Saturday, December 31, 2011

NYE 1977




New years eve, December 31 1977: Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of the band Chic are invited by Grace Jones to join her at Studio 54. When they get there, they are refused entry. They were annoyed, but they went back to Rodgers'apartment and channelled their anger into energy, and came up with a hit... happy new years, folks!


"... Having settled on the name Chic, and after months of peddling their demo of "Dance Dance Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" unsuccessfully around the New York record companies, the band signed to Atlantic Records. The single was released in October 1977 and raced into the US Top 5.

Still, Chic's initial success did not immediately elevate them to the top of every list. It was snowing in New York when Rodgers and Edwards stepped up to Studio 54's fabled doorway on 31 December 1977. The pair had been asked to join Grace Jones, who was partying inside the legendary club. Already they were sporting clothes commensurate with the fact that their debut single had sold a million copies within a month: Rodgers was wearing a Cerutti dinner jacket, Edwards was in Armani.

They went to the club's back door and attempted to get in. Their names weren't down. While the club rocked to "Dance Dance Dance", they were outside being denied admission.

Back at Rodgers' apartment, they started to jam. As Rodgers recounted to Anthony Haden-Guest in his book The Last Party: Studio 54, Disco and the Culture of the Night, "We were just yelling obscenities ... fuck Studio 54 ... fuck those scumbags." Suddenly, the music began to coalesce. The guitar and bass part locked in and a repeated refrain of "Aaaaaaaah, fuck off!" became the jam's focal point. Eventually, the "fuck" became "freak". "Off "became "out".

The resulting song, "Le Freak", is what Chic did in the Vietnam war; it is why 25 years later, books are being written about them. It is the epitome of the Chic sound, effortlessly crafted. The ultimate irony of turning the hatred that Rodgers and Edwards had felt toward Studio 54's door policy out on to the dancefloor and making it positive was fantastic.

Entering the US charts on 18 November 1978, the record went platinum and became the biggest-selling record in Atlantic's history. It hit No 1 in America, where it remained for six weeks. It went gold in Belgium, Italy, South Africa, Great Britain, France, Brazil, and most of the rest of the world. In Canada, it became the best-selling song in the nation's history. At Christmas 1978, Chic had the No 1 single in America. No self-respecting party of the 1978 festive season was complete without it..."

Cian's top 5 record stores

Cian (R) with Gilles Peterson, at Conch.

Found this in an old Volume magazine (old as in 4 months ago). Cian O'Donnell of Conch Records lets slip his favourite record spots. I've added links to it.

1. Rooky Ricardo's Records, Lower Haight st, San Francisco.
2. Disco 7 (Disco Sete) - Sao Paulo
3. Disk Union - Shibuya, Tokyo
4. Basement of Rasputins, Berkeley, California

ADDED Just found an article on Cian in NZ Musician magazine from 2003, here's his all time Top 5 tunes from that story.... FYI, he hails from Hereford, England. There ya go.

Que pena  - Gal Costa
The season - Beanfield
Song for Mozambique - Archie Shepp
Renaissance - Jean Luc Ponty
Lately  - Massive attack

Ring The Alarm playlist, BaseFM, Dec 31

Radio city - The hop
Prof Oz - Waves and sun - Grant Phabao remix
Luciano - Life - Creation samba remix by Da Lata
Harlem river drive - Idle hands
Orchestra Harlow - Freak off
El Chicano - Spanish grease
Joe Quijano - Fun city shingaling
Willie Bobo - Psychedelic blues
Patato and Totico - Mas que nada
Joe Bataan - Subway Joe
Eddie Palmieri and Cal Tjader - Picadillo
Diane and Carole and the Latin Watchamacallits - The fuzz
Jugoe - Ohio city
Kormac - Join together
Lord Echo - Things I like to do
Mr Scruff  - Get a move on
Wilson Pickett - Get me back on time - Danny Massure edit
Roberto Roena - Canta una simple (sing a simple song)
Fat freddys drop - Bohannon dub
African head charge - Release the doctor
Lee Scratch Perry - Jungle youth - Congo natty remix
Hortense Ellis -  People make the world go round
Dub asylum - Jumping Jack skank

Friday, December 30, 2011

Dick Smith and the CGA

So, my Freeview receiver died over Xmas. First the picture disappeared, then the sound went too. It's a  Dick Smith-branded Freeview box, model G7503. It's about two years old.

I went to Dick Smiths Wyndham St on Thurs 29 Dec 2011, and talked with a staff member and explained issue with device, I had tested the leads, and cable, all of which worked fine on other devices.

He asked if I had bought extended warranty. I said no, He said then they weren't able to do anything to help. I asked about their obligations under Consumer Guarantees Act, and was it reasonable to expect this device to only last two years, as I didn't think so, and he referred me to their head office, saying they would be available as it was a usual work day. I called the number he suggested, no answer. I called the 0800 number on Dick Smith website, no answer for their repairs/technical dept either.

I did some research online, tried asking for advice on Twitter and Facebook. I also posted on Dick Smith's Facebook page about this. There has been no response via Twitter or Facebook from Dicks Smith, although their staff are posting to their FB page over the xmas holidays  - on Dec 26 and Dec 28.

Hadyn Green of Consumer NZ told me via Twitter that he thought it was a simple CGA claim. I also looked up the CGA on Consumer NZ's site, which has some very helpful information. Basically, the device should be fit for the intended purpose, for the expected life of the device and is covered under the CGA warranty. I did not expect this Freeview box to only last two years.

I posted a question about the boxes on Geekzone, and discovered this was a common problem with this model of Freeview box, at the two year mark. A number of folk with this problem had returned them to Dick Smith and had them replaced under the CGA.

Today (Dec 30) I went back to Dick Smith, this time to their Queen St store. The first staff member I talked to listened and looked at me blankly, pointed at another staff member and wandered off to get them.

I eventually got to talk to Ben, who did know what the CGA was, and listened to my issue and agreed to send it off for assessment. He took my details and logged the issue and said it would take 14 working days, or probably longer due to the xmas holidays. So I will probably hear back from Dick Smith in late January. Wish me luck.

I will also try and find out if Dick Smith train their shop staff on the CGA. Because, based on the staff I've dealt with, they clearly do not. I've also heard a variety on anecdotal experiences that suggest many retailers try and dodge their CGA obligations.

ADDED... I got this message via Facebook from a former co-worker, who is a tech journalist and ex editor of NZ PC World... "Had a similar experience at Harvey Norman. Was buying something and the sales guy asked us to buy an extended warranty. We said no, it was covered by the CGA. He said yeah, but we'd have to take them to court to get them to honour it."

ADDED heard this about Dick Smith via someone on Twitter... "I had a big dude called Ali at Newmarket [Dick Smith] go all MMA [mixed martial arts] and try to smash me when trying to return a MP3 player lol...Took Customer Service to a new and scary level!!! He was a pretty big dude as well. My advice.. duck and weave!!"

Glad the guy I spoke to at DS Queen St this morning didn' t take that approach. And that he knew what the CGA was.

