distinctly late summer suburban vibe that reminds me of my youth, as I mentioned in my original comments:
Every time I hear this song from Real Estate, it makes me smile, widely. For me it’s got a very specific kind of vibe, late summer, when you’re 18 and everything in the world is full of wild promise and anxious uncertainty at the same time. I’ve loved just about everything I’ve heard from this band, but this song might just be one of my favorites of this year.
4. Best Coast – “Boyfriend” – Crazy For You (Mexican Summer)
Best Coast was one of the buzziest bands of 2010, but it’s clear they have their best work ahead of them. Beth Consentino of Best Coast is a very talented woman. As a songwriter she’s still got some growing to do, but she’s clearly got the goods vocally and recent performances seem to suggest that she’s barely tapped into her potential. “Boyfriend” represents a glimpse of what she’s capable of, great hooks, great sentiment, and those vocals…in my mind I swear it’s like they never stop, as if she’s employing some kind of circular breathing technique ala Roland Kirk. Gives me that warm and fuzzy feeling inside every time.
From a brilliantly bizarre album, comes this track where Gonjasufi appears to ruminate on the dreams of a Lion who momentarily wishes he wasn’t the King of the Jungle, but instead a meek, lowly and peaceful sheep. Production work from Gaslamp Killer expertly fits the dreamy musings, especially in the final minute when it seems that the Lion comes to his senses and fully embraces his identity. Absolutely bloody brilliant.
2. Broken Social Scene – “Sentimental X’s” – Forgiveness Rock Record (Arts & Crafts)
Here’s what I originally had to say about this song back in May when I first came to love it:
I love how lyrically it’s based on fairly simple phrases, but sometimes they are reversed or changed slightly which changes the overall meaning too (for example “Off and On is what we Want,” “What We Want Is Off and On,”). Something about the way it ends with the phrase “All Of You” becoming “I Love You” at times, admist that huge wash of sound, seems to capture the big message out of the LOST finale last night. Though these feelings might wash off in a day or two, this one is still likely to be a contender for song of the year come December.
6+ months later, I clearly still agree with those sentiments. I do wonder whether or not the BSS heard Deerhunter’s own lovely exercise in alliteration, “Agoraphobia,” and decided to mess around with phrases on this one. Even if its genesis was related to another song (and I have no idea if it actually is) “X’s” is more of an achievement because ever single line of the song is built on alliterations, which in some cases radically alter the potential meaning, such as when the “a friend, a friend you used to call” line loses the “to call” at the end. The song shifts from sentimental remembrances to perhaps something more sinister, at least emotionally. Nothing beats the closing 2 minutes of the song, especially that gorgeous “All of You/I Love You” ending. Best song I’ve heard from Broken Social Scene or virtually anyone else in the last several years.
1. El Guincho – “Bombay” – Pop Negro (Young Turks)
For the second time in a year, my favorite song of the year is in Spanish. My wife and I didn’t meet on the roof of a hotel in Barcelona, but if we had this is the song that would be playing and I’d try to make her stay with me as long as possible just the same way the singer wants his love to stay with him. Interestingly enough, when I played this song for my wife, she had almost the exact same vision. The song just screams sunshine, a gorgeous city beneath you and all the possibilities inherent in an uncertain but exciting future. An absolutely perfect pop song.
…and “Bombay” also wins hands down for having the most bizarre and definitely not safe for work (even in this “clean” version) video too:
All this week on Melting Pot we’ve been taking a look back at 2010’s year in music. This post covers the best (new) records that I heard last year. This tends to be the most difficult of these lists to put together. Choosing a “best” record means (at least to me) that you really have to think of the full album, from the first to the last track, and how everything works together and then stack it up against all the other records. This year I’ve had a really difficult time trying to choose between the top records I heard. Every time I thought I’d picked a #1, I’d listen to another record in this Top 5 and suddenly be convinced that now I was listening to the best record of the year. Ultimately I’ve chosen a bit of a cop-out and decided not to choose a single #1 record, but instead to declare a five way tie between these exceptional albums. All of these records are here at the top of a long list of favorites because of the special attention to style and sound they represent in very different ways. So, here you go, here’s my list of the Top 5 best new records from 2010, let me know what your favorites of 2010 were in the comments or on our facebook page!
