Monday, February 27, 2006

Pistols say bollocks to Cleveland
Looks like the Sex Pistols won't be attending their induction into the Ohio-based Rock'N'Roll Hall of Fame next month.

"John Lydon has previously referred to it as the "Rock and Roll Hall of Shame", and, "a place where old rockers go to die".

The Sex Pistols' former bass player, Glen Matlock, told The Independent on Sunday yesterday it had been a unanimous decision by the band to steer clear. "It's nothing to do with the bands - it's all to do with business. When I first heard about it I was quite excited... but then I found I was going to have to pay thousands of pounds to take my kids." [

Jon Savage, the author of the definitive punk history, England's Dreaming, was unsurprised that the band had turned down the honour. "They are no friends of the music industry and they have always had an uneasy relationship with it. I think it's interesting that finally their influence is being recognised by the mainstream American music industry. America didn't do them any favours. They had a terrible time on tour there. At the end of the day the Sex Pistols were punk rockers, so what do people expect?"

gte the original press release from www.thefilthandthefury.co.uk.

Generated some funny headlines, tho...
Sex Pistols Flip Off Rock Hall
Sex Pistols Insult Rock Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame? A Rotten idea! Pistols refuse to pony up dough for award show
Punk rock - a breath of rotten air


Jay Dee's last days
"The untold story of the noted Detroit hip-hop producer's drive to make music in the face of life-threatening illness" Read it here.


Beatmaking videos... kinda heavy on the downloding, but you get Pete Rock making beats for Soul Survivor, Kanye West making a beat, Jay Z's Fade to Black studio sessions doc, Pharrell making and RnB beat, and Domino from Hieroglyphics making a beat with Sesame Street samples. (hat tip to Catchdubs)


Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Essential viewing for drum n bass heads
Via Boingboing - "This fascinating, brilliant 20-minute video narrates the history of the "Amen Break," a six-second drum sample from the b-side of a chart-topping single from 1969. This sample was used extensively in early hiphop and sample-based music, and became the basis for drum-and-bass and jungle music -- a six-second clip that spawned several entire subcultures. Nate Harrison's 2004 video is a meditation on the ownership of culture, the nature of art and creativity, and the history of a remarkable music clip. Link"
Update: Hirmes sends us a link to a mirror.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006



Farewell.
RIP Wi Kuki Kaa, noted Maori actor (Ngati, Utu, River Queen) - probably best known to music fans as the old fella in the Trinity Roots video for Little Things.
And RIP Ray Baretto, king of the hard hands.

... and something for all you Guns N Roses fans, a taster of the new album here...


ADDED- Happy ol uncle Hank Rollins is in doodoo with OZ authorities...

"According to News.com.au, American punk rock icon and writer Henry Rollins was reported to the National Security hotline during his recent Australian tour because of a book he was reading on a flight to Brisbane.

A furious Rollins was informed he was "nominated as a possible threat" for reading "Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam In Central Asia", writes Kathy McCabe.

The incident happened on a flight from Auckland on the recent Big Day Out tour.

Rollins told Australian fans during his tour that he received a letter from a "nice woman" who worked "in one of those government areas that deals with anti-terrorism matters."

He posted the letter on his website.

"Please tell your Government and everyone in your office to go f*ck themselves. Baghdad's safer than my hometown and your PM is a sissy," he wrote." Source.
John Howard vs Henry Rollins - who would win that fistfight?

Monday, February 20, 2006

Ring The Alarm playlist, BaseFM, February 18
Jackie Mittoo – Wall street
Ranking Joe – Don't follow Babylon
Booker T and the MGs – It's your thing
Sly vs Marvin – Aint no family affair
Joe Cuba sextet – Sock it to me
Pharoah Sanders - Astral travelling (Boozoo Bajou remix)
Jahmali - Fireman
Erykah Badu vs Junior Byles – Cut it out Badu
Junkyard band – The word
Wu Tang Clan – Uzi (Pinky ring) inst.
JBs – 40th anniversary mix
Marcia Griffiths- Feel like jumping
Yabby You – Turn me loose dub
Damian Marley - Khaki suit
Luis Bonfa – Jacaranda
DJ Bc- Beatles vs beasties – Ladies do love me
Darondo – Legs
Lloyd Charmers – Look-ka py py
Turbulence – Notorious
Jimmy London -I'm your puppet
DJ Riko – Mr Scruff vs Roots Manuva
Lee Scratch Perry and Dub Syndicate - Train to doomsville
Salmonella Dub – Platetechtonics (Groove corp remix)
Rose Royce – Bad mother funker
ODB and Macy Gray – Don't go breakin my heart (late tune for Valentines day)
Radio city – The hop