UPDATED 5 Jan 2012: When I went to Dick Smith Queen St on Dec 30, they told me they would send it off for assessment and that would take up to 14 working days, plus more for the xmas break. So I wasn't expecting a response til late January.

However, I got a phone call from Ben at DS Queen St today, and they had decided to replace it, after assessing it. They gave me a new Freeview box (at no cost to me), a Sommet SHDNZ3. So, hopefully it goes.

Dick Smith replied to my Facebook message yesterday, asking if the issue had been resolved. I said no, and detailed what had happened with Ben at their DS Queen St. I also asked if they provide training to their staff on the CGA

They replied today, saying "We certainly do give training in regards to our obligations under the CGA. Unfortunately in this case it seems our staff member did not follow the correct procedure. It is great to see Ben at our Queen St store followed the correct procedure. As you would know we are entitled to access the product before making the decision to replace/refund etc. Ben would have contacted you by now to let you know that we have accessed the product and will be replacing it for you."

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

The Duke

Via Network Awesome, great clip of Duke Ellington interviewed for Swedish TV by Sven Lindahl...




The man behind Raggamuffin

The Sydney Morning Herald published a story on Raggamuffin promoter Andrew McManus on Dec 23. It's worth a read. It details the many variations on companies called Andrew McManus Presents...

excerpt: "... In business, they say, you're only as good as your name. And if that's true, Andrew McManus must be very good indeed, because his name is attached to so many of his companies that it can be almost impossible to tell where one ends and the next begins..."

"...Though drawing crowds of 30,000-plus in New Zealand, it [Raggamuffin] struggled in Australia, where it was plagued by poor ticket sales, the cancellation of headline act Sean Paul and terrible weather. The Adelaide show on February 2, 2011, pulled just 400 people..."

"...Even in New Zealand, where Raggamuffin was a raging success, McManus struggled. In 2010, his Kiwi operation Andrew McManus Presents (New Zealand) Co Limited became embroiled in a legal dispute with the reggae band Pacific Herbs. On the brink of a court date, the company went into liquidation. As of December 6, it owed $NZ394,000 ($A300,000) to creditors".

"His New Zealand operation, which promoted the New Zealand leg of his Raggamuffin reggae festival, went into liquidation in March this year, with debts last estimated at more than A$300,000. Tickets for the 2012 Raggamuffin event in Rotorua are now on sale. The promoter is McManus Entertainment".

McManus is currently workng on a New Years Eve show for Sydney... "His partner [is] Sydney Resolutions Pty Ltd, the outfit behind the Sydney Resolution concert, is the live events arm of Universal, the world's biggest music company."

Previous posts: Raggamuffin cancels Aust shows, Raggamuffin rumblings, Herbs vs Raggamuffin

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Ring The Alarm playlist, BaseFM, Dec 24

Gary Byrd - The crown
James Brown - Santa claus goes straight to the ghetto
Tye Tribbett and GA - Mighty
Lee Fields  -You're the kind of girl
Noel Pointer - Living for the city
Lowe1 - Red hot Mittoo
King Tubby - Morpheus special - Kid Loco mix
Dub Asylum - Skatta




Groove armada - Tuning in
Freddie Kruger - Something good
Buju Banton - Champion
Beat conductor - Hottest dub
The Clash - Magnificient dance
Hugh Masekela - Don't go lose it baby
James Brown - Soulful christmas
Nuyorican soul - Black gold of the sun
Curtis Mayfield - If there's a hell below we all going to go - live version
Liam Bailey - When will they learn
The Yoots - Tutira mai
Hallelujah Picassos - Rewind - Roger Perry re-edit
Lightning head - EVA
Spanky Wilson - Sunshine of your love
Sharon Jones - Aint no chimneys in the projects

Friday, December 23, 2011

Merry Christmas to you!




Just want to say thank you for reading my blog during the past year - I appreciate your support, comments and feedback. I know a lot of folk have had a very tough year, so I want to say I hope you have a good holiday break, and see you in the new year! May I recommend swimming in the sea at every opportunity, perfect Kiwi summer activity. Yes, we celebrate Christmas in summer. We're crazy like that.

[The godfather of soul recorded three Christmas albums during his career, and songs off them were compiled in the mid 90s for CD release, which doesn't seem to show up on iTunes.]


Sweet

I went up to have a chat with Murry Sweetpants on Radio Ponsonby this morning about my new Dub Asylum EP, listen to the interview...

Dub Asylum on the Long Black by Radio Ponsonby


New Dub Asylum EP available on iTunes, Amplifier and Bandcamp, and all good digital stores. Check it out! Limited CD copies at Conch Records, Ponsonby Rd.


Thursday, December 22, 2011

Nuyorican Soul EPK, from 1997





Nuyorican Soul is an absolutely incredible album, put together by Little Louis Vega and Kenny Dope aka Masters At Work. It features some stellar guests such as Roy Ayers, George Benson, La India, Jocelyn Brown and Tito Puente. It's salsa, latin jazz, funk, hiphop, soul... it's all in there, as Vega says in the clip. Hat tip to Giant Step for posting this.

I had this album on CD for years, from when it first came out in 1997. When I was in Japan in 2001, one of my happiest moments was walking into a record shop in Shibuya and seeing this album sitting on the shelves, as a double vinyl edition. That was a great purchase.

Giant Step have unearthed the EPK (electronic press kit) for the album. Watch it, then go get the album. It's deep. It's a classic.


Wonderful Noise



From Canvas magazine in Weekend Herald, Dec 17 2011 By Alan Perrott. Unfortunately the NZ Herald hardly ever publish stories from Canvas online, so I have scanned this and converted it to text in order to share this cool story. Enjoy.



ONLY IN JAPAN

Every self-respecting music scene should have a home, a place people can point to and say ''that's where it all came from.Christchurch has given us the Dunedin Sound, south Auckland is all about Dawn Raid, Wellington can be blamed for BBQ reggae, Rotorua gushed showbands and Gore has both kinds country and western.

Now we can add Osaka. Because, somehow, this Japanese metropolis is now home to a group of our hippest musicians. It's a connection that has not only springboarded these musicians from bedrooms to the world stage, has spawned a distinct sound that is creating a stir among some of the most influential tastemakers.

And all because a nice young man remembered his manners. As a DJ, radio host and man-about-theWellington-music-scene, Andy Mitchell has always taken it upon himself to promote local artists. If a big-name D.J was in town Mitchell would burn a CD of his favourite artists and hand it over on the night. He has no idea if anyone ever played them - and isn't particularly bothered.

“I look at it more as a kind of koha I guess but obviously it'd be a bonus if they picked up on something and started playing it themselves. I remember hearing that Gilles Peterson had discovered Fat Freddy's Drop and all I could think was that it had been on a CD I'd given to him over two years earlier.''

Then, in 2005, Mitchell and his Japanese wife moved to Osaka. When a chance to visit his local - Especial Records - came up, it seemed natural to take a CD with him. "Well it was my first visit, and, you know, it's like going to a party at someone's house; you've got to take something''.

