Get Back
Back 2 Basics magazine resurfaces, in shops now. Go grab it. Che Fu is on the cover, got the full story on his departure from Supergroove too, goes like this...

Che: "I didn’t leave the band, I was thrown out. I’ve never told anyone that. A lot of people think that I left to go away on a solo career… we finished the world tour and we were in England practicing for [the] new Traction album and I was learning those songs with all my heart...” tho, as Che notes, there was no rap or soul styles in the new material, more of an indie pop vibe. “We came back to New Zealand straight after that and had a six week break. The word was we’ll meet up at the lawyer’s office to sign up [again]... Six weeks later I turn up at the office ready to get back into it and everyone’s quiet. They hand me this sheet of paper and say ‘can you sign this? This is your resignation.’ I was totally shocked. It was totally unexpected. Like, I could understand if we’d been fighting or there were drug issues or things like that but I thought we was cool... They made me sign a letter saying not to talk about it…

Q You were told to leave, right? Not like ‘this is not working out’.
‘’Yup. There was two of us. Me and the trumpet player Tim [Stewart].”

Che talks about his Dad and the Polynesian Panthers, growing up playing at 12 Tribes of Israel gigs, writing the chorus for Chains in unusual surroundings, heaps of good stuff. Check it out.

Check Fluxblog's MTV play-by-play VMA Awards recap. They watch, so you don't have to:
8:50 Shakira is here to lip synch in Spanish and slink around. With the damaged hair and leathery skin, she's looking a bit like Sheryl Crow. It seems as though she's threatening to shake her pants right off.

Village Voice plays copycat here ("with apologies to Fluxblog").
9:26: So who did more coke before coming onstage: Jeremy Piven or Lil Kim?


Jeremy Piven stars in HBO's latest hit show, Entourage. We've been watching the first series on DVD round our place and falling of the couch laughing our asses off. Pray it hits our screens soon.

Basic premise... "Entourage, the hit comedy series executive produced by Mark Wahlberg that takes a look at the day-to-day life of Vincent (Vince) Chase, a hot young actor in modern-day Hollywood, and his entourage.
He's brought with him from their hometown in Queens, NY: manager Eric, half-brother Drama, and friend Turtle. The series draws on the experiences of industry insiders to illustrate both the heady excesses of today's celebrity lifestyle, as well as the difficulty of finding love and success in the fast track of show biz.
Now that the boys are getting used to the perks of stardom, Eric, along with superagent Ari [Jeremy Piven], keep Vince's star rising while making sound decisions for a long-lasting career in a world of fleeting fame."

There's some video clips of the show here, (fast connection reccomended) have a look at the shark is back, and catch Ari's catchphrase, "Lets hug it out, bitch".

Here's some guff on season two from the New York Times (tip of the hat to Ria)...

"Rehashing box office grosses is so 2004. This summer, the hot subject at talent agencies and power breakfasts here has been the HBO series "Entourage."
" 'Did you hear what Ari said?' is now a regular feature of our Monday staff meetings," said Jeremy Zimmer, a founding partner at United Talent Agency. He was referring to Ari Gold, the show's insufferable talent agent, played by Jeremy Piven in an expensive Caesar haircut.
Meanwhile, at International Creative Management, the agent Brian Sher said he got huge laughs by announcing at a staff meeting that the priority project at Warner Brothers this fall would be "Aquaman." That's the show's fictional underwater action movie starring the groovy pop idol of "Entourage," Vincent Chase (Adrien Grenier), and directed by James Cameron (the actual director of "Titanic" and "Terminator 2" fame, playing himself)."

Full article over here.

“He’s crushing his testicles in tight trousers for world peace.”
John Lydon on Bono's attempts to change the world.

Need a laugh? Try this quote for size..
"There are too many Maori in jail and they can't all be criminals."
Hone Harawira on Donna Awatere Huata's conviction. Hang on, I heard that everyone in jail can't be criminals, they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. "It was that other guy, not me".

Via Tofu hut... "This collection of '70's NYC club photos has already made its way all over the web; but I remain amazed at the dionysian revelry of the City's glory days. Ah, for a pre-AIDS party scene with a Moroder soundscape thumping in the background... them were golden times, I imagine."

Saw this via Hans (cheers)...
The New Republic editor Michael Crowley on the difficulty of being a "rock snob" in the P2P-and-iPod era. (Via The Morning News)

"Snobbery subsists on exclusivity. And the ownership of a huge and eclectic music collection has become ordinary. Thanks to the iPod, and digital music generally, anyone can milk various friends, acquaintances, and the Internet to quickly build a glorious 10,000-song collection. Adding insult to injury, this process often comes directly at the Rock Snob's expense."

