Proto-House Vol 1

Frankie Knuckles - Live @ The Warehouse 1977

I don't really see the point in posting much old house or disco since you can find that elsewhere, but I'm a huge Chicago history buff. I also love hearing early DJ sets, and this one sits between the time when the dancefloor had to wait between songs and variable pitch control. This gives a good idea of what went down at the Warehouse during the house music boiling pot era, and if you feel like your still missing out put a bunch of streamers up in your apartment and snort some blow. The club was located at 206 S Jefferson St, which was considered the South Side in 1977. Now occupied by office space in Oprah's West Loop, reminding me of a lot of other inner city boundary lines being pushed outward much like Harlem and elsewhere.

Same Old Song

Los Decadas - Polvo Y El Viento (from Sonido Fantasma C.J. Collection De Oro vol 19 2009)

One strategy for making your way through genres like Jazz is to cross reference the list of musicians to other records. I thought the Sax was dope on Journey Into Satchidananda, therefore I started checking out Pharoah Sanders. A simple plan that is replaced by pictures when digging through Sonidero CDs. What I'm getting at is that I totally look for the DJs with the coolest looking logos and start from there. Obviously looking at the list of bands is helpful too, but this recent release from Mexico's Fantasma (César Juárez) worked out fine. I picked this up in my backyard at Puebla Records & Gift Shop on Cermak which is small but very up-to-date with their New York City Sonidera releases. That section is even bigger than the local Duranguense one, but from what I understand Duranguense is most popular on the North Side, Cumbia on the South Side. This shop also operates at the "Maxwell Street" Market and they might apologize to you for not being unpacked yet if you come early in the week. They are also very helpful and fairly priced, cheaper than Jalisco on Chicago Ave which although expensive has a wider selection and pretty big Merengue shelf.

Oh yeah, this is not one of the best tracks on the CD, which has some pretty great synths overall, but an awesome cover of one of the lamest songs ever written. If I could think of a good name for it, this would be in the same series as that screwed Rush track I put up before. Sorry.

Chicago Hip Life Spot #1

Candy Man - Bowotiri Nko (from Yate Akye unknown year)

Made a trip to Uptown yesterday to check out Afrikiko Hair & Fashion Boutique, a Ghanaian barber shop which got attention in the Chicago Reader music section a few weeks ago due to it's wall of Hip Life CDs and African film DVDs. I showed up and was immediately greeted by the employees, interrupting a few of them in the middle of their hair cuts. I brought up the article, which hilariously they had not seen themselves. "Some guy came in here...did you write that article?" A bit lame of the Reader on their part, but the computer/internet stalls adjacent to the barber chairs worked everything out. I was recommended some great CDs from the wall and even got a price break. Real nice people that run the place who even let me preview before I purchased, and left me on my way with a warm goodbye. I will be returning soon, and I recommend any fans of Ghanian Hip Hop to make the trip. Their stock of CDs is about to grow, and more customers will certainly help. So go get a haircut and grab a Hip Life CD on your way out.

Afrikiko Hair and Fashion Boutique
4635 N Broadway (red line Montrose EL stop)

PS, didn't have a camera so I had to steal the Readers picture of the shop after hours (?).

Chicago Cumbia Spot #1

Gina y Lost Fieles - Vuelve, Velve Amorcito (from Dinastia Perea Cumbias Chilenas 1997)

Went for a little stroll around the neighborhood the other night and it turns out I have lived right next to a Latin record store for almost a year now. It's a little joint called Jalisco Discoteca Electronicas located about 4 blocks west of Ashland on Chicago ave, and it's jam packed with an insane selection of Cumbia mixtapes. I almost grabbed some Merengue CDs with crazy naked girl covers but ended up just checking out some Sonidero stuff. Really been digging this track that has pretty similar production to a CD I bought from Kumbala in Brooklyn (includes the intro track on DJ/Rupture's great new K-K-Kumbia mix). It's got this decaying quality to it, like the guitar mics were fucked up. I got to get off my ass and find more places like this here in Second City, and get a Cumbia map going like this NYC one. Apologies for being such a lazy record digger.

Mannish Boy Was Here

While eating Jamaican food and checking out maybe the best art collection I've ever seen I was directed across the street by owner of said art. This was Muddy Waters first Chicago home and at times Howling Wolf's and others. No idea what goes on or who lives there now but it had a real weird vibe to it. Has some weird witches hat on top too. For those interested its down on 43rd and Lake Park in north Kenwood. More Chicago music landmarks to come, and maybe next time I'll actually take the picture.