Posted on Dig Deep

Dig Deep: Los Dinamicos – El Cacahuatero – Caytronics (1972)

Los Dinamicos – Esta Llorando El Cielo
Los Dinamicos – El Huapillon
Los Dinamicos – Prendan El Radio

This post marks my first request, more or less, here on Melting Pot. A commenter had mentioned that they dug one of the tracks from this record but couldn’t find it, so I figured I’d throw it up in a Dig Deep post. If there is ever something from one of the vinyl only shows I do on KPFK that you dig, just let me know. Not having a working library at KPFK, I really miss being able to do requests, so I’m more than happy to do them here.

I don’t know much of anything about this group. I found the record at Amoeba Hollywood in their latin section, which features a ton of obscured groups from the 1970s, in many cases on sealed vinyl. In most cases these records are filled with rancheras or sub-standard balladas, but I happened to get lucky with this on, released in 1972 on Caytronics. (I was going off of the year and this picture on the back in thinking this might be a solid LP)

These dudes do in fact look dynamic!
These dudes do in fact look dynamic!

Los Dinamicos were a big group, with a horn section and a organ player as the lead soloist. Most of the tracks on the album are cumbias, a few are decent, virtually all feature the singer throwing out choice phrases like “Si Senor!” “Asi!” “Rico!” “Que Barbaro!” and “Con Los Dinamicos A Gozar!” “El Huapillon” has a nice kind of latin soul pseudo-breakdown (in that the same rhythm keeps going in the background) with the horns and the organ about midway, “Prendan El Radio” has a very boogaloo-ish handclap section too.

My fave on the record, and the track that sparked this request (also one that the dudes in Chicano Batman were digging on when they came to KPFK) is a ballada with a big beat “Esta Lloranda El Cielo.” The song begins with this downright spooky organ before the guitars and percussion slide in. Vocals are predicatably over the top, but man I do love that sound.

Cheers,

Michael

Posted on Ephemera

In Heavy Rotation: Black Milk – Album Of The Year – Fat Beats

Black Milk – Deadly Medley (feat. Royce Da 5’9″ and Elzhi)

You might think the title of this record was straight Hip-Hop 101 braggadocio, but instead, as best I can gather, it’s simply meant to represent the album as a single year in the life of Detroit MC Black Milk. Black Milk has changed things up from record to record, this one produced with a fair amount of live instrumentation. To my ears, based off of the year so far in Hip-Hop, the title might indeed refer to more than just the last 365 days in Black Milk’s life.  This one just might be the best Hip-Hop record of 2010.

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Be Our Guest: Francoiz Breut on KPFK’s Melting Pot

Francoiz Breut performs at KPFK

Francoiz Breut on KPFK’s Melting Pot: 10-3-2010 (Recorded 9-29-2010)

Francoiz Breut has been for sometime now one of my favorite singers, in any language. I’ve been a fan of her’s since first hearing 2000’s Vingt à Trente Mille Jours while at KALX in Berkeley. I’d always hoped to get a chance to interview her and tape a live session, but figured she’d never make it out to the states. I was surprised and immensely thankful to receive an e-mail from singer Marianne Dissard a couple weeks ago asking whether or not I’d be interested in interviewing Francoiz and taping a live session before her performance in LA on Oct. 5th (this show has since been moved from the now closed Echo Curio to Echo Park guitar shop The Fretted Frog, Oct. 5th at 8pm, cover = $10).

Francoiz Breut at KPFK

The interview covers the experience of performing for fans who often don’t understand your lyrics, her first foray into writing her own lyrics and a bit about the creative process, not only as a musician but also as an illustrator. Big thanks to Marianne Dissard for not only setting everything up, but especially for translating English to French and back again!

During our session Francoiz performed four songs, all from her most recent record “A L’aveuglette,” they are (in order of performance) “L’etincelle Ou La Contrainte Du Feu,” “A L’aveuglette,” “2013” and “Les Jeunes Pousses,” which remains one of my favorite songs of this decade. Special thanks to Stan Misraje from KPFK for doing such an exceptional job with the sound.

Francoiz Breut & Marianne Dissard with KPFK's Michael Barnes
Francoiz Breut and Marianne Dissard with KPFK's Michael Barnes
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Breakdown: October 3rd on KPFK’s Melting Pot

Really had a lot of fun putting together this week’s show. Things start out rockin’ with one of my favorite records, The Flamin’ Groovies “Flamingo” and keep on a rockin’ for most of the first half, including new tracks from Frankie Rose & the Outs, Fabienne Del Sol, and Real Estate. From there things go all over the place with more newness from El Guincho, Laetitia Sadier, Flying Lotus, DarkStar, Belleruche, and Black Milk. The star of the show is Francoiz Breut, who came in earlier in the week to perform a couple of songs and do an interview with yours truly which takes up most of the second hour of the program. Thanks to interpreting from Marianne Dissard my inability to speak French only slightly got in the way of a very nice interview and a knockout performance. Enjoy!