Friday, February 17, 2006

Do fries go with that shake?
Via Boingboing... "Wendy sez, "Great news for all you producers, DJs, and remixers: the Copyright Criminals Remix Contest over at ccMixter has been extended by two weeks, ending on March 14. Additionally, new vocal samples from influential rapper Chuck D (of Public Enemy) and pioneering funk musician George Clinton (of Parliament-Funkadelic) have been made available for use in the competition." Link

Thursday, February 16, 2006



The sweetest girl...
Clock these MP3 blogs, and feel the width...

One Louder (check "Back when NME was fab: C81" - love that Scritti tune), and Analog Giant (some politico stuff, but a good JDilla post with tunes if you scroll down).

Righto.

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Deaf Jam
Film maker Don Letts was in Toronto recently, for a retrospectiove of some of his films. Here's a writeup from Vibes and Stuff of the Q&A after his doco on Gil Scott Heron screened. Sounds very entertaining, not unlike the Q&A featured on the DVD extras for Letts' "Punk Attitude" doco.

Then this happens...

Snip... "The Q&A session started up well enough with some interesting queries, but as the questions started to become vague statements, a white-haired man proceeded to the front of the stage, shaking Letts’ hand. The man turned out to be notorious former Clash manager Bernie Rhodes, who apparently lives in Toronto now. In response to a barely audible question about swastikas and punk, Rhodes went on a rambling monologue on how he put together the Sex Pistols, The Clash, acid jazz and Def Jam(???).

Now I’ll give him some credit for at least being involved to some degree in the first two. But acid jazz and Def Jam? According to Rhodes, the reason Russell Simmons didn’t mention him in his recent biography was because Russell ‘didn’t want to give any credit to a white person’ for helping to start Def Jam. Hmm Rick Rubin anyone?"

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Mashed Lennon.
Via Boingboing - "DJ BC has released a second album of "Beastles" (Beatles/Beastie Boys) mashups called Let It Beast. dj BC is one of my all time favorite mashup artists, not least because I love both the Beatles and the Beasties and the way that he mixes them together brings new life to both. He clearly loves his source material dearly, and his treatment of them is playful, artistic, and totally danceable. I'm halfway through the new album, and I'm already in love, especially with Electrified Kite, a remix of "Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite" and "Electrify."
1. Ladies Do Love Me
2. Belly Movin
3. Buildin My Life
4. Electrified Kite
5. Let it Beast
6. Lovely NYC
7. Anna's MCs
8. Love You To Check It Out
9. Looking Down The Barrel of a Warm Gun
10. A Day in The Life of A Beastie Boy
This is dj BC's second Beastles album; the first one was just called "The Beastles" and it's up for download on the dj BC site as well. Link


ADDED - Doesn't seem to be working right now, try again later, maybe.

and check this great MP3 blogpost on Esther Phillips....

"... Originally known as Little Esther, Ms. Phillips was a soul chanteuse of the highest order -- and one of the grand pioneering voices of soul music. Her career stretched over four decades, several record labels (including a stint on Atlantic during the soul years), various bands, and a 16 year battle with heroin addiction that nearly destroyed her. It was after leaving rehabilitation that she recorded "Home Is Where The Hatred Is" for the Kudu label in 1971. Its powerful, nearly autobiographical anthem, makes it one of the most painfully beautiful soul records ever made..." More here. I've got a couple of her albums on Kudu, excellent stuff - also worth checking her version of Use Me (Bill Withers).

Monday, February 13, 2006

RIP J Dilla
Hiphop producer Jay Dee aka J Dilla has passed away. Working with the likes of Madlib, the Pharcyde, the Roots, Busta Rhymes, Slum Village, Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, Janet Jackson, Common, Tribe called Quest and many more (check his extensive discography here), he built a solid reputation within hiphop circles. He had some serious health problems last year, and died on friday from kidney failure - his new album, Donuts, was released on tuesday. He was 32.