Working behind the counter was Kenji Sakajiri. After the pair bonded over a few shared favourites, Sakajiri played Mitchell's offering and became hooked on the Fat Freddy's Drop track, Hope. ''That was the trigger for me getting in touch with this 'pure' music from New Zealand," Sakajiri says from Japan. "I was really sure that those guys could add some fresh breeze to the boredom of the current music scene."

After organising the group's first Japanese vinyl release, Sakajiri was enthused enough to launch his own label, Wonderful Noise. Record culture is possibly stronger in Japan than anywhere else, so for a small label to be noticed it needs a new sound, and Sakajiri had this new music coming out of New Zealand in mind for his.

His timing was excellent, as at the same time a disparate bunch of musicians in Auckland and Wellington were busily experimenting with sounds. Most were in established groups and assumed there was no chance their solo tinkerings would ever make headway in a country dominated by rock pop and reggae.

Julien Dyne was among them. A former member of the Opensouls, Dyne was most recently seen onstage at the NZ Music Awards sitting behind the sunglasses and drum kit with Ladi6. That's his nightly day job, otherwise he's at home in Mt Roskill playing with his music toys.

As with his labelmates, the results are a bit electronic, a bit jazz, a bit soul, a bit funk and, vocally, a lot Antipodean. It remains a style in search of a pigeonhole, although someone has jokingly suggested retro-futurism.

Anyway, through Mitchell's evangelism, Sakajiri got to hear a few tracks from the 32-year-old's first album, and was impressed. "I believe my ears, '' he says. "I was sure Japanese listeners would love this kind of music. Of course, the idea of this music coming from New Zealand is important, but the distance thing doesn't matter to me so much as it being unique and cool, everybody has been surprised by it.

“Japanese people rarely have a chance to see or hear music from New Zealand,so they are quite curious and, thanks to the releases we have put out, I think my customers now recognise these artists and are surprised at the quality. It's a bit tricky to explain, but I think they see the soulful elements as being different from what is coming out of Europe, America and Japan."

''It's gone way beyond those firstimpressions now '' says Dyne. ''It's become a friendship, he's a mate, and he's enabled me to tour to Japan twice - I'm going back again in March - and build a fan base. That's something else, going to play in a place like that after handing made my music in my bedroom. Especially as it would never have happened here.

There's a bit of indifference to this style of music in New Zealand and Australia, so when you just know you don't quite fit you have to lock for other avenues. "And he [Sakajiri] puts his music out on vinyl which to me is like a validation really because anyone can finish a song and put it on Bandcamp. I'm not sure why, but putting something out on vinyl seems to show a real commitment to your art, I feel like it has more permanence, more validity."

Their relationship has led to Dyne acting in a recruitment role, and as a result Wonderful Noise now boasts 11 New Zealand acts who make up about three quarters of their total roster. They include notables such asWellington's Lord Echo (aka Mike Fabulous from the Black Seeds), undergrounddarlings Electric Wire Hustle and Pacific heights, as well as Auckland's Isaac Aesili, producer Frank Booker, and, if the rumours are accurate, @peace, a new combo featuring members of Homebrew and Nothing to Nobody.

And the music is now flowing both ways. Partly in an effort to meet his artists, Sakajiri and another highly rated Japanese producer, Grooveman Spot, made a rare appearance outside Japan to play here earlier this month. It was only Sakajiri's second performance outside of Asia.

All the same, it is faintly ridiculous that musicians from this country have to send their music 9000 km away and then wait for whatever hard copies are left once the Japanese market has a go at them. Even then, they are only available from one store, Ponsonby's Conch [Records].

Which may seem small potatoes. But such a view misses the credibility to be gained from a label with a good reputation. A lot of important ears are pricked to what Wonderful Noise offers, and Sakajiri's New Zealanders are being played in the biggest clubs in the world by the likes of Gilles Peterson, Benji B and DJ Day.

Such promotion has given artists like Electric Wire Hustle the opportunity to shift overseas with a trail blazed ahead. Which is exactly what Isaac Aesili is hoping for as well. Known mostly as the trumpeter for Opensouls, Tornadoes, Eru Dangerspiel, Solaa and Recloose live, he's now looking to tour the Asia and Pacific region under his own name.

“It's amazing how these opportunities have come about, but with Kenji's help all these musical artists have been brought together into a sort of micro-industry'' he says. "Which is kind of funny because we've got a Japanese guy making something really worthwhile with music that doesn't really have an audience here … but it feels like the idea of exporting our our underground music has actually become viable.''

But the 32-year-old says he has got more than a potential career from the experience. "It's a real connection. Kenji's a bro officially. You can hang out with him and call him bro or cuz, so it's much more than business, it's a cultural exchange that has longevity. It's so out of left-field that this could have happened - I mean he's gone so far out of his way to tap into this scene, but it is still amazing that it took someone from Japan to connect all these local musos. Wonderful Noise will always be the reference point for what was happening on the scene at this time."

Check Wonderful Noise releases currently available via Juno.co.uk

Ten years of Daptone



Directed by Matt Rogers. Celebrating 10 years of Soul! Daptone Records Co-owners Gabe Roth and Neil Sugarman tell the story of how the "House of Soul" came about, and what makes Daptone stand out from the rest. Check out the photos of Sharon Jones wiring up the studio electricals.

ADDED: The Atlantic: In a Big Year for New Soul, a Small But Influential Label Turns 10

snip: "... Terry Currier, manager of Music Millennium in Portland, Oregon, the longest running independent record store in the Pacific Northwest, says the success of Daptone has had a significant impact on the music industry. "The soul revival has been really exciting; a lot of new bands have been given a chance like, Black Joe Lewis, JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound, and Daptone was the catalyst for spreading this style of music to a wider audience," he says.

"Not only are new bands playing '60s-era soul, but there are a lot of reissue labels like Light in the Attic Records and archival label Numero opening their vaults to release things that have never been out before or have been out of print, and there is now a big interest, especially among younger people who maybe have never listened to this music before."

"....Roth's recording process has become mythic. He uses analog equipment, including a reel-to-reel recorder. While he's been called a mad genius, Roth sees his approach as simple. "I'm always presented as some sort of analog champion," says Roth. "But that's not really the case. I don't use computers because it's not the process I enjoy. I enjoy having to commit to sounds in the studio and not having an undo button. It's about the process and not the technology."

Roth is very particular about sound and knows exactly what microphones he's using and where they're placed. "I don't listen to what experts tell you to listen to—I actually listen to sounds," Roth says. In recording he might use Radio Shack mikes, or the common SM57 or even a $10,000 condenser mic. He's not concerned with what's a good mic or a bad one; he's only interested in what works for the music. This signature sound is the defining characteristic of Daptone..."

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Homebrew sessions

Auckland hiphop crew Homebrew have been working at Red Bull Studios on their new album, check this mean clip...

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Don't stop the music

Simon Grigg drops his list of records he liked in 2011...

"... Almost no records make every list. In 1979 when I was a kid, Talking Head’s Fear of Music, Gang of 4’s Entertainment, Armed Forces, London Calling, Setting Sons and about a dozen other albums made every single end of year summation.

That was it unless you niched yourself in jazz, classical or country.