Melting Pot on KPFK #17: First Hour
Melting Pot on KPFK #17: Second Hour

Playlist: 10-3-2010

{opening theme} Booker T. & the MGs – Melting Pot – Melting Pot (Stax)

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Flamin’ Groovies – Gonna Rock Tonight – Flamngo (Kama Sutra)
The Black Lips – Take My Heart – 200 Million Thousand (Vice)
Frankie Rose & the Outs – Don’t Tread – Frankie Rose & the Outs (Slumberland)
Fabienne Del Sol – I Feel So Blue – On My Mind (Damaged Goods)
Belle & Sebastian – Write About Love – Write About Love (Matador)
Orgone – Cruel Intentions – Killion Vaults (Ubiquity)

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Real Estate – Reservoir – Out Of Tune 7” (True Panther Sounds)
Versus – Into Blue – On The Ones & Threes (Merge)
Belleruche – Fuzz Face – 270 Stories (Tru Thoughts)
Ceu – Sonambulo – Vagarosa (Six Degrees)
Laetitia Sadier – One Million Year Trip – The Trip (Drag City)
Jacky Chalard – L’agonie – Je Suis Vivant, Mais J’ai Peur De Gilbert Deflez (Finders Keepers)

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The Morning Benders – Outlaw Blues – Subterranean Homesick Blues: A Tribute To Bob Dylan’s Bringing It All Back Home (Reimagine)
DJ Shadow – I’ve Been Trying – The New Futility 12” (Self-released)
Darkstar – Gold – 12” (Hyperdub)
El Guincho – Ghetto Facil – Pop Negro (Young Turks)
Black Milk – Deadly Medley feat. Royce Da 5’9” and Elzhi – Record Of The Year (Fat Beats)
Flying Lotus – Clay – Pattern + Grid World (Warp)

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Francoiz Breut – Mots Croises – A l’aveuglette (T-rec)
Francoiz Breut – Performance and Interview at the KPFK Studios

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Francoiz Breut – Mouhoir De Poche- A l’aveuglette (Groove Attack)
Marianne Dissard – Flashback – L’entreduex (Self Released)
Nico – Little Sister – Chelsea Girls (Verve)
Aloe Blacc – Femme Fatale – Good Things (Stones Throw)

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{closing theme} Dungen – C. Visar Vagen – Tio Batar (Kemado)

Posted on Dig Deep

Dig Deep: Freddie King – Getting Ready… – Shelter (1971)

"Going Down" is one of the baddest songs ever...just ask Kenny "F***in'" Powers!

Freddie King – Going Down
Freddie King – Palace Of The King
Freddie King – Keys To The Highway

With the return of Eastbound & Down, and the return of its dysfunctional anti-hero Kenny Powers, it makes good sense to post up this album from Freddie King. “Eastbound” uses the opening of King’s “Going Down” to great effect (as if the show wasn’t cool enough on the merits of Danny McBride’s work as “KFP”, Wayne Kramer of the MC5 is the music director!) in the opening credits and seeing it there reminded me of what a powerful and distinctive song it truly is.

Of the three “Kings” of the blues, Freddie King is probably the most underrated, producing a few hits (“Hideaway” perhaps the biggest), but never reaching quite the same heights as B.B & Albert King. But sweet Jesus, Holy Christ almighty did he and the crew hit the ball way out of the park with “Going Down” on this album, his debut for Leon Russell’s Shelter Records in 1971.

Under the direction of Don Nix and Russell, King fronts a band that includes Donald “Duck” Dunn from Booker T & the MGs and two drummers on virtually all tracks, for that extra bit of bottom. I’m not sure I’ve heard a better, more driving, funkier blues song in my life than “Going Down”. There is simply no way to control the head nodding that this song produces driven by those twin drummers, that furious pounding on the piano by Russell, that underlining fuzz and those cutting notes from Freddie King. Back in the early 1990s when I used to host a blues show on Album 88 called “Crossroads” this was one of the few tracks that I simply had to play every couple of months, its just such a monster of a track, it needs to be heard and heard as loud as possible.