***Honorable Mentions: Ana Tijoux – 1977 (Nacional), Aloe Blacc – Good Things (Stones Throw), Jose James – Black Magic (Brownswood), Black Keys – Brothers (Nonesuch), Bonobo – Black Sands (Ninja Tune), Polar Bear – Peepers (Leaf), Sun Kil Moon – Admiral Fell Promises (Caldo Verde)
In a year with so many solid releases from hard rockin’ bands featuring women (i.e. Best Coast, Golden Triangle, Frankie Rose & the Outs, Agent Ribbons, Fabienne Del Sol, Neverever, etc. ,etc.) this record remained at the top of that list and virtually every other. The main reason is frontwoman Dee Dee’s songwriting ability and her use of harmony combined with mountains upon mountains of fuzzy distortion. Dee Dee’s bedroom project blossomed fully into a band this past year, with help on this record from producer Richard Gottehrer. “Blissed out Buzzsaw” is the way the band describes this sound and it seems quite apt. From start to finish, this remains my favorite indie-rock record of 2010.
When this album first came out I didn’t think too highly of it. It took my absolute love affair with “Bombay” (more on that later) to get me to listen to this album more than the initial run through. I think part of the reason I initially wasn’t that impressed with Pop Negro is because of how different it is from Alegranza, the previous album by El Guincho. That one had this absurdist quality to the samples that made it unique and distinct. It seemed at first listen that here El Guincho was attempting to just craft a more mainstream version of his sound, perhaps (and this was seriously my first thought when I heard “Novias”) to garner more money from the commercials and films that LA music supervisors would “place” his songs into. It took a couple of trips from home to work (Pasadena to Long Beach, roughly a 45min to 1hr drive) for me to fully appreciate this record. I mistook significant growth in song writing ability and clarity of musical vision with misguided commercial aspirations, but thankfully I came to my senses. Now, whenever this album is playing, and not just the fantastic lead track “Bombay” but virtually every single other track, I swear it gets a little brighter outside. It’s like sunlight is trapped within these notes and when the songs play it just bursts out. With all the tracks taken together, the album sounds like the best party that has ever been thrown, and this is very much by careful design. Throwing an exceptional party captured into sound is no easy feat. El Guincho really took great care with this record, as evidenced by his endearingly nerdy “influenced by” notes on his website, and there is no other place it belongs than as one of the best records of 2010.
Flying Lotus is one of a handful of electronic artists who have a distinct and completely recognizable sound, so much so that within seconds you know it is FlyLo production (as evidenced by his guest work in 2010 on Andreya Triana, Jose James & Gonjasufi’s records). The fact that he continues to move far beyond that signature sound is a testament to the talent that exists within the mind and heart of Mr. Ellison. Here on Cosmogramma he adds finely textured strings, clearly feeling inspired by his “auntie” Alice Coltrane, and more explicitly jazz inflected samples and aesthetics into what is an even deeper, more expansive and thrilling collection of music than his previous album Los Angeles. At the time I thought that record was the perfect album to drive around LA in the early morning hours, this one trumps it significantly.