No longer – there are literally hundreds of records that are now amongst the best of 2011, and that’s a mighty thing. No longer are a few scribes and a few content-creating corporations defining what we like or should like. There is no need to feel insecure because you simply don’t get the widely touted top album. Or know who they are.

Now you make your own list and the rest be damned."


So... here goes. This is the album list - there's a ton of music I got this year that was digital singles and random stuff. I kinda stopped paying attention to albums.


Charles Bradley - No time for dreaming. Gorgeous soul album that manages to be utterly contemporary in its subject matter. Bradley is playing live in Oz in March, I hope some clever promoter brings him over here. He would kill it.





African Head Charge - Voodoo of the Godsent. AHC reunite with Adrian Sherwood for a cracking good album, with a Dave Dobbyn reference thrown in.





Lee Scratch Perry - Nu sound and version.
Mr Perry remixed by contemporary dance producers - Kode9, Congo Natty, Moody boyz. Mala etc. Like AFC, another new release from On U Sound, celebrating 30 years of shaking bassbins across the globe. Long may they continue.




Ikebe shakedown - Tasty self titled debut from Brooklyn afro funk ensemble.





After Hours collection - so much great Northern Soul. 3 CDs of gems







Mr Chop - Switched on - modern moog funk. Dirty filthy grooves. Covers of the JBs, Can, Jimmy Smith and more.





The Yoots - Sing along with the Yoots. Absolutely charming record, reworking well-known Maori tunes as ska and calypso grooves. Not hard to see why this was named as Amplifier's joint Album Of The Year. As Amplifier says "I started smiling when I first heard Sing Along With the Yoots, and now, if I'm feeling a bit blue, or the stresses of running a music retailer in a declining market get to me, I put this album on and for nearly 44 minutes the rest of the world doesn't exist."





Grace Jones - Hurricane dub. Splendid reworking of her most recent album, 2008's Hurricane. Sounds very reminiscent of her work with Sly n Robbie.


Where's the nearest record store? There's an app for that


The Vinyl District is a GPS-based record store locator app for iPhone and Android, and it's free. Currently US-centric, let's hope that evolves.

"Have a 5 hour layover in an unfamiliar city? Hit the “All Stores” icon for directions to the nearest indie shop and while away your time between flights digging through the crates. You can also check in and share your finds on Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare.

Know of a store that’s just opened or just closed or just moved? Add or update that store’s status to the app..."

Bastard Jazz

"Tummy Touch Records Meet Bastard Jazz: A Brooklyn record label sound clash from two cult labels celebrating milestone birthdays this year - for free !

Bastard Jazz (who turned 10 this year) and Tummy Touch (celebrating their 15th) have each pitted five of their best bands against five of the other's hottest remixers to bring you this exclusive new compilation. Featuring music and remixes from Captain Planet, Tim Love Lee, DJ DRM, Los Chicharrons, Jugoe, Bing Ji Ling, The Bandana Splits and others..."


Truth and soul reggae




Absolutely gorgeous tune from the UK's Liam Bailey with NYC's Truth and Soul.

"Four years ago, Liam Bailey visited NYC from his hometown of Nottingham, England to write and record songs with Truth & Soul (Jeff Silverman & Leon Michels), that could help secure him the ever elusive major label deal. Shortly after the group met, an instant chemistry led to a series of reggae and soul songs that have been long-time favorites at T&S headquarters. Among those first couple songs are the roots reggae gems, "When Will They Learn".

Liam Bailey Official site / Facebook

Monday, December 19, 2011

Mega what?

Torrentfreak is reporting the latest development in the Megaupload vs Universal saga. The video is now back online (see below), but Torrentfreak quotes court documents that say   “The UMG-YouTube agreement grants UMG rights to effect the removal of user-posted videos through YouTube’s Content Management System (‘CMS’), based on a number of contractually specified criteria that are not limited to the infringements of copyrights owned or controlled by UMG,” the record label states in its filing.

Torrentfreak says "What that means, in case the preceding paragraph wasn’t clear enough, is that UMG has a private outside-the-DMCA agreement with YouTube that it can take down other people’s content from YouTube even when it doesn’t infringe their copyrights."

ADDED the founder of Megaupload is a man named Kim Dotcom, who was busted for computer hacking in his native Germany in 1997. These days he lives in New Zealand, and had originally planned to use Gin Wigmore for the Megaupload Song, but her manager and label (Universal) nixed that idea after the recording session took place (at Neil Finn's Roundhead studios).

Gin was replaced by Macy Gray. The video has now had over 2.4 million views, which suggests that Gin may have missed out on some valuable international exposure, alongside the likes of Kanye West, Jamie Foxx, Will.I.Am of Black  Eyed Peas. Read an interview with Kim Dotcom here.

ADDED: NY Times Media Decoder blog on the Youtube/Universal stoush is worth a read:
A YouTube takedown raises questions over media influence

ADDED: CMU: Universal has no special takedown privileges says YouTube.

CMU also reports that the original takedown notice from Universal was done as they claimed they were acting "against the song on behalf of one of its artists, Gin Wigmore, who said she was featured in the promo video without her permission." Except she isn't in it, according to Kim Dotcom.

ADDED Jan 20 2011 Megaupload has been shut down by US Federal prosecutors, who have charged its founder and others with violating piracy laws. Via NY Times

AP reports that founder Kim Dotcom and three others has been arrested in New Zealand at the request of US authorities. "The Justice Department said in a statement said that Kim Dotcom, formerly known as Kim Schmitz, and three others were arrested Thursday in New Zealand at the request of U.S. officials. Two other defendants are at large ... The Hong Kong-based company listed [hiphop producer] Swizz Beatz, a musician who married Alicia Keys in 2010, as its CEO."

ADDED Jan 27 MTV reports Kim Dotcom is releasing an album, produced by Printz Board.


ADDED Feb 8: Video - TV3's Campbell Live goes inside Kim Dotcoms's mansion with his bodyguard, sees  panic room where he was Dotcom was hiding

ADDED Feb 11 - Printz Board - BEP and Kim Dotcom's producer (Megaupload Song) - talks to GeorgeFMs Nick D about the case. He's been hanging with PNC and Vince Harder while in NZ.

ADDED Feb 22: Kim Dotcom has been granted bail after new evidence came to light.

RELATED:  Bail updates on Kim Dotcom


RIP Ralph MacDonald

Grammy-winning artist wrote ‘Where Is the Love’ and ‘Just the Two of Us’ passes aged 67.
From NY Daily News.

"Born in Harlem on March 15, 1944, MacDonald was a working musician as well as a writer and producer. Until health problems sidelined him a year and a half ago, he continued to tour regularly as a member of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band.

The son of legendary Trinidadian calypso performer MacBeth the Great, MacDonald began performing as a small boy when his father would have him dance on the drums.

At 17, he landed a job in Harry Belafonte’s steel band, where he remained for the next decade. After telling Belafonte that the singer needed more authentic calypso music, he wrote an album of songs that Belafonte recorded as “Calypso Carnival” in 1966.