More on JDilla from Beats n Rants, Detroit Free Press, MTV News.


Video killed my internet connection...
from Coolfer, if you aint checked YouTube yet, you are in for some fun...

"A recent NY Times article on YouTube came just as Coolfer had began spending a bit of time searching for the kind of rarities and interesting clips that have the potential to make the site a landmine. For the uninitiated, YouTube is a website that allows users to upload videos to the site free of charge. There's a social aspect to the site, just as Flickr creates social networks from photos; it's easy to share a video with a friend, and videos are grouped by the tags applied to them.

Videos can only be streamed, not downloaded -- getting around thorny legal issues mean playback can be jerky -- and the video and audio qualities aren't spectacular. The trade-off comes in the variety of content. A search will result in all sorts of things, some recordings of proper videos and telecasts, others homemade movies.

There are other similar sites, but as Ben Ratliff points out in "A New Trove of Music Video in the Web's Wild World," YouTube has more to offer from every search query. The social aspects are nice, but the public archival aspects are better. As more people upload files, more rare, interesting and almost forgotton clips will be available to all Internet users.

Here's a short list of some things Coolfer has found on YouTube:

Dave Brubeck performing "Take Five" on Jazz Casual in 1961.
The Beastie Boys performing "She's On It" in the movie "Krush Groove."
Husker Du performing "Could You Be The One?" on the "Joan Rivers Show." The clip includes a hilarious interview with Joan after the song. Missing is the band's performance of "She's A Woman (And Now He Is A Man)."
Miles Davis with John Coltrane performing "So What" on a 1958 television show.
Nas featuring NTM: Affirmative Action" Saint Denis Style remix. From 1996. NTM, a Parisian hip hop group, remixed the track by New York rapper Nas.
The Replacements at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis in 1981.
Os Mutantes and Gilberto Gil performing live on a television show.
A performance by krautrock legends Amon Duul II.
Iggy and the Stooges playing "TV Eye" live in Cincinatti in 1970. The introduction makes this clip special.
A crowd recording of the Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne inside a transparent plastic ball.
If Alf were to make a death metal video.

And, for those of us who didn't watch the Grammys, there's a stream of Sly Stone's mohawked performance."

Ring the Alarm playlist, Base FM, February 11
Glen Brown - Leggo herb man dub (Small axe vs terminal head mix)
Barrington Levy and Beenieman - Murderation
DJ BC - Biz Markie vs Rolling Stones
Watts 103rd St Rhythm Band - Can't get no satisfaction
People under the stairs - Hang loose
Willie Bobo - Spanish grease
Loopless - Pink blue hotel
Damian Marley - Move (playing in Auckland April 7)
Perfect - Handcart boy
DBC - Hit the boomz
Ojays - Backstabbers
Breakestra - Recognize
Lester Sterling - Afrikaan beat
Steele Beauttah - African stomp
International Observer - London dub
Kenny and the Beach Boys - Big payback
Brentford Allstars - Racetrack
Sergio Mendes feat QTip - The frog
Monguito Santamaria - Groove time
Coldcut feat Roots Manuva - True skool
The Beat -Mirror in the bathroom
Bondo de role - Funk de esfiha (Brazilian outfit - out on Diplo's new label, Mad Decent)
Krafty Kuts - Come alive
Linval Thompson - Babylon system
Congos - Fisherman
Sly and the Family Stone - Sing a simple song
Prince Fatty - The zoo
Dr Dre and Snoop - Next episode (Upstate remix)
Joe Gibbs - Outrage
Aceyalone and RJD2 - All 4 U

Friday, February 10, 2006

Frankie Goes to Queenstown
via Popbitch... they've been tracking former members of Frankie Goes to Hollywood...
"Rutherfordwatch - Paul lives in Queenstown New Zealand, and he married his partner in a civil union at the local courthouse before Christmas." Nice one.

Oh yeah, freak ol' Sly Stone looked like this at the Grammys...



from MTVs report. Worth a read.