'That's when the true rock snob goes back to vinyl, Michael,' says Coolfer. True, dat.

This story is getting much heat in the hiphop blogosphere...
"Tha Pumpsta, who happens be white, has built a following in the past few years by staging monthly "Kill Whitie" parties in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, for large groups of white hipsters. His proclaimed goal, in between spinning booty-bass, Miami-style frenetically danceable hip-hop records that are low on lyrical depth and high on raunchiness, is to 'kill the whiteness inside.'" Source - Washington Post article.
Responses from Jay smooth, O-Dub and others. These freaks are beyond irony.

Here's a real use for camera cellphones...
"When a pervert exposed himself on a Manhattan subway last week, Thao Nguyen reached for her secret weapon - her camera phone. The quick-thinking 22-year-old snapped a shot of the smirking sicko, took it to cops and then posted it on the internet." Nice one.

Spotted at Coolfer... "At the Guardian, Linton Kwesi Johnson wrote a piece on Jamaican dub poet Matabaruka. "His canvas has now widened to include poems that focus on environmental concerns, hard drugs, junk food and other issues but, as Morris observes, 'the protest element predominates: protest against poverty, inequality, racism, class prejudice, oppression, political deceit and the wickedness of powerful nations'."

ADDED: Recloose interview in the weekend papers, entertaining wee writeup.

Ring The Alarm playlist, BaseFM, Saturday August 27
Jackie Mittoo - Getup and get it
Rodney P -The niceup
Stevie Wonder vs The Clash - Casbah wonder (dunproofin.co.uk mashup)
Barry Brown -Big pollution
Recloose – Mana's bounce
Roy Ayers - Love will bring us together
Rick James -Bustin loose
DJ Format -The place
Gladys Knight and the Pips - I heard it thru the grapevine
Alton Ellis – I'm just a guy
International Observer – Hip hop's final
Bumps Jackson – Funky in Jamaica part 2
Maze – colourblind
Willie Bobo – Trinidad
Dub Specialst – Kampala
Turbulence – Notorious
Sola Rosa – Easy uneasy
Led Snoopelin – Drop it like it's a whole lotta love (Snoop vs Led Zep
- from Partyben.com)
Fatback band -Wicky wacky
Cubalooba – Cubalooba
Amadou and Mariam – Camion Sauvages
Sharon Jones and the Dapkings – Your thing is a drag
Roisin Murphy -Sow into you
Kenny Dope – Get on down
Elephantman – Chapter a day
Lion rock – Rude boy rock
Rhianna – If it's lovin you want
Daphne Walker with Bill Wofgramm and his Islanders – Haere mai
Jstar vs Blufoot – Intchaaa (Infinite Livez remix)
Perfect – Handcart boy

Now we are 2
Dubdotdash is turning two today! You bring the cake, I'll bring the fizzy drink. We'll roll around the carpet like sugar-crazed fools.

Hey, it's the weekend. Get mashed.
Tip of the hat to Trevor for this... Party Ben's mashups, incluidng Led Zepp vs Snoop, The Clash vs Gwen Stefani ("these are easy when the vocal has like one note. But, it's fun on the dancefloor. That's what I do."), Tegan and Sara vs Mylo, U2 vs Lyrics Born, all sorts of nonsense. Enjoy.

And pop over here for Casbah Wonder, a mash of Rock the Casbah by The Clash and Uptight by Stevie Wonder.

Righto.

Block Party
Ecko Block Party pics over here, tip of the hat to Thatgoodgood. See post below on Mayor Bloomberg, half way thru.

ADDED; Jay Smooth comes over all star-struck watching Lady Pink paint a car right in front of him... plus more pics.

"I was worried it might be overly corporate and commercial, but Marc Ecko did a great job of making his presence low-key and keeping the focus on the culture. A gorgeous day, I only wish Bloomberg had been around to feel all the positive energy created. Though I'm sure he wouldn't have gotten it anyway.

I don't often get starstruck but how can you not get geeked watching Lady Pink do a full car right in front of you? The piece she collaborated on was a brilliant "police state" mural in response to Bloomberg's attempt to shut this event down." Link.

Secret KLF mix
tip of the hat to Richard for this...




Here's a gig you won't wanna miss...
"The Quantic Soul Orchestra are set to return down under this November. Will Quantic and Alice Russell backed by the fierce and funky Bamboos will tour Australia and New Zealand alondside Brighton DJ and Jazz Promoter Russ Dewbury. Tour schedule coming soon."