Soon afterwards, MacDonald launched his own publishing company, Antisia Music, with his friends Bill Salter and William Eaton.

They gave the company two years to establish itself, and MacDonald later recalled that the time had almost expired when he started working with Roberta Flack. He pitched her a song he had written with Salter, “Where Is The Love,” and her recording with Donny Hathaway became a multi-million-seller.

Through Antisia and as an acclaimed percussionist, MacDonald worked with a who’s who of artists, including Amy Winehouse, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, Bette Midler, Diana Ross and Grover Washington Jr., for whom he wrote the hit “Mr. Magic.”

ADDED Soulsides has a great post paying tribute to MacDonald, highlighting some of the songs he helped craft...

It's here!

My brand new Dub Asylum digital EP is out today! Available on iTunes, Amplifier and Bandcamp, and all good digital stores. Have a listen below, and grab it! Cheers.


Chin chillaz

Out today, on Babysteps Music, run by the Morningsteppa (happy birthday, bro!) You can catch Morningsteppa back on KFM this arvo, 12-2pm, dropping freshness and beats.

"Almost a decade after releasing quite an influential mini album (called "Peas in Basmati“) on infamous Vienna imprint DOPE NOIR, owned by legendary downtempo popster WALDECK, comes the long overdue 'Paws' EP from Northern Gemany's CHIN CHILLAZ. On this release Fe Wolter (aka PFL released on ROCKERS HIFI's imprint Different Drummer) and George Solar (Rubbasol, Solar Moon) put forward 4 tracks picking up where they left off in a 'slo mo' type style."


Sunday, December 18, 2011

Spinna vs MdCL

A huge swag of MdCL productions and remixes, check this out...

"The Best of Mark de Clive-Lowe mixed by the legendary DJ Spinna includes 34 tracks of MdCL productions, remixes and collaborations with Kenny Dope (Masters At Work), DJ Spinna, Phil Asher (Restless Soul), Zed Bias and more. The mix takes you on a journey covering an array of genres including downtempo, soul, breaks, and house. Mark de Clive-Lowe's ninth solo album, 'Renegades' is out now on Tru Thoughts Records."

R.I.P Cesaria Evora


Cesaria Evora has passed away in her native Cape Verde, aged 70. 

From The Guardian... "The singer Cesária Évora, who has died aged 70 after a long period of ill-health, rose from absolute poverty on the Cape Verde archipelago to achieve worldwide fame in her later years. She put the islands – off the coast of west Africa – on the world music map by performing their distinctive morna ballads with a serene mix of sweetness and melancholy.

When she first came to European attention in 1988, Évora appeared an unlikely candidate for international stardom, yet within five years she was selling hundreds of thousands of CDs, with concert audiences to match. Grammy nominations, critical adulation and the praise of famous singers quickly surrounded the chain-smoking, barefoot grandmother, yet Évora remained remarkably blasé about her newfound celebrity.

She was, she always emphasised, a good singer, and thus it was natural that people would enjoy hearing her. That she had had to endure decades of obscurity was, she would add, frustrating. Eschewing false humility and proud of her heritage, Évora knew her own standing among the world's greatest vocalists..

...Though success brought Évora considerable wealth, she remained a barefoot, chain-smoking stoic who shrugged off fame's affectations and retained Sao Vicente as her home. Even after her health began to decline in 2005, she continued to work hard. Three years later, a minor stroke before a Melbourne concert caused the tour to be curtailed. In 2010, a heart attack after a Paris concert necessitated open-heart surgery, and last September she retired from performing."

Evora was scheduled to appear at Womad in New Plymouth in 2008, but, as mentioned above, a minor stroke in Melbourne caused her to cancel, with Neil Finn stepping in to fill her slot.



Saturday, December 17, 2011

JB Hifi launches streaming music service

JB Hifi announced back in August that they were launching a music streaming subscription service. They launched it this week with a month's free subscription as a hook. They have got into the market ahead of plans to launch Spotify in Australia and NZ next year.

Via Billboard... "Australia's leading music retailer JB Hi-Fi has taken a leap into digital music with the beta launch of its Now streaming music service.
The month-long trial started this week and means JB has almost certainly beaten Spotify to the punch.

"Monthly subscription starts at $6.67 Australian ($6.59) across a 12-month plan, giving users unlimited streaming access, according to the company, across PC, notebook and Mac.

Details regarding Now were first dropped in August, when JB told investors its service would go live with 6 to 8 million licensed tracks from some 100,000 artists. JB now boasts 10 million licensed tracks, of which some three million titles are currently loaded into the system. More repertoire will be signed and loaded in the coming year, according to the Melbourne-based company, and further down the track Now should evolve to offer digital downloads.

"At an unspecified date early next year, a Now app for smartphone and tablet will be available for Apple iOS, Android and Windows devices, allowing listeners to store songs and playlists to their devices when not connected to the Internet...

"... According to industry sources, digital music sales in 2011 are more than 30% ahead of where they were in 2010. Down Under now accounts digital revenue for 40% of all sales, up from 27% in 2010."

Prince Paul’s musical mystery tour



Prince Paul and his cohorts cruise round checking out music scenes all over the US for Scion: this episode has them visiting Garage Fest in Kansas, rocking out with the freaks. Check out the wrapup at the end (10mins) where they meet a goth-looking busker with a flute, who asks 'any requests?" So they bust out a freestyle rap while the busker plays a riff that sounds like the Beatnuts - Watch out now. Other episodes take in NYC, New Orleans, Coachella pool parties, Metal Fest in Pomona, all sorts... and Prince Paul is a funny cat too.

Official blurb for this ep: " Musician Impossible: Prince Paul’s Adventurous Musical Journey follows the hip-hop pioneer and his friends Mr. Dead and Soce on a cross-country quest for new inspiration. Featuring Best Coast, Municipal Waste, Big Freedia, Win Win and many more."

Watch more episodes here.


"After the storm, it was so depressing, all you could do was dance, to keep a smile on your face..." New Orleans kid talking about bounce. Watch below.

Ring The Alarm playlist, BaseFM, Dec 17



Audioweb - Faker  -Justin Robertson remix
Primal scream - Higher than the sun
Dub asylum - Point blank
Ras Stones meets Dub terminator - Love you so much
Beat pharmacy - Sunshine
Fink - Sort of revolution - Sideshow dub
Grace Jones - Devil dub
Lee Scratch Perry - Devil dead out - Adrian Shewood remix feat Little Axe
African head charge -Throw it away
Keith Le Blanc/Malcolm X - no sellout
The cage feat Nona Hendryx - Do what ya wanna do - dub version
War - Me and baby brother
Pointer sisters  -Yes we can can
Gil Scott Heron - B-movie
Prince Tui Teka - Let's stay together
Charles Bradley - Why is it so hard?
Common - Come close - Boozoo Bajou remix
Fat freddys drop - Hope - Mkl vs Soy sos dub
Cesaria Evora - Angola - Pepe Bradock get down dub
Esso Trinidad steel band - I want you back

Friday, December 16, 2011

Gil Scott-Heron's memoir out Jan

"The late Gil Scott-Heron's memoir, The Last Holiday, is set to be published by Canongate on Jan. 16, which just so happens to be Martin Luther King Day. It's a fitting release date for the book as the poet/rap progenitor was heavily involved in the civil rights movement. But the book isn't solely about his activist side.