This was another record that on first listen I was not particularly impressed with. Being a massive fan of Dungen, I was hotly anticipating this release. When it arrived, I thought it was solid, but there were no songs that stood out. I was ranking it behind Dungen’s previous records, 2007’s Tio Batar and 2008’s IV. In a similar fashion to the El Guincho record, it was during a trip down to Long Beach that I actually compared the three records and surprisingly found that not only is Skit I Allt the most cohesive and consistent of the last three releases from Dungen, it also turned out to be the most enjoyable listen for me. Few records in recent memory have had so much epic sounding material as this release. Part of the appeal of Dungen is the incredible attention to sound that Gustav Ejstes and crew bring out, especially on the drums. Also part of the appeal is the fact that clearly this is a group that enjoys making music together. Some of that is wrapped up in the title. I’m really surprised that not once have I said the album title on the air. Since “Skit I Allt” means “Fuck It All” in Swedish, I’d be in violation of FCC regulations (which cover “foreign” languages in the same way they cover English). But the “fuck it all” here is more of a celebratory exclamation than a nihilistic resignation, and that was most welcome in 2010.
A Sufi & A Killer certainly was the most interesting and challenging release I heard in 2010, a wild mix of psych, trip/hip-hop, stoner rock, punk and middle eastern music courtesy of Gonjasufi & Gaslamp Killer (with a few assists from Flying Lotus and others). The album doesn’t even sound like reality. It sounds like a fever dream brought about from being in the desert too long. Everything is distorted, pushed far into the red. Similar to his live sets at venues like Low End Theory, Gaslamp Killer’s production choices are truly eclectic and inspiring, mining material from all over the globe from the 1960s/1970s and creating something truly distinct. If this record had just been instrumental it STILL might have ended up on this list, but thankfully it also includes vocals from Gonjasufi. Gonjasufi’s voice is at times grating, sometimes a bit menacing, at other times comforting or even loving on a few tracks. It’s pretty extraordinary how flexible that instrument is. It’s no small feat to go from sounding like a male version of Billie Holiday, and then become HR from Bad Brain’s little brother and later morph into someone’s irate grandfather, but Gonjasufi accomplishes that and more. Fascinating talent all around involved here.
All this week on Melting Pot we’re taking a look back at the best music in 2010. Today’s post focuses on the best reissues of the year. 2010 was another solid year for reissues, with some great anniversary collections, more unearthed previously unreleased material from legendary performers and musical discoveries from all over the globe. Here is my list of the top 5 reissues I heard in 2010, let me know what you think and what was in your own top 5!
***Honorable Mentions: Groove Merchant 20 (Ubiquity), Miles Davis – Bitches Brew 40th Anniversary (Sony Legacy), Iggy & the Stooges – Raw Power (Sony Legacy), Afrosound of Colombia (Vampi Soul), Black Man’s Cry: Influence and Inspiration of Fela Kuti (Now-Again), The World Ends: Afro Rock & Psychedelia in 1970s Nigeria (Soundway)
5. TL Barrett & the Youth For Christ Choir – Like A Ship – Light In The Attic
I first heard TL Barrett on the Good God collection that is also on this list. “Like A Ship” sent me soaring as I drove home during the early morning hours after my now defunct KCRW show. Later in 2010 Light In The Attic had the good sense to reissue to whole LP, and even threw in a 7” too. The “real” story of TL Barrett is more complicated than perhaps it should have been, but there’s no doubting the power of this music. Few releases this year sent more shivers down my spine than this one. Automatic uplift when you give this a spin.
I’ve already said quite a bit about this one. When I first got the promo for this collection in Dec. 2009, I knew it was golden, with so many fantastic and funky gospel tracks. One of my fondest memories from KCRW was being able to play “I’m Drunk & I’m Real High” on Morning Becomes Eclectic and having some one take note saying something to the effect of “Gospel? On MBE? Awesome!” Indeed it is.
3. Jimi Hendrix – West Coast Seattle Boy – Experience Hendrix
As a major Hendrix fan I am completely flabbergasted that here 10 years into the 21st century we are STILL discovering unreleased Hendrix tunes! My hope is that in 2011 we get full instrumental versions of the classic Experience records…until then there is “Are You Experienced” and the mountains of unreleased and alternate material on this exceptional collection from the greatest guitarist to ever walk the face of the earth.