FFD Chart Watch
This week the lads shift up from #12 to #10 (they're currently playing round Germany, and have a tour booked for late October round Australia), Hayley W holds steady at #1 for the second week, Anika M moves from #8 to #15.

Fade to grey
via Boingboing... The Beastie Boys are posting acapella tracks along with BPM info for their songs and encouraging their fans to make noncommercial remixes of them. A new track goes live every Friday. Link.
Maybe they're hoping for the cool-factor spinoff like Jay Z with the Grey Album.

Ottawa goes to town on Golden Horse (tip of the hat to NZM boards)
"New Zealand's Goldenhorse, opening for Toronto's Death From Above and Metric at the Sala Rossa March 3 were, uh, different. There'd been a little bit of hype leading up to them, and they're doubtless good at what they do, I just can't figure out for the life of me why anyone would want to do it. "It" being kind of melodically stodgy, goofily retro-inflected pop. As though Burt Bacharach were doing songs for Lulu. Bouncy and perky (but not for much longer if she keeps it up with all that bouncy) singer Kirsten Morelle definitely has a couple of things going up and down for her, and her singing is compelling when it's not off in some sort of Doris-Day-meets-Dolores-O'Riordan vocal death match, but the repertoire is somewhat baffling. Must be a kiwi thing. And speaking of death........"
www.ottawaxpress.ca/music/localsatlarge.aspx?iIDArticle=916

from coolfer.. The Chumbawamba Factor. (Pitchfork) A very interesting look inside P2P traffic tracker Big Champagne and the numbers of file sharing. The article delivers some data on The Arcade Fire: "The week of August 4, 1.3% of filesharers-- maybe 200,000-300,000 people-- were sharing the band's music, up from just .20% last December. From their debut LP Funeral, 'Rebellion (Lies)' scored the most listeners-- and the most searches-- and "In the Backseat" got the least."

Kanye West makes the cover of Time magazine, article text here.

When Rudy Guliani was Mayor of New York, he got taken to court 20 times for various violations of citizen's first amendment rights (freedom of expression, etc). One example; he tried to get street artists arrested for not having street vendor permits - they took him to court and he lost. He lost all 20 cases. Now, current Mayor Michael Bloomberg continues this dubious legacy...

[via sohh.com] "Yesterday, a federal judge reinstated a permit for fashion designer Marc Ecko's Getting Up Block Party, calling last week's revocation a "flagrant violation" of the First Amendment.

Last week, Mayor Michael Bloomberg revoked the permit for the Getting Up event after discovering that it would feature 20 graffiti writers spray-painting ten 48-ft long by 8-ft high replicas of the legendary NYC transit blue-bird subway cars.

Last Thursday, August 18th, Ecko, who organized the event, sued the city to regain the permit, convincing Manhattan Federal Judge Jed Rakoff not to believe the city's claim that the Block Party will condone vandalism.

"It will raise to the consciousness once again, in a celebratory way, graffiti vandalism on subway cars," city lawyer Paula Van Meter told New York's Daily News.

The judge disagreed with Meter's claim, stating: "By the same token, presumably, a street performance of Hamlet would be tantamount to encouraging revenge murder. ... The denial of the permit on the stated grounds that the demonstration will 'incite' others to actually paint graffiti on subway cars is a flagrant violation of the First Amendment and cannot stand."

Following the ruling, Ecko, outside the courthouse, told reporters that the judge was a "really cool guy" before adding, "It's kind of nice to remind yourself what the First Amendment is all about."

ADDED: Hans makes the cut in The 5th edition of the Kiwi Carnival. 'A self-selected collection of links to pertinent blog posts of recent time in New Zealand', have a peek this one, gives you an insider's view on Donna Awatere written by somone who has had contact with her... "It aint over until the fat lady staples".

Can't stop the music
latest news from Indie Music New Zealand...
"IMNZ tracks are being played all around the world. iTunes America’s Single of the Week for August 8th was P-Money’s Stop the Music feat Scribe (Dirty). On the same day One million dollars’ ‘Energy State’ (Sugarlicks) was at #5 on the top 100 Jazz albums at Italian iTunes (#98 on the overall chart) and #33 at German iTunes.

And you’ll hear them in the skies – three Katchafire tracks are now on the Jamaican Airlines inflight playlist; you can also hear Katchafire on Air New Zealand’s inflight services, as well as Shapeshifter, The Black Seeds, the Upbeats, the Otautahi Allstars, Dub Asylum [that would be me], Hirini Melbourne & Richard Nunns, Dan Poynton, OG, Eskimo Squad and Alphrisk."