In addition to badly needing a reminder of just how exceptional “Going Down” is, I was also reaquainted with a couple of other funky tracks from this LP. “Palace Of The King” sounds almost like a Funkadelic production from the same era, with upbeat rhythm punctuated by the fuzz guitar as Freddie runs down a story of how much the world loves his blues, but no place is quite like home in Texas. “Keys To The Highway” has a slower tempo, but remains heavy thanks to those twin drums and those slicing guitar lines from King.

Cheers,

Michael

Posted on Radio

Francoiz Breut @ KPFK + US Tour Dates

Francoiz Breut @ KPFK

{Update: Due to the untimely closing of Echo Curio, the Los Angeles performance on Oct. 5th has been moved to 8pm at the Fretted Frog in Echo Park}

Earlier today I taped a session with one of my favorite singers (even though I don’t speak French, I still “feel” everything she sings) Francoiz Breut at KPFK, which we’ll be broadcasting this Sunday on Melting Pot (and archiving here on the blog thereafter). I wanted post a little something just in case any of you are in the cities that Francoiz will be touring (especially Bay Area peeps!) before she comes back down here to LA for one of her last shows on this all too brief tour. This is actually the first time Francoiz has done a multi-city tour of the US, so catch her while you can, along with the equally talented Marianne Dissard. “Les Jounes Pousses” was one of four songs Francoiz and her guitarist Stephane performed today. This mix is a little raw, but I think it has a very disarming quality to it, as if it were recorded by happenstance late one night amongst friends, clearly (based off of the howl after the first verse) under a full moon.

Francoiz Breut – Les Jeunes Pousses (Recorded Live At KPFK)

Francoiz Breut & Marianne Dissard US Tour 2010

Sept. 29th @ Steynberg Gallery – San Luis Obispo, CA
Sept. 30th @ Hotel Utah – San Francisco, CA
Oct. 1st @ Sam Bond’s Garage – Eugene, OR
Oct. 2nd @ Lola’s Room – Portland, OR
Oct. 3rd @ Triple Door – Seattle, WA
Oct. 5th @ Originally scheduled for Echo Curio, Moved to the Fretted Frog – Los Angeles, CA
Oct. 6th @ Trunk Space – Phoenix, AZ
Oct. 7th @ Raven Café – Prescott, AZ

Posted on Ephemera

In Heavy Rotation: Laetitia Sadier – The Trip – Drag City

Laetitia Sadier – Un Soir, Un Chien

I’ve had the French on my mind a lot this week, with one of my favorite French singers, Francoiz Breut, making her way to Los Angeles. Recently another favored daughter of France released new music, Laetitia Sadier, with a solo record on Drag City titled the Trip. Sadier, like Breut, is one of those artists that can virtually do no wrong in my book. It’s not just talent, it’s also the fact that they make very good choices in terms of representing themselves in their music. For long-time fans of Stereolab or Sadier’s side project Monade, this solo album mines similar enough territory. One of the more interesting sonic excursions on the new disc is “Un Soir, Un Chien,” which finds Sadier lovingly crooning and talking in French over a surprisingly funky mid-tempo electro disco beat.

Posted on Radio

Be Our Guest: Chicano Batman on KPFK’s Melting Pot

Chicano Batman perform live on KPFK's Melting Pot!

This past Sunday I had the distinct pleasure of spending almost an hour with Los Angeles’ very own Chicano Batman. Bardo, Eduardo & Gabriel did a 25+ minute acoustic set and then came into the studio with me to chat about the band and music in general.

(From L to R) Eduardo, Gabriel & Bardo of Chicano Batman at KPFK

Chicano Batman released an album earlier in the year on Club Unicornio that’s one of the best independent releases of 2010 from an LA artist. Their style draws upon 1970s Chicano/Latino music as well as Tropicalia and Soul, whipped into a unique and inspiring mix. For this set, they went all acoustic, playing 4 songs live, featuring Bardo & Eduardo on guitars and vocals with Gabriel on percussion and vocals. I’m already looking forward to bringing them back in the not too distant future with the full set up including that righteous casio keyboard featured on the LP, a couple of tracks of which are featured during this set, “La Samaona” and “Itotiani”.