2. Syl Johnson – The Complete Mythology – Numero Group
The Complete Mythology deserves to be on this list just for the amount of work that the Numero group put into the packaging. Gorgeous LP sized booklet, with loads of rare pictures and great stories (I still can’t get over the fact that that’s Minnie Ripperton laughing on “Different Strokes”!), then there’s the inspired choice to release the music on both CDs and LPs instead of offering separate boxsets. As noted in my review, the really exceptional thing about this project is the re-negotiating of royalties for Syl. With this collection, the legacy of this undervalued soul singer is all but assured for many generations to come.
1. Sound Of Siam: Leftfield Luk Thung, Jazz & Molam in Thailand 1964-1975 – Soundway
I’ve barely had a chance to play this comp. on the radio show, but to me it was the biggest revelation and included some of the most astounding sounds I heard all year. Yet another market for diggers is opened up by the folks at Soundway. Absolutely amazing!
All this week I’m taking a look back at 2010, beginning with a look at my top 5 vinyl records I dug up in 2010. Last year was a very good year in terms of rebuilding my collection. Since my big sell off in 2004, vinyl has always been on my mind, but this last year was the first since then that really started to see my collection grow again. I had a solid year diggin’ in local record stores and also a really productive year on Ebay. This list is only comprised of things found in actual physical stores, make sure you keep on supporting your own independent vinyl suppliers!
Much like last year, nothing insanely rare here, just really solid records, all of which I’d never heard until tracking them down this year. I’ll likely be spinning a couple of these this Saturday as I do guest set over at the legendary Funky Sole weekly in Echo Park.
So, here they are, my top 5 LP and 45 finds of 2010, I’d love to know what records you tracked down this past year, let me know what YOU dug up in 2010!!!
***Honorable Mentions: Willie Colon – Asalto Navideno Vol. 1 (in the sleeve for Vol. 2??!?) [Records LA, Los Angeles], Freddie Roach – My People (Soul People) [As The Record Turns, Hollywood], Don “Soul Train” Campbell – “Campbell Lock” 45 (super scratchy copy) [Bagatelle Records, Long Beach], Rico Rodriguez – Man From Wareika [Atomic Records, Burbank], Zoo – Zoo [San Francisco Antique Mall, San Francisco], The 8th Day – “It’s Instrumental To Be Free” 45 [Bagatelle Records], Arnold Bean – Cosmic Bean [As The Record Turns, Hollywood]
I predicted in August that this one might go down as one of my best finds of the year, and indeed that was the case. Had it been a UK version, I likely would have felt compelled to throw it up on Ebay to see what the “flip” rate would be, since those copies go for upwards of $600. US versions run considerably less, between $50-100, but at $6 it’s still a steal and ultimately it’s the music that is most important.
4. Irene Reid – Dirty Old Man / Just Loving You – Old Town 7” [Bagatelle Records, Long Beach]
I might have actually dug this up originally in 2009, during one of many trips to Long Beach’s Bagatelle when there were tons of 45s on the shop floor. I was at the time systematically going through the stacks and came upon 6 or 7 copies of this 45, which were affordably priced at $7. Taking a quick listen confirmed what I thought looking at the label, “Dirty Old Man” was a nice slice of sister funk, with the flip side “Loving You” being a just as nice, though much blusier, track as well. At the time, I thought something along the lines of, “well I’m not worried about anyone buying all of these, I’ll just come back for them next month.”
I didn’t make it back to Bagatelle for several months and when I did I was shocked to find all of the 45 boxes gone. When I described the 45 to the owner he didn’t recall seeing it and said that since the 45s were now back in storage, it might never turn up. His promise of new 45s coming out onto the floor didn’t materialize for a good 4 or 5 months after this initial disappointment. At some point late in 2010 when I was about go through the “new” 45s, he walked up and handed me a copy of this 45. Lesson learned, if you track down a song you dig, don’t dilly-dally, pick it up!