There's also plenty of discussion of his tour with Stevie Wonder in 1980-81, when they played 41 cities and campaigned to make Martin Luther King Day a federal holiday. You can listen to Scott-Heron read an excerpt from the book at Canongate's website.

And in case you happen to reside in or around London, Wilton's Music Hall is putting on a tribute to Scott-Heron's life and his memoir on Jan. 19. The event lineup features Jamie XX, Gilles Peterson, Kate Tempest, and Ben Mellor. [Wire]" Via Prefix Mag

Poi dance

Poi Dance by KillaManRARO

Tasty mashup from Killamanraro (Ned Ngatae) of Kiwi classic Poi-e by Patea Maori Club. DL too (wav file).

Minnie Riperton meets a lion




Talkshow hosted by Sammy Davis Jr, interviewing Minnie Riperton, talking about her album cover with a real live lion on there. Clip includes her tv ad based on the cover, wait for it. Other  guests include Richard Pryor. Hat tip to Wax Poetics.

Bonus clip - Richard Pryor on Sesame St...

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Turntable Thursday

Fat City top 50

Fat City Records top 50 for 2011, as chosen by their staff, with guest Gerald Jazzman Short. Grab em from them online too.


Best of 2011 - Gerald 'Jazzman' Short.
----------------------

The Greg Foat Group : Dark Is The Sun
UK : Jazzman

Jef Gilson : Jef Gilson
UK : Jazzman

Gold : Gold
UK : Jazzman

Various Artists : Jukebox Jam
UK : Jazzman

The 6 Degree South : Loving You (Is To Far Out) Pts 1
UK : Fryers

Jeanne Demetz : Calypso Daddy / Everything Will Be Alright
UK : Jukebox Jam

Sir Guy : I Need You Baby / Let Home Cross Your Mind
UK : Soul7

The Divetones : Peters Fun
UK : Mocambo

Luther Ingram : If It's All The Same To You Babe / Exus Trek
Austria : Hib

Bobby Boyd Congress : Bobby Boyd Congress
France : Vadim Music


Best of 2011 - Orsii
--------------------

Tino Contreras : El Jazz Mexicano de Tino Contreras
UK : Jazzman

Hackney Colliery Band : No Diggity / House Arrest
UK : Wah Wah 45s

Oddisee : Rock Creek Park
US : Mello Music Group

Camille Howard : Please Don't Stay Away Too Long
UK : Jukebox Jam

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings : Soul Time!
USA : Daptone

Cal Tjader : Mamblues
UK : Jazzman

Darondo : Listen To My Music - The Music City Sessions
UK : Omnivore

Michael Kiwanuka : I'm Getting Ready
UK : Communion

Zara McFarlane : Chiaroscuro/Night
UK : Brownswood

Fatima : Follow You EP
UK : Eglo Records

Tall Black Guy Productions : The Return Of Here
UK : First Word Records

L'Orchestre Kanaga De Mopti : Kanaga De Mopti
EU : Kindred Spirits

Liquid Crystal Project : Tribute To De La
Euro : Polar

Various : Those Shocking Shaking Days
US : Now Again

Martyn : Ghost People
USA : Brainfeeder

Little Esther : Hollerin' and Screamin'
UK : Fryers

Roc Marciano and Gangrene : Greneberg
USA : Decon

Honey B's : What Love Can Do b/w If You Didn't
Finland : Timmion

Paul White : Rapping With Paul White
UK : One Handed

Mr Beatnick : Synthetes
UK : Don't Be Afraid


Best of 2011 - Dom
------------------

Various Artists : Bossa Jazz Vol. 1
UK : Soul Jazz Records

Syl Johnson : Mythological
USA : Numero

Arthur Verocai : Arthur Verocai
Euro : Kindred Spirits

Cravo & Canela : Preco De Cada Um
UK : Mr Bongo

Late Bloomers : Three Shades Brown
US : Tres Records

The Mighty Mocambos with Afrika Bambaataa, Charlie Funk : Zulu Walk
UK : Mocambo

Innersection : I'm In Debt To You / Let Me Love Yuh
UK : Sonic Wax

Chimp Beams Vs DUB Nomads : Behind The Moon
US : Concent Productions

Georgie Anne Muldrow : Heaven Or Hell
USA : Label

Mizz Beats : Are We The Dictators?
UK : Eglo Records

Mr Chop : Switched On
US : Five Day Weekend

Theo Parrish : STFU
US : Sound Signature

Soundsci /Oxygen : In a Flash / Class in Session
UK : Skyline Recordings

Stax : New York Computer Breakdown
US : Get On Down

Peabody & Sherman : Dubsploitation
US : P&S

Various Artists : Americana - Rock Your Soul
UK : BBE

A.G. of DITC : The Pianos Companion EP (feat. Roc Marciano)
US : Red Apples 45

Ye Mighty : Beyond Cairo
UK : First Word Records

Debo Band : Gedawo b/w Kiddid Remix
US : Electric Cowbell Records

Nickodemus feat. Sadat X : Gimme The Music / New York Minute
USA : Wonderwheel Recording

Stereo freeze preview



Stereo freeze, the new Dub Asylum EP, is out December 19. This ep is a collection of my brand new and way old tunes, pulled together to get them out into the world. I had originally planned to do a melodica ep, then my music hard drive had other ideas and started misbehaving, so I rescued what I could, and this is what you have here.


Jumping Jack Skank is a brand new melodica tune that stomps along, while Get It Together another fine melodica number, originally recorded in 2002 and was intended for inclusion on the debut Dub Asylum album. It didn’t fit with the other tracks, but I came across it recently and it’s still pretty groovy.

Skatta and Skavoovie are two well-solid brass-driven tunes, the first with sampled horns, the latter with splendid trumpet work from Olly Harris (WBC/Kolab). Point Blank also features Olly, alongside his former cohorts in the WBC, Oliver and Maitiu, with the bottom end being held down by legendary bass don dada, Chip Matthews(Open Souls/Anika Moa). This was recorded around 2006, and has been hanging round waiting to escape out into the world.


Jump and Twist emerged in 2009, wrote it in one session and shared it round some DJ mates for NZ Music Month that year. It has been specially remastered for this release. Enjoy!

Preview the tunes below...


R.I.P Carmen

Carmen at Miss NZ Drag Queen Ball, Auckland 1975. Photo: Fiona Clark

Carmen has passed away this morning in Sydney, of kidney failure, following months of poor health, reports GayNZ. "The word 'icon' does not quite encompass New Zealand's most-loved tranny, who over her 75 years achieved everything from belly dancing with a snake in Kings Cross to running for Mayor of Wellington."


ADDED Jan 17: A memorial service in Auckland has been announced... February 11, at 530pm, at St Matthews in the City. Maori Television will screen a profile of Carmen in Takatapui the following evening at 10.10pm.