Chicano Batman on Melting Pot 09-26-10: Performance
Chicano Batman on Melting Pot 09-26-10: Interview

Here’s some video that the boys shot of them performing the song “Pomegranate Tree” live at KPFK during this show:

Posted on Radio

Breakdown: September 26 on KPFK’s Melting Pot

It was hot enough to melt vinyl yesterday in Los Angeles…thankfully all my records made it safely on the air and back home for my end of the month all vinyl affair. I was also massively thankful that Chicano Batman came into the KPFK studios for a performance and interview, just about taking the entire second hour of the program. I was having such a good time I completely lost track of time and didn’t even get to play my usual closing theme from Kenny Baker for these vinyl shindigs. I also had to cut “Party Man” from the Inner Drive short, I’ll make up for that during October’s all vinyl show (tentatively featuring a guest set from Scott Craig of Records LA!), which will be on Oct. 24th instead of the end of the month, so that I can do a Halloween Special on Oct. 31st. In addition to the performance and interview from Chicano Batman (check the whole 2nd hour for that) you get some newer wax from Black Milk, Myron & E + the Soul Investigators and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and classic tracks from Charlie Musselwhite, Max Roach and an absolute stunner from Irma Thomas that leads off the show!

Melting Pot on KPFK #16: First Hour
Melting Pot on KPFK #16: Second Hour

Playlist: 09-26-2010

{opening theme} Boris Gardiner – Melting Pot – Is What’s Happening (Dynamic)

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Irma Thomas – Coming From Behind / Wish Someone Would Care – In Between Tears (Charly
Los Dinamicos – Esta Llorando El Cielo – El Cacahuatero (Caytronics)
Charlie Musselwhite – No More Lonely Nights – Stand Back! (Vanguard)
High Society Brothers – The Devil Gives Me Everything Except What I Need – 7” (Timmion)

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Myron & E with the Soul Investigators – It’s A Shame – 7” (Timmion)
Machito – Green Onions – Machito Goes To Memphis (RCA)
Gal Costa – Divino Maravilhoso – Gal Costa (Phillips)
Gang Of Four – 5:45 – Entertainment (WB)
The Soul Investigators – On Broadway – 7” (Timmion)

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Black Milk – Welcome – 12” (Fat Beats)
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – Water – Heritage EP (Choice Cuts)
Max Roach – Let Thy People Go – Lift Every Voice And Sing (Atlantic)
Freddie Roach – Drunk – My People (Prestige)

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Chicano Batman Live Performance and Interview

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The Inner Drive – Party Man – 7” (Zodiac)

Posted on Dig Deep

Dig Deep: Mel Brown – The Wizard – Impulse! (1968)

Mel Brown – Swamp Feet
Mel Brown – Ode To Billie Joe
Mel Brown – African Sweets

I can’t remember exactly where I first got a copy of this record, back in the mid 1990s. I’m thinking it was either at Red, Beans & Rice or Wuxtry records. At the time I was really into jazz and was working on collecting Impulse records. The copy I used to own was super cheap, maybe $5, but it also wasn’t in particularly great shape, but I just loved the colors, design and the title. It just seemed like it might be a really great soul-jazz record. I was more than happy with the results when I finally dropped the needle on the scratchy wax and had been looking for a better conditioned copy ever since. Finally tracked down a minty one at Amoeba Hollywood and now I can share it with you.

Mel Brown was a blues guitarist, primarily, spending sometime with Johnny Otis before releasing a series of very solid albums on Impulse in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Towards the end of his stint on Impulse he became associated with Bobby “Blue” Bland. The Wizard is his best of the 6 or 7 records he cut for Impulse (though a couple tracks from 1971’s “Fifth” might be his best work). It’s got a really sensational sound, in Brown’s guitar, but especially in the percussion and drums, which I am fairly sure must be provided by “Pretty” Purdie. The production keeps things very, very punchy with a slight echo too. It’s that sound that draws you in immediately with “Ode To Billie Joe.” I’m not too big on jazz covers of “pop” tunes, but, as Frank Kofsky mentions in the notes, this is a great cover of the original, something just dying to be sampled. Also included above are “Swamp Fever” and “African Sweets” which feature some pretty samplerific drum breaks too, making this perhaps the funkiest record that was ever cut on Impulse.

Cheers,

Michael

Posted on Ephemera

Giveaway: Dungen @ the Echoplex September 25

foto credit: Carl Abrahamsson

Of all the current bands who play styles of music clearly influenced by the 1960s, Dungen probably does it best. As I mentioned before, Dungen is one of my favorite current bands, the fact that they are not a bigger band in the US can only be chalked up to frontman Gustav Ejstes insistence to sing all of his lyrics in Swedish. They are an exceptional band on record and live as the video below from a performance at Big Sur will attest. They’ll be in Los Angeles this Saturday for the Waved Out II fest going on at the Echo & the Echoplex. Dungen headlines and will be playing in the Echoplex Saturday night. If you’d like to go courtesy of Melting Pot, drop me a line (michael[at]meltingpotblog.com) before Friday at 12noon!!!