3. Jeffrey Simmons – Naked Angels: Original Soundtrack – Straight [Groove Merchant, San Francisco]
Didn’t mention too much about this one the first time around because I was very very busy. It actually took a great find to land this great find. I had picked up a Winston Turner LP at the Record Recycler in Torrance for $4 or so, and ended up trading that for this and a Minutemen LP with Cool Chris at Groove Merchant. So basically that means I got an LP that generally runs from $50-100, for $4. I’m a big fan of biker movie soundtracks (though not really a fan of biker movies), but had never seen or heard this one until hearing it at Groove Merchant. While it doesn’t have the funky consistency of the Hell’s Belles soundtrack (which I finally tracked down via Ebay), it does have several massive breaks spread throughout a surprisingly diverse collection of rock solid instrumentals.
2. The Ray Camacho Group – Salsa Chicana – California Records [Records LA]
Not much else to say about this one, just have to chalk it up to good DJ karma. I spent maybe 20 minutes at the store that day. Had I walked in 30 minutes earlier or later, I probably wouldn’t have even known this record was even there. From what I’ve been able to research since, it seems like there are even rarer Camacho records out there, but from what I’ve heard so far, THIS one remains the funkiest of the bunch.
1. Jun Mayuzumi – Black Room / Angel Love – Capitol 7” [Records LA]
By far this was the top record I picked up this year. I was absolutely floored when Scott Craig put up a youtube clip of this 45 on Records LA’s facebook page letting people know he had a copy of this and some other choice numbers from Japan. Hearing it that first time was like a bolt of lightning striking me, though now I’m pretty sure I’d heard the song way back in my KALX days. Unable to get to his store for a couple of days after the original message, I was convinced that someone else would have claimed this monster, but as luck would have it, it was still there. The price was a fairly hefty $45, but considering this 45 goes for close to $100 on Ebay, still seems like a deal. To me, being able to hear that breakdown with Jun’s voice and just those drums, makes this one a priceless find.
Also just had to share this clip of some Japanese B-Boys battling to this song. I love how the winning crew bests their rivals not by having particularly slick moves, but through a thorough knowledge of the song and some playful acting, that’s so good even the DJ (in a Suicidal Tendencies hat no less) has to give it up to them mid-song.
With only two hours on the air at KPFK, I decided to add an additional web only set of music that I would have loved to have fit into my Best of 2010 program, but just didn’t have the time. So you have 3+ hours of music, all my favorite releases from last year (plus a couple from 2009 that made their way to me in mid-2010). All this week I’ll be focusing on the best music from 2010 with posts on the best reissues, new releases, vinyl finds and best songs of the past year. Enjoy!
Melting Pot’s Best of 2010: Honorable Mentions (Web Only Mix)
{opening theme} Booker T & the MGs – Melting Pot – Melting Pot (Stax)
~~~~ Break ~~~~
The Pepper Pots – Dream Guy – Now! (Black Pepper)
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings – The Game Gets Old – I Learned The Hard Way (Daptone)
Versus – Gone To Earth – On The Ones & Threes (Merge)
Total Babe – (Mission Hills Country Club Wall Of) Champions – Heatwave EP (SoTm)
Betty & the Werewolves – David Cassidy – Teatime Favourites (Damaged Goods)
Neverever – Blue Genes – Angelic Swells (Slumberland)
Cumbia En Moog – Cumbia De Sal – Afrosound of Columbia (Vampi Soul)
~~~~ Break ~~~~
Quantic & his Flowering Inferno – Cumbia Sobre El Mar – Dog With A Rope (Tru Thoughts)
Bastien Lallemant – La Plage – Le Verger (L’autre)
Sun Kil Moon – Bay Of Skulls – Admiral Fell Promises (Caldo Verde)