More Sly news from the Grammys...

from NY Daily News "Keith Urban, who won his first Grammy last night for Best Country Male Vocal Performance, had just started to address the press when Sly Stone appeared on the TV monitors with that giant, bleached-white Mohawk.

As the whole room gasped, Urban stammered: "I'm stoned and dreaming. Everything pales in comparison to this," he said. "Except the Grammy, of course."

Freddie Stone, who reunited to play with his brother Sly and their old band last night for the first time in more than 30 years, revealed that new music from the group is coming. He added that "There's some evolution in the works as far as we're doing today," but didn't say when we might hear it.

U2's Bono seemed thrilled the top three awards went to rock bands. "There's something stirring for sure," he said. "There's something about this bass, drum and guitar format that feels fresh."

Why yes, Bono, you really are Chuck Berry reincarnated. Hang on...

more from NY Daliy News... "Sly's lack of eye contact with the crowd or cameras - and his apparently premature, nervous exit from the stage - made it more like a mini-set by Shy & the Family Stone."

Have to wait and see it for myself.

UPDDATED: I watched the tape of the Grammys last night, the Sly Stone All-star Tribute was riddled with no-star try hards like Van Hunt, Joss Stone, Fantasia, Maroon 5, and then there's Will.I.Am from the Buck Eyed Peas rapping over Dance To The Music, shoot that man now. Sly is standing in the wings listening to these wailing nobodies howling his tunes - it's a wonder that he didn't run out of the building. But no, Steve Tyler calls him out onstage and there he is, freaky dude. He stands at the keyboard, singing I Want To take You Higher, randomly hitting the ketys, one hand bandaged, gets bored and grabs a mike and walks out front, works the audience for a minute, then smiles and waves to them and departs. Behind him, the Family Stone blast away - is that Larry Graham on bass? Check Greg Errico pounding the drums. Pretty damn cool.

I sent the pic of Sly and his mohawk to a few friends - best response was someone who emailed back "He looks pretty good, considering I thought he was dead!"

Thursday, February 09, 2006


Sly Stone - Grammy no show?
Ah, no. He actually turned up. Hot damn. From the LA Times live blog of the event...

"7:04 p.m. -- Nothing against this fine medley of performers, but it sounds like karaoke for those who remember the real deal back in the day. Then Sly Stone enters, and we realized why he wore a hood to Grammy rehearsals. Was he singing into the correct mike? Did the Mohawk throw him off? Was that Grace Slick on the phone, wanting her shtick back? Oh my." Link here.


Pictured above - Sly Stone with his younger sister Vaetta, arrives on his bike to watch her play with her band Phunk Phamily Affair - his first public appearance in 12 years. That's a four-wheeled Harley (looks like a three wheeler to me). Apparently he offered to give her a ride to the gig, got half way there and decided she needed a helmet, so stopped at a shop on Hollywood Boulevard and told the assistant to get his sister a helmet and some boots.
His last public appearance was in 1993 at the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame induction for him and the Family Stone.

ADDED: I just noticed on Vaetta's website that Michael Jackson owns the publishing rights to Sly's music, as well as the Beatles.

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Sly and Family Stone reunite for Grammys - confirmed
I heard last week that they were doing a tribute to Sly and the Family Stone at this year's Grammys, all the usual lamos like Joss Stone, Maroon 5, Steve Perry, Will.i.am... but this is choice (if it happens)... Times in nicely with Sony's Sly and Family Stone remix album out this week.

Jay Smooth has the story here... the rehersals went like this (via LA Times)...

Finally, a voice came over the arena PA: "Security, please clear the arena."

The assembled musicians again ran through their medley of Stone hits and then ... there he was, in a hooded, camouflage rain slicker, matching pants and 3-inch platform boots. He came to a keyboard at center stage and made eye contact with no one. Still lean, but beneath the hood he seemed smaller than he was in the '60s.

The teleprompter told him how to reintroduce himself to the world: (SLY): Ow Ow Ow.

He sang "I Want to Take You Higher," and his voice was robust and clear. Looking straight down, his chin bounced on his chest. His left hand and wrist were in a cast. From under the hood, he peeked at the musicians next to him, grinned ... and then he was gone. Adam Levine stared at the long lost star like was a museum piece. Perry, beneath a black cowboy hat, smiled and shook his head.