Bonus treat, here’s the video for the title track off their brand new record “Skit I Allt”:

Posted on Ephemera

In Heavy Rotation: Bertrand Belin – Hyper Nuit – Cinq7/Wagram

Bertrand Belin – Nord De Tout

I’ve been waiting for what seems like forever to post some kind words about this record ever since I received an advance copy all the way back in July. Bertrand Belin is a French singer songwriter with some interesting sonic sensibilities. For the most part his sound (in terms of both the music and his vocals) is fairly reminiscent of recent work from Bill Callahan of Smog or at times Calexico (perhaps minus the horns), but something strange and a bit unexpected always seems to happen in the arrangements for these tracks on this his third full-length record “Hyper Nuit”.

“Nord de Tout” remains my favorite track, with this slow moving laconic beat on the drums, atmospheric phrasing from piano and guitars that for the most part roll through their notes for the entire song. About mid way through, all of the sudden, some woodwinds (or maybe mellotron/keyboards mimicing woodwinds) pipe up for a bit before fading back into the mix and things return back to main theme, which is interrupted again near the very end by twin guitars that seem to come out of nowhere but never wreck the mood. Beautiful work from one of my favorite contemporary international releases of the year.

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Breakdown: September 19 on KPFK’s Melting Pot

This week’s show begins with a song in loving honor to my grandmother who’s 85th birthday was Sunday, as well as my brother whose 43rd birthday would have been the same day. The Swan Silvertones are perhaps the greatest gospel vocal group of all-time. They remain a favorite of my grandmother’s and it seemed a fitting choice to begin things. That first set also features a song from an Atlanta group I miss dearly, Smoke, defunct for over 10 years now since frontman Benjamin’s passing. The song “Pretend” was originally released on 7″ and along with their song “Hank Aaron” is one of the few tracks from my college years that can almost bring me to tears.

We stayed mellow and contemplative for a bit in the beginning of the show, but eventually moved all over the place with new music Sun Kil Moon, Dungen, Axel Krygier, Betty & the Werewolves, Bilal, Belleruche, local favorites Chicano Batman (who will be our guest during next week’s all vinyl affair!) and Warpaint covering David Bowie.

This week we also had the third installment of “Side Dishes” with Oliver Wang of Soul-sides.com, at the start of the second hour. Playlists should be up tomorrow.

Melting Pot on KPFK #15: First Hour
Melting Pot on KPFK #15: Second Hour

Playlist: 9-19-2010

{opening theme} Booker T. & the MGs – Melting Pot – 7” (Stax)

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The Swan Silvertones – Amazing Grace – Get Right with the Swan Silvertones (Archives Alive)
Sun Kil Moon – Half Moon Bay – Admiral Fell Promises (Caldo Verde)
Smoke – Pretend – 7” (Colossal)
The Walkmen – Stranded – Lisbon (Fat Possum)
The Naked Angels – Toccata For Truck – The Naked Angels: Original Soundtrack (Straight)

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Dungen – Nasta Sommar – Skit I Allt (Kemado)
Belleruche – Ginger Wine – 270 Stories (Tru Thoughts)
Bilal – All Matter – Airtight’s Revenge (Plug Research)
Axel Krygier – Campo De Marte – Pesebre (Crammed Discs)
Chicano Batman – It’s A Baloon – Chicano Batman (Unicornio)
Dungen – Blandband – Skit I Allt (Kemado)

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El Guincho – Soca Del Eclipse – Pop Negro (Young Turks)
J-Rocc – Play This Too – Play This (One) 12” (Stones Throw)
Wganda Kenya – El Lobo – Palenque Palenque (Soundway)
Cut Chemist – West Side (excerpt) – Sound Of The Police (A Stable Sound)

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Side Dishes: September 2010 w/ Oliver Wang of Soul-Sides.com

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Betty & the Werewolves – David Cassidy – Tea Time Favourites (Damaged Goods)
Aloe Blacc – Green Lights – Good Things (Stones Throw)
Orgone – Done Deal – Killion Vaults (Ubiquity)
Blonde Redhead – My Plants Are Dead – Penny Sparkle (4ad)
The XX – Stars – XX (XL)
Salsoul Orchestra – Magic Bird Of Fire (Fire Bird Suite) – Walter Gibbons – Jungle Music: Mixed With Love: Essential & Unrelased Remixes 1976-1986 (Strut)

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War Paint – Ashes To Ashes – We Were So Turned On: A Tribute To David Bowie (Manimal Vinyl)
Davie Bowie – 1984 – Diamond Dogs (Virgin)
Fabienne Del Sol – On My Mind – On My Mind (Damaged Goods)

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{closing theme} Dungen – C. Visar Vagen – Tio Batar (Kemado)