The National – England – High Violet (4ad)
Andreya Triana – Draw The Stars – Lost Where I Belong (Ninja Tune)
The Lijadu Sisters – Life’s Gone Down Low – The World Ends (Soundway)
Fela Kuti – Equalization of Trouser and Pant – Opposite People/Sorrow, Tears and Blood (Knitting Factory)
~~~~ Break ~~~~
Phirpo y Sus Caribes – Comencemos – Black Man’s Cry (Now-Again)
Corin Tucker Band – Doubt – 1,000 Years (Kill Rock Stars)
The Walkmen – Victory – Lisbon (Fat Possum)
Zion I – The Sun Came Out – Atomic Clock (Gold Dust)
Adam Franklin & Bolts Of Melody – Carousel City – I Could Sleep For A Thousand Years (Second Motion)
Atlas Sound – Terrarrium – Bedroom Databank (Self-released)
~~~~ Break ~~~~
Cut Chemist – Eastside (excerpt) – Sound Of The Police (A Stable Sound)
KPFK’s Melting Pot Best of 2010 Playlist:
Little Brother – 24 feat. Torae – Left Back (HOJ)
Ada Richards – I’m Drunk & I’m Real High – Good God!: Born Again Funk (Numero)
Ana Tijoux – 1977 – 1977 (Nacional)
M.I.A. – Born Free – MAYA (NEET/Interscope)
Dum Dum Girls – It Only Takes One Night – I Will Be (Sub Pop)
Jimi Hendrix – Are You Experienced? (Instrumental) – West Coast Seattle Boy (Experience Hendrix)
~~~~ Break ~~~~
Real Estate – Reservoir – Out Of Tune 7” (True Panther Sounds)
Francoiz Breut – Les Jounes Pousses – Recorded Live On Melting Pot At KPFK
Gonjasufi – Sheep – A Sufi & A Killer (Warp)
Charlotte Gainsbourg – IRM – IRM (Warner Bros.)
Black Milk – Deadly Medley – Album Of The Year (Fat Beats)
Syl Johnson – Soul Heaven – Complete Mythology (Numero)
~~~~ Break ~~~~
Syl Johnson – I Resign – Complete Mythology (Numero)
Chicano Batman – Itotiani – Chicano Batman (Club Unicornio)
Chaweewan Dumnern – Sao Lam Plearn – Sound Of Siam (Soundway)
Aloe Blacc – Miss Fortune – Good Things (Stones Throw)
Ron Forella – Crystals – Groove Merchant 20 (Luv n’ Haight/Ubiquity)
~~~~ Break ~~~~
3 Titans feat. The Menahan Street Band – College – 7” (Dunham/Daptone)
TL Barrett & The Youth For Christ Choir – Like A Ship – Like A Ship (Light In The Attic)
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – Moments – Heritage EP (Choice Cuts)
Myron & E with The Soul Investigators – On Broadway – 7” (Timmion)
Best Coast – Boyfriend – Crazy For You (Mexican Summer)
Polar Bear – Happy For You – Peepers (Leaf)
~~~~ Break ~~~~
The Spectrals – Seventh Date – 7” (Slumberland)
The Strange Boys – Between Us – Be Brave (In The Red)
The Black Keys – Never Gonna Give You Up – Brothers (Nonesuch)
Jose James feat. Jordana De Lovely – Love Conversation – Black Magic (Brownswood)
Quadron – Baby Be Mine – Recorded Live On Melting Pot At KPFK
Ikonika – Yoshimitzu – 12” (Hyperdub)
~~~~ Break ~~~~
Broken Social Scene – Sentimental X’s – Forgiveness Rock Record (Arts & Crafts)
Flying Lotus – Zodiac Shit – Cosmogramma (Warp)
Dungen – Soda – Skit I Allt (Kemado)
Bonobo – El Toro – Black Sands (Ninja Tune)
El Guincho – Bombay – Pop Negro (Young Turks)
~~~~ Break ~~~~
{closing theme} Dungen – Blandband – Skit I Allt (Kemado)
{This marks the final post of 2010 for Melting Pot, we’ll return on Jan. 3rd with a Breakdown of our Best of 2010 radio show and posts on the top reissues, vinyl finds, songs and releases of 2010, see you in the New Year!!!}
Last show of 2010 was focused on some of the best records I tracked down over the year. Most were from stores around LA, including Records LA, Atomic, Bagatelle, Amoeba, Record Recycler, As The Record Turns, and of course the venerable Groove Merchant in SF. Had a really productive Ebay season as well, tracking down a number of records I’d been looking for quite some time. Even with this haul, based on this pace, it will take me 30 years to get my collection back to 3,000-4,000 that it was at at the beginning of this century! I think instead I’ll go for quality over quantity…Hope you enjoy the show, next week I take another look back at 2010, playing my picks for the best music released throughout the year.