Legend gave the first review of the performance: "It was great — I mean, hey, he showed up."

Afterward, John Cossette, executive producer of the show, looked a bit ashen. Stone sounded great, no doubt, but he also looked a bit ... nutty. "No comment. He's not doing this, he's not hiding out for 15 years to do what you just saw."

He was right. Stone came back and did it again. This time, his plastic pants were tucked into his boots and, at the song's close, he stepped away from the keyboard, bobbed his head and beamed. And then he was gone again.

Ehrlich, like a man who wants to recheck his lottery ticket, called for a third run-through. This time, though, when it came to the point where Stone should have dashed out on stage, there was a long lull and empty air. Finally, a crew member jumped up behind the keyboard and played the part of the enigmatic star.

Two out of three is good — unless the third one is live on the air in front of the world. But maybe it doesn't matter. Young R&B star Van Hunt said afterward that, on stage or not, Stone is a presence. "When he came out, I have to tell you, I didn't even look at him. I couldn't. I mean, it's Sly. I was afraid to look. I don't even think the guy is real."

Go get em
BB reader Jane McG sez:
These 20 free tracks from San Francisco's own original mash-up party (bootiesf) are unbelievably Bootie-licious.

My favorite is Gwen Stefani vs. Snoop Dogg vs. ZZ Top - "Hot Rich Girls Dropped In A Grange."

Almost as amazing are "S.L.H. (Sri Lanka High)" (M.I.A. vs. The Ramones) and "Do You Wanna Cuz It's Tricky" (Franz Ferdinand vs. Run-DMC vs. The Knack).

RIP Gene McFadden
One half of songwritng duo McFadden & Whitehead, the legendary R&B duo famed for the 1979 soul classic "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now," has died. The 56-year-old succumbed to complications from liver and lung cancer at his Philadelphia home on January 27. Also known as successful songwriters, the duo penned, amongst others, "Back Stabbers" & "For the Love of Money" for the O'Jays... more here, plus some sounds...

Monday, February 06, 2006

Ring The Alarm playlist, BaseFM Saturday February 4
Jackie Mittoo – Hot milk
Dod G – Musical rights dub (download it from Soundclick.com)
Rodney Hunter feat Paul St Hilaire – Vampire
Massive Attack vs Marvin Gaye – Whats going on (symphony)
Larry Young's Fuel – Turn out the light
Cheik Lo – Senegal Bresil
Leroy Sibbles – Groove me
Patea Maori Club – Poi e
Go! Team – Bottle rocket
Shantel - Bucovina (Haaksman and Haaksman Scoa bogle mix)
U Brown – Gal so bad
Beenieman and Devonte – Imagination
Sharpshooters – Danger in your eyes
Esther Phillips – Use me
M.I.A. – Sunshowers
Cornerstone roots – Generation dub
Breakestra – Stand up
Jurassic 5 – Coltrane influence (DJ BC mashup)
Jurassic 5 – United rebelution (Soul food mix – Upstate)
Sizzla – Can't keep us down (Shantytown riddim)
Anthony B – Time for the love (Shantytown riddim)
Coldcut feat Roots Manuva – True skool
Sola Rosa feat Paul St Hilaire – Breezes blowing
Kraftwerk -Man machine
Betty Wright – Clean up woman
Mr Vegas – Heads high
Barry Brown – Juks and watch
Madlib – Please set me at ease
Dutch Rhythm and Steel band – Funky stuff
Sly vs Marvin – Aint no family affair
Lloyd Charmers – Look-ka py py

Friday, February 03, 2006




Grazing In The Grass - Hugh Masekela.
Bout a year ago I read Hugh Masekela's autobiography, and set about hunting down some of his back catalogue. There's a few best ofs around, but his funky 70s stuff recorded in Africa is hella hard to source. I scored a copy of his1973 album recorded in Nigeria with Ghana band Hedzoleh Soundz, which rocks. Now some of that era is getting reissued on CD...