Also, the person who left this comment... "I picked up Songs in the key of Life a while back from Real groovy and was bummed to find out when I got home the bonus 7" wasn't there....good to hear you got tho, I'll have to keep lookin..!"

well, I found TWO copies of that bonus EP, bought one for me, and the other copy is still sitting there, so get digging! Good luck.

RIP Bob Moog. He passed away on Sunday. Obit here, here (NYT) and here (Guardian).

Hunter S blasts off: pics, commentary etc....

Bono is a guest on the new Pat Boone album... yawn....

Via Coolfer, gotta love those wacky Amercians and their sheltered existence... "Courtney Love 'expecting Steve Coogan's baby'. (The Guardian) Yeah, that's what I said. Who's Steve Coogan?"
Remember, The US is a country where only 15% of the population have passports. Coogan's family react... "Let's face it, she's hardly daughter-in-law material, is she?"
"What does it make me look like that I have slept with Alan Partridge?" Love allegedly told a friend. "Given the A-grade stars I've dated it's embarrassing. I mean ... Alan Partridge!"

Ministry of Sound release their own MP3 player - Gizmodo's verdict? "You rarely find a product in so putrid that you must spit after using its name in a sentence, but this special Ministry of Sound MP3 player seems to hit all the right pain receptors." More here.

The Village Voice covers Amadou and Mariam's new album Dimanche A Bamako...
"With its fat here-comes-everybody sound, intimate yet worldly musical content, and high-profile collaborator, Dimanche A Bamako is everything an international breakout ought to be. Mali marrieds Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia have been blending West African traditionalism, Euro-American pop, and political protestation since 1980, though, so you'll have to forgive them for taking their 10th album's inevitable success somewhat in stride... " read the rest of it here...
Nonesuch Records also have a bunch of audio by them for preview, and the video for Senegal Fast Food... just click on the album cover on the right of the page...

I listened to Dubber and Spoons on the buscast yesterday, the one where they are joined by a BBC film crew, one of the funniest things I've heard in ages. Give it a spin.

Ring The Alarm playlist, BaseFM, Saturday August 20, plus some other stuff.
Family Choice - Reggae beat goes on
Love Grocer - Salute to Sam
George Benson - The ghetto/El barrio
Delegates - Pygmy part 2
Collen and Webb - Jamaican jerkoff aka Golden (Jill Scott reggae mashup)
Hopetoun Lewis - Sounds and pressure
Manu Chao - Merry blues
Meters - Tippi toes
Cedric Im Brooks - Idleberg
Turbulence - Notorious
Sola Rosa feat Paul St Hilaire - Breezes blowing
Stevie Wonder -I wish
Ballistic Bros - Peckings
International Observer - London dub
The Clash - Revolution rock (for Joe Strummer's birthday, and the Joe Strummer Day down at the King's Arms, featuring a variety of musos and DJs including one Jordan Luck, who has never written a song that betrays even the slightest influence of The Clash)
Anthony Cruz - No gun a dance (Real Rock Return riddim)
Elephantman - Chapter a day (Real Rock Return riddim)
Tosca - Bossa on the boat
Dangermouse: Jay Z vs The Beatles - Change Clothes
Flirtations - Nothing but a heartache
Recloose -Mana's bounce
Jackie Mittoo - Earthquake
Sabres of Paradise - Wilmot
DJ Fitchie (aka Mu) -Bam bam vs junglist (got this off the Fat Freddy's Drop website - go there and click on 'Radio Fitchie' and you get a DJ set from the man).
Freddy Cruger feat Desmond Foster - Something good
Mad Lion - Take it easy
Katzenjammers - Cars (Gary Numan on steel drums – ace! Reissued on Red Hook)
Yush2K - Fade away


Read the new isue off Xlr8r magazine at the weekend - there's a review in there of a new release from German reggae label Echo Beach, which is called New Zealand Dub (cover above). Not the greatest title, bit bland, but hey. The reviewer went on at length about beautiful scenery and lush tropical surroundings, didn't mention any artists, although they noted that there was a lack of vocals in most tracks. The comp came out back in April, and was put together for Echo Beach by Loop Recordings outta Wellington. Track listing here. Another review here, where the reviewer notes that this comp is more techno than dub.

Tom Bailey of International Observer discussed NZ reggae in the NZ Herald (not online, which is odd, given that they always put their entertainment reporting up on their site) noting that the lyrical concerns here were very lightweight, far removed from the lyrics he used to hear back in the UK, which was more miltiant, more political. Bailey labelled the NZ reggae style as 'barbecue reggae'.