From GayNZ: Obituary: Carmen Rupe - "Rest well my darling".





From nzhistory.net.nz: "Carmen, the founder of Carmen's International Coffee Lounge, was a flamboyant personality. A transsexual with a colourful past, she returned to Wellington from Sydney in 1967 ... Carmen decided she needed her 'own stage' on which to star. She took the right of first refusal on a clothing factory with a four-bedroom flat on the upper floor. It was, ironically, located at 86 Vivian Street, next door to the Salvation Army.

In many ways Carmen's was like other coffee bars of the era. The opening hours were long, initially from 8 a.m. to 3 a.m., and later from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. The menu was straightforward but adequate - coffee, tea, soft drinks and a great variety of toasted sandwiches, cakes, pastries and scones. The difference was in the décor, the staff and the availability of sex. Carmen referred to her waitresses as hostesses: 'that is what they were, and with the exception of the lesbians, all my girls were boys or had been boys at some time. They had to be beautiful. That was the mark of my establishment.' While she gathered around her people of all sexual persuasions, it was never a rule that her entertainers and coffee shop workers had to be prostitutes.

Staff were encouraged to sit and talk with the customers to make them feel relaxed and comfortable. A ritual known as 'the cups' was devised whereby a customer could signal his sexual preference without needing to engage in a potentially embarrassing conversation. Regular customers were also able to liven up their coffee by purchasing a nip of brandy."

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Homeboy



New signing to Stonesthrow, Homeboy Sandman... check this....


Homeboy Sandman - New York Nights by stonesthrow


"Homeboy Sandman has already made a name for himself with a series of self-released records - Nourishment, Actual Factual Pterodactyl and The Good Sun. And now we start something new: His track "New York Nights" will lead off the forthcoming Stones Throw/Serato collaboration, and his debut Stones Throw EP will be released in late January 2012. "

Brown Study remixes

"Last year Boog Brown released her debut album Brown Study produced entirely by Detroit star Apollo Brown. ITunes called her one of the 10 best new hip-hop artists of 2010 alongside Nicki Minaj, Drake, B.O.B., Roc Marciano, and J. Cole.

"Since then Boog has honed her live performance into one of the most vicious and exciting in Hip-Hop. Now, Boog Brown has brought in some of the best producers in the underground Hip-Hop scene to remix her debut album [listen here], including Georgia Anne Muldrow, 14 KT (Red Bull Big Tune National Champ), Dunc of DTMD, Def Dee, Has-Lo, and Illastrate, among others. Then Apollo Brown and Boog created an all new track just for the album: "Detroit". The Brown Study Remixes will be available on CD & Digital releases. Additionally the original Brown Study album will be released on collectors edition brown vinyl in the new year!"

Free download of Boog Brown remixed by Georgia Anne Muldrow....


Marvin aint mad




Mad Professor does a live dub mix of Marvin Gaye's What's goin on. Genius.
Via Boogie Banger.

Plus, interview with Mad Professor on dubstep... "Aint nuttin new about dubstep, man, it's just new people into it!"

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

It's like that

photo: Volume, supplied.

There's a great story in this week's issue of Volume magazine. It's writer/actor Oscar Kightley recalling Run-DMCs show at the Powerstation on 18 November 1988. I was lucky enough to be at that show, it was incredible.

The support was UK rapper Derek B with DJ Scratch as his DJ, who pulled off some mind-blowing tricks that had never been seen here.  The Volume print edition has the original ad for the gig, which was scheduled for the Logan Campbell Centre, with a lineup that included Eric B and Rakim. The show was shifted to the Powerstation, and sadly, Eric B and Rakim didn't make it. I remember Run DMC saying it was the last night of their world tour, which explains how loose they got. They were having a ton of fun onstage.

Oscar's recollections take me right back to that night, it was so exciting. And also what it was like, being a rap fan at that time, when you had commercial radio blasting "No rap, no crap" on billboards across the city. It was rebel music. Thanks, Oscar...



"At the time I was 19 and working as a junior reporter at The Auckland Star. This was back in the days when there were all these stations that used to play ads on TV that said ridiculous shit like "no rap, no crap" - bFM was the only station that was flying the flag for hip hop. That was the music we'd come up on, so it was weird to see that kind of stuff. It was kind of like a statement on what the country was like at the time.

Run-D.M.C. came here in their prime and at a time when no other hip hop artists were coming to New Zealand. I was walking down Queen St before the show and I saw Jam Master Jay walking down the street. No one else around me knew who he was, but I was like, 'F**k - that's Jam Master Jay!' He caught my eye and I tentatively threw up a peace sign in greeting, 'cause that was what we did back then, and he did it back.

I will never forget that moment.

Being an impressionable young man, it was amazing to see Jam Master Jay onstage scratching - he was my favourite. And, the thing is, Run-D.M.C didn't just stand there and rap - they had a show and they rocked it.

Back at that time, hip hop was in its infancy in New Zealand, and the culture wasn't the same after that show. We had three kings of hip hop on that stage in Mt Eden, rocking it and getting the crowd involved. Back then, no one did that so it was pretty cool.

It wasn't at all what you'd expect a hip hop gig today to be, which would be a lot of baseball caps and brown people. It was packed and sweaty, and I remember being upstairs and looking down at this sea of young New Zealanders behaving like I'd never seen young New Zealanders behave at a concert, with their hands in the air, throwing them like they just didn't care.

It really wasn't about where you were from, it was where you were at, and that night everybody felt like they were at the same place."

Poi-E disco mix



I played this song on my radio show a few weekends ago. I pulled it out to play as it had come up in conversation online, with the folks at Kiwi digital distributor Amplifier.co.nz.

Last week I posted a video clip I'd come across of Dalvanius talking about the origins of the song, and mentioned it on Twitter. Amplifier then linked to the 25th Anniversary Edition of the album with bonus remixes. I replied, telling them I had the 12-inch of Poi-E with some disco mixes. Funny thing - they'd never heard of this release. Didn't know it existed.

P-Money joined in the conversation, mentioning he had a mint condition copy that he'd picked up this year. Amplifier checked with Jayrem Records, and they hadn't heard of it either, and didn't have any masters on file. So Amplifier have arranged to borrow P-Money's copy so they can get it digitised at Stebbings, ready for a digital reissue.





From Amplifier: " It started with a question on Twitter. Peter McLennan (Dub Asylum, Hallelujah Picassos) asked "Any plans to release the Poi E 12"). That was news to us and Jayrem Records, we didn't even know it existed.

A quick search was done through Dalvanius's archive at Jayrem and a mention of the 12" was found in his recording notes, but frustratingly there were no master tapes.

Once again Twitter came to the rescue, with P-Money getting in contact to say that he had a mint condition copy of the 12" that we could borrow.

Over the course of the next couple of weeks Stebbings in Auckland transferred the tracks from the vinyl and carried out a restoration to bring them back to life.

And now, for the first time since 1983, here is the Poi E 12", released digtially, with 4 versions of Poi E and a live version of the haka, Taranaki Patere."

Stereo freeze

New Dub Asylum EP, out December 19. Six songs, lotsa melodica, see snippet below... Here's the cover...