{opening theme} Booker T & the MGs – Melting Pot – Melting Pot (Stax)
~~~~ Break ~~~~
Captain Beefheart – On Tomorrow – Strictly Personal (Blue Thumb)
Howlin’ Wolf – Smokestack Lightnin’ – The Howlin’ Wolf Album (Cadet Concept)
Antonio Carlos e Jocafi – Hipnose – Voce Abusou (RCA)
Leigh Stephens – Another Dose Of Life – Red Weather (Phillips)
Zoo – Mammouth – Zoo (Mercury)
~~~~ Break ~~~~
The Runaways – Drive Me Wild – The Runaways (Mercury)
The Flamin’ Groovies – Teenage Head – Teenage Head (Kama Sutra)
Freddie King – Going Down – Getting Ready (Scepter)
Toussaint McCall – Shimmy – 7” (Ronn)
Toni Tornado – Bochechuda – Toni Tornado (Odeon)
The Pretty Things – Cries From The Midnight Circus – Parachute (Rare Earth)
Haircut & the Impossibles – Sock It My Way – Call It Soul (Somerset)
~~~~ Break ~~~~
The Contortions – Bedroom Athlete – Buy The Contortions (Ze)
James Brown – You Mother You – Sho Is Funky Down Here (King)
Ginger Ale – The Seventh Floor – 7” (Pip)
Gal Costa – Hotel Das Estrellas – LeGal (Phillips)
Tim Weisberg – Tyme Cube – Hurtwood Edge (A&M)
~~~~ Break ~~~~
Rotary Connection – Life Could – Aladdin (Cadet Concept)
Juan Pablo Torres y Algo Nuevo – Y Que Bien – Super Son (Arieto)
Rastus – Sailin’ Easy – Rastus (GRT)
Arnold Bean – I Can See Through You – Cosmic Bean (SSS International)
The Minutemen – June 16th – Double Nickels On The Dime (SST)
~~~~ Break ~~~~
The Minutemen – The Product – Buzz or Howl Under The Influence (SST)
Les Baxter – Hot Wind – Hell’s Belles: OST (Sidewalk)
Jun Mayuzumi – Black Room – 7” (Capitol)
The Steve Karmen Big Band feat. Jimmy Radcliffe – Breakaway Pt. 1 – 7” (UA)
Franciene Thomas – I’ll Be There – 7” (Tragar)
Los Apson – Por Tu Amor – Satisfaccion (Peerless)
The Small Faces – Rollin Over – Ogden’s Nut Got Flake (Compleat)
Jeffrey Simmons – Naked Angels Theme – Naked Angels: OST (Straight)
~~~~ Break ~~~~
Roberto Carlos – Nao Vou Ficar – Roberto Carlos (CBS)
Ray Camacho Group – Si Se Puede – Salsa Chicana (Luna)
Love – Between Clark and Hilldale – Forever Changes (Elektra)
Battered Ornaments – Sunshades – Mantle Piece (Harvest)
~~~~ Break ~~~~
{closing theme} Kenny Baker – Mississippi Waltz – Plays Bill Monroe (County)