BaseFM DJ and University lecturer Nabeel Zuberi has some similar comments on his site....

"I have to say that I agree with him [Bailey] and don’t think this is just the bias of a Brit in the Antipodes. There’s a summery good time tropical feel to reggae in the Pacific. It’s bland and too complacent and the lyrics generally suck. Even when they’re political they tend to be simplistic and cliched. The sound is more concerned with chug-a-lug ambience.

It’s like Bob Marley’s ‘Jamming’ and ‘Could you be loved’ are the models, rather than the many versions of ‘Green Bay Killing’ or Junior Murvin’s ‘Police and Thieves’. Even bands that are not strictly ‘reggae’ artists have this kind of all’s-well-with-the-world vibe and make affirmative noises that lack grounding in the material of daily ‘politics’ (with a little p, not just a big P). Bu-bum-bum-bum.

In Jamaican music, the names of the rhythms respond to stuff going on, and the lyrics from people like Papa San, Capleton and others just talk about the ordinary stuff of daily life including the nasty stuff, even if they’re offensive some of the time. And they go on about Iraq and the Middle East and about the police and stuff like that.

A lot of New Zealand dub-influenced music is just too NICE: ‘let’s all chill and smoke another doobie so that we might enjoy the view. Sweet as. I can feel my culture in my veins.’ The naff advertising for fruit juices and rum drinks says it all. Let’s have more blacks grinning on TV. I thought it couldn’t get any worse than the Magnum ads with the black mammy. New Zealand likes its darkies, nah?

I’m not against the downbeat blues-y aesthetic and I’m not just a 1970s roots reggae nostalgialator. My favorite dubbed up track right now is Kode9 & Daddy Gee’s “Sign of the Dub” which is a really dread adaptation/version of Prince’s ‘Sign of the Times’. It makes Rhythm & Sound’s glacial dub pacing seem like happy house tunes. It’s ‘as serious as cancer’ but also has a dark sense of humour.

I don’t want all music to reflect the times or the zeitgeist in an obvious and direct way, but I’d welcome more of our music to be engaged with the serious shit that’s going down on the local and global levels."

I also went back to Real Groovy to have further dig thru the sevens, found some Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight and the Pips doing Heard it thru the grapevine, Jackson 5 - The love you save, Maze - Colourblind, Dazz - Let it whip, Olympic Runners - Dump the bump and a few other bits and pieces. Oddest find - Valley Girl by Frank Zappa (no, I didn't buy it). Don't worry Smackie, I left you Rick James - Super freak and some Grace Jones too. Think they musta all come from jukeboxes, found some labels for em in there. Also found the bonus ep that came with Stevie's Songs in the key of life album - I have this on vinyl without the bonus seven, so now it's a complete set, which pleases the collector in me no end.


via No R'N'R Fun... "We're sure that Ray Charles would be delighted to know that he's now become a street name for heroin cut with clenbuterol. Nice to leave a lasting legacy, isn't it?"

ADDED: Rapper takes tough stand against drugs: Diddy says no to P.

Whose house?
Rev Run of Run DMC has a new single out on his brother's new label (Russell Simmons Music Group) called 'Mind on the road' (listen here), ties in with his appearance in a new reality tv show called Run's House, and as far as comeback tunes go, it kicks. Recalls that classic early Def Jam/Rick Rubin production sound, big rock guitars, loud ass drums, and throws in a sample from Joan Jett. What's not to like? I saw the video on C4 Premieres last night, Run has even got Donald Trump guesting in his vid.


Creativity, not concentration.
"Creativity is essential for innovation and progress. To flourish creativity requires diversity, plurality, fair competition and an open society.

80% of music and films distributed in the world is now tied up in the hands of a few multinationals. Recently a new giant SonyBMG was created with the blessing of the anti-trust authorities on both sides of the Atlantic. The market for cultural goods and services has become oligopolistic with two companies - SonyBMG and Universal - controlling more than 60% of the global music market - the Pepsi/Coke of music. Not even the biggest independent has 1%. This level of concentration works like cholesterol."
This campaign for cultural diversity is being run by IMPALA, the indie labels organisation in UK/Europe. More here.


FFD Chart Watch
Fat Freddy's Drop move from #10 to #12, Anika Moa's 2nd week slips from #6 too #8, that little poppet Hayley Westernra is at #1, and no sign of Shihad returning to the top 40 yet. Sola Rosa move in at #26, first week in.


Anyone know how to stop spam hitting the comments in Blogger?