Augustus rock by dubasylum

Monday, December 12, 2011

Boombox



Via Boing Boing: "Found at the "Boombox" entry on Wikipedia, this is a soundystem built from fourteen of the 1980s classic Sharp FG-909 boomboxes. The photo is labeled as from the "Zushi Beach Electro Old School Party 2005."

Zushi Beach is in Japan, which probably the last country on earth where you can still find boom boxes. Hat tip to Chad for the link.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Ring The Alarm playlist, BaseFM, Dec 10

Deodato - Superstrut
OJays - 992 arguments
Patti Labelle - Most likely you go your way...
Cherelle - Artificial heart - dance remix
P-bass expressway - Easyride - Downtown Brown remix
Dream warriors - Ludi - dropout mix
Morgan Heritage and Bounty Killer - Guns in the Ghetto
Toots and the Maytals - Bam bam
Augustus Pablo - East of the river Nile
Tiger ranks - Party wit me
Hypnotic brass ensemble - Spottie
Quincy Jones - Walkin
Booker T Jones - Walking papers
Esther Phillips - Catch me I'm falling
Cajun Hart - Got to find a way
Loraine Ellison - Got my baby back
Mr Chop - Greedy G
Fat freddys drop - Bohannon dub (free download here)
Three generations walking - Midnight bustling - Midnight rockers mix
Scritti politti - Sweetest girl
Million Dan - Dogz n sledgez
Rebel MC - The wickedest sound - Don gorgon mix
Lee Scratch Perry - Jungle youth - Congo natty remix

Muppet space funk



Raquel Welch and the Muppets. Just because. Funky as soundtrack too.

Friday, December 09, 2011

Mission Bay music fest postponed

Mission Bay Jazz and Blues Streetfest just posted this to their Facebook page...

"Unfortunately due to ongoing, and the threat of further, High Court action by the Mission Bay Business Association, Retail Holdings Limited and Drive Holdings Limited against Auckland Council in an attempt to stop the iconic Mission Bay Jazz and Blues Streetfest from proceeding, next year’s 11th annual Streetfest event is regrettably postponed until further notice.

"Despite the event’s support from tens of thousands of Streetfest fans, the majority of whom are local Mission Bay residents, the event organisers feel that it is untenable for the Streetfest to be staged when such legal proceedings continue to force the City to defend its right to permit large scale public events in Auckland at considerable cost to all Auckland ratepayers.

"This is the Event Organiser’s view and not that of Auckland Council. Thanks to all the event patrons & fans, awesome bands, suppliers, regulatory authorities and volunteers who all make the event happen and who have loyally supported the Streetfest."

ADDED Some background from a news item in February...
Mission Bay Jazz and Blues Streetfest raises concerns


excerpt: "... a sponsorship dispute before last year's festival resulted in the businesses being excluded from the streetfest with a fence covered in black scrim being put up between the hospitality strip and the festival.

"Our overall problem is the nature of the event has changed," Retail Holdings general manager Darryl Henry says..."

808 brass







What Time Is Love, played live at the Tate Modern...

More on Williams Fairey Brass and this release...

Thursday, December 08, 2011

Dam spiritual

Via Stonesthrow, "DAM-FUNK'S SPIRITUAL FLIGHT: THE FULL UN-EDITED PRESENTATION".


DāM-FunK's ~ Spiritual Flight [The full un-edited presentation] by DâM-FunK

Dam Funk says "In 2009, I quietly recorded an all Gospel based, Boogie-Funk' mix for Stones Throw. That mix was released as one of their many podcast (Stones Throw Podcast #49), but was 'cut down' due to bandwidth rules on the record labels site. Well, here as I always promised (as a gift for all & after being repeatedly asked by many friends whom connect with my creativity, while on the road, about this full version) is the entire 'un-edited' recording to coincide with your holiday seasons festivities & listening pleasures.

| DāM-FunK's "Spiritual Flight" |

1. NEW JERSEY MASS CHOIR - "Yah Mo B There" ~ 1984 LP | Prelude Records
2. THE MICHAEL JOHNSON SINGERS - "Just A Little Talk" ~ 1984 LP | Plumbline Records
3. TONY COMER & CROSSWINDS - "Part Of You" ~ 1984 LP | Vidcom Enterprises
4. THE RAPPIN' REVEREND DR. C. DEXTER WISE, III - "I Ain't Into That" (Short Version) ~ 1986 12" | Fantasy Records
5. THE RANCE ALLEN GROUP - "I Can't Help Myself" ~ 1984 LP | Myrrh Records
6. KENNY SMITH - "Trust In Him" ~ 1985 LP | Message Records
7. MICHELLE & FAMILY LOVE - "Happy Song" ~ 1987 LP | Glenn Records
8. RICKEY GRUNDY - "Make Way For Jesus" ~ 1986 12" | S.W.E. Records
9. MINISTER JEFF JACOBS And The International Praise Gospel Music Workshop Group - "When It's All Over" (Instrumental) ~ 1988 LP | GosPearl Records
10. ANDRE CROUCH - "Got Me Some Angels" ~ 1984 LP | Light Records
11. EDWIN HAWKINS - "(Reprise) You Gave Your All" ~ 1981 LP | Lection Records
12. GABRIEL HARDEMAN DELEGATION - "I'm Givin' It Up" ~ 1983 LP | Birthright Records
13. MARY LOVE-COMER - "The Price" ~ 1988 LP | Love Records
14. JON P. KEE - "Happy" ~ 1987 LP | Tyscot Records
15. The DeBARGE FAMILY - "Coming Home" ~ 1991 LP | T.M. Records
16. WATSON BEASLEY - "Dimensions" ~ 1980 LP | Warner Bros. Records

*All original wax pressings were used for this mix. No mp3's whatsoever. Peace & with love I humbly present 2 U: "Spiritual Flight".

We need to make a change




Charles Bradley on WNYC's Soundcheck.

I've read three lists of Top 50 albums for 2011 in the past few days, and have come across a total of 3 albums on them that I own. Then again, most of those lists were very indie/hipster with a token hiphop artist thrown in.  Need to find some dance top 50s or something.

One of the best albums I picked up this year was a slice of solid soul from Charles Bradley. No Time For Dreaming, his debut album (at the age of 63), dropped on Dunham Records (via Daptone), an imprint run by Tommy Brenneck, leader of the Menahan St Band, who back up Bradley. 

Charles Bradley is playing dates in the US during February next year, then returning  to Australia in March (tour dates here).


Can someone PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE bring him to New Zealand? He is an incredible singer. I need to see him.

Here's the latest video from Mr Bradley, a song about the loss of his brother. Available for free download at Rcrd Lbl, registration req'd.


Gilles Peterson dropped

Gilles Peterson outside Conch Records.

Via Fact Mag, Radio One  has had a reshuffle and dropped Gilles Peterson, Grooverider, Judge Jules and others, and added Skream, Benga, and Toddla T. Peterson is in talks with Radio 6 Music, so here's hoping he gets a new slot. Easily one of the best broadcasters on the planet.