Get Thee Behind Me, Satan

DJ Clent - Back Up Off Me (from Back Up Off Me 12" 2004)

Hurry up and blow weed smoke on your turntable before the duppy in this record escapes and breaks your jukin legs! This motherfucker pulls a number of sounds from the city of Chicago into one evil sounding record that DJ Elmoe and DJ Nate got to be fans of. The Dance Mania roots, the vocals pitched both up and down, the Westside Traxster sound, the adrenaline rush of getting stomped by a bunch of dudes in black hoodies, it's all in here! Clent is looking for 22 inch rims or better at the moment, and he just started a popcorn, sno cone, and mixtape shop down on far Southside called Jazzy Pops. Not too many people fucking with that!!!

Grupo Crap & Shit

Grupo Nectar - Corazoncito (from I don't know what album or year but it was a hit song once)

Another silly vandalized Wikipedia entry for a band whos story isn't so amusing. Grupo Nectar were a Peruana/Andean style Cumbia group who formed in Buenos Aires in 1994 that would reach great popularity before all being killed in a bus accident while on the way to a show in 2007. A great shame that made many Peruvians quite upset. This is very sugary Cumbia, especially this song which is listed as one of their most successful singles that I've even heard at a bar in Chicago. Oddly, my mp3 is marked as being from the Roots of Chicha collection, and while it is Chicha or maybe Neo-Chicha(?), it's a few years too late to be a part of that compilation.

Rest in Peace Grupo Nectar

Dubnostic Mass

Taliesin - Apricity Mix 2008 (direct link)

Got to give some serious props for this mix by my man Taliesin. One of the scariest mixes of it's kind, it even has the beast himself on it! There are plenty of rap bangers and remixes throughout, but it has the dark feel of a bleak dubstep mix if it were done by Robert Davis. Lovely stuff that fit well with walking through the shitty rain-filled Chicago night.

Tracklist:
NGUZUNGUZO - HATE2WAIT (Kingdom Refix)
“?????” - Kubo Remix
Dev79 - In Ya Face
CardoPusher - Low End Legacy
Vybz Kartel - Empire Army
Dead Prez - Politrikkks
Wisp - Whisper
Thark - Apatia
BD-1982 - Seeing Orange
Connor- Belles
Aleister Crowley - Gnostic Mass
Duran Duran Duran - Unholy Dracula Vagina Alien
Flying Lo - RobertaFlack (feat. Dolly)
David Banner - Shawty Say (feat. Weezy)
Saigon - Come on Baby (Inst.)Bi
Mali - Pale Twop
Shit Mat - Big Ben’s Big Remix
Jahdan Blakkamoore - Bus it Pon Dem
Small Professor - Kelis

Whats up Portland?

Hello countrymen of my home city, go to Holocene tomorrow and check out the Michna/Raw Paw tour with my buddy and video collaborator System D-128 and friends. Get tripped out by the videos and drink the 2 dollar tallboys of High Life, will be a good time and wish I could be there.

They have a bunch of other dates all over the States here.

Grisha's New Brazil Mix

Actually, my plan for this post was to show you how Tom Waits steals music from Burundi people. But that will happen next time, I hope at least.

What happened is, I saw one of those whacky Brazilian funk comps on my friend's MP3 player and as usual thought to myself "i can do better than that". I often think that when i see comps of Brazilian music from the 70s. But this time I was on my third night shift in a row, so I decided to finally do it.

Well, the main difference between my comp, and the others' comps, is that it is actually funky. Every fucking song is funky. Even the couple of songs that are not funk or disco and just have some some cool wah-wah in them are funky. And it's danceable. You can dance to these songs, if you are really bored. And when the just cool wah-wah stuff comes in, you can rest a bit.

The labels always choose dumb titles for all these kinds of comps, so i didn't name mine. Name it yourself. And i didn't work on songs' order much, so if the flow of the mix seems wrong to you, feel free to change it, though i advise to keep the opening and closing tracks where they are.

One last thing: i stole the image above from the cover of Bezerra da Silva's samba classic "Alo Malandragem, Maloca o Flagrante!". It's not funky, but it is groovy and it is from favelas. Check it out on the Loronix blog.

Man, my post are much longer than Dave's. I feel ashamed, hacking his blog like that.

Anyway:

Name It Yourself

Psyched

Coming soon!

Happy Fat Tuesday

The Wild Tchoupitoulas - Hey Pocky A-Way (from The Wild Tchoupitoulas 1976)

I guess I'm a few hours late to be official, but I hope yall had fun in New Orleans, Mobile, Rio, The Caribbean and elsewhere around the world where Mardi Gras really goes down. All I can do is wish I was down there and enjoy the sounds of the Wild Tchoupitoulas, which I can't really complain about. So flash some tits, wear some beads, watch out for the spy boys, wear those feathered costumes proud, and most importantly party your ass off all you people south of me.

Could it Happen?

Head on over to Cocaine Blunts and check out those tracks from that album that might actually come out.

Best promo picture ever, or is it the actual cover?!