"I'm in awe when I think about the life of flugelhorn and cornet player Hugh Masekela. In his sixty-six years on this planet he has fought apartheid in South Africa, lived in exile and worked with Paul Simon, Miriam Makeba and Fela Ransome Kuti. He's the man and you can't help getting excited about your own life when you think about everything that he has accomplished. BBE Records is releasing a compilation of rare and unreleased recordings produced by him and his partner Stewart Levine for their Chisa label during 1965-1975. The album features contributions from Caiphus Semenya, Letta Mbulu, Ojah and Miatta Fahinbulleh. If you love afrobeat, afropop, jazz or funk, this is the album for you." from Dork Mag.

Hugh Masekela's The Chisa Years, will be in stores March 14, 2006

ADDED - Wax Poetics magazine are having a Hugh Masekela remix contest - win a new Akai MPD16, a signed Hugh Masekela CD,a Hugh Masekela 7-inch, and a one-year subscription to Wax Poetics, or a Numark PT-01 portable turntable, and more.



High calibre local bloggage...
check out niceup.blogspot.com, excellent Welli blog on a reggae tip.


Tune and a half...
The Slits covering Heard It Thru The Grapevine here.
War - World Is A Ghetto here.
The Go! Team live set at KCRW here.
Ini Kamoze: Here Comes the Hotstepper + Commodores: Machine Gun =
My Shiny Gun Mosey (here )
Kanye West: Gold Digger + Cake: Mahna Mahna = Kanye Mahna (here)
Marvin Gaye vs Massive Attack - What's going on (Unfinished symphony) here
dsico - love will freak us (joy division / missy elliot) Oldie but a goodie, and guaranteed to offend JoyDiv fans - here.

and one for all you Lisa Loeb fans (NSFW) the video is floating round the internets too, from her new reality tv show...

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Dread at the controls.
Further to my post on the fake Mikey Dread (see email below) at the Big day Out - I passed on the email from Mikey Dread to Wallace Chapman, Radio 95 BFM breakfast show host, and he's done a phone interview with the real Mikey Dread this afternoon, and will be playing it on BFM Breakfast tomorrow morning, (live audio streaming on their site or at Xtra) possibly between 9 and 10am. Tune in and get the lowdown from the man himself. later.

Greetings,

This is Mikey Dread/ Dread At The Controls www.mikeydread.com


I would like you and others over there to be notified that someone is out there using Mikey Dread- from /Channel One Sound UK claiming that he ,is me, Mikey Dread , Michael Campbell, Dread At The Controls the artist, producer, and radio pioneer and deliberately tricking innocent people, fans and promoters with my stolen identity as a international reggae artist.Please be advised Mikey Dread from Channel One sound is NOT me, the original, Dread At The Controls.Preview www.mikeydread.com


I have had emails from the UK, Australia and NZ from my fans who were mislead by the advertising of this FAKE MIKEY DREAD FROM LONDON, going around and using my name as if he was me, and cashing in on this identity theft.

I respect you guys and would appreciate that you make public the distinction that Michael Campbell, Mikey Dread- Dread At The Controls is not the same as Mikey Dread from Channel One Sound from the UK.This needs to be addressed today.A lot of times promoters knowingly or un-knowingly refer to my bio for him and make false claims using my accomplishments in reggae and this has become overbearing. Some people actually go to the event then email me that
they were tricked.

Firstly I live in the USA this guy is a rip off using my name illegally to get out there and continues to con people.

I have warned them already and they continue now its gone too far and must stop.

I am making sure you and your associates have been notified by me as it is illegal for anyone to steal another persons identity and is punishable by law.

I will handle that part myself as this has to stop this year and clear the air on all doubts and he will have to pay damages for his illicit behavior and intent to defraud me of all clients who booked him thinking that thy were really booking the original Mikey Dread.

Thanks

Mikey Dread
The joy of the internets
MP3 blogs freakin' rock... here's why... the complete idiot’s guide to to Tom Waits.
and...
Andrew Bird... at Muzzle of Bees - "Andrew Bird put out one of the best albums of the year in 2005. I ended up ranking it #3 on my year end list. I still listen to it quite a bit, which I think is a sign of a wonderful album. I was digging around my hard drive tonight, and I came across his gem of a show on KCRW from early 2005..."

Discovered via The Hype Machine your daily guide to the laytest updates on MP3 blogs (tip of the hat to Dubber).


If you aint seen it yet, have a read of Simon Grigg's 100 favourite 12-inch singles of all time, - fascinating history lesson and record envy rolled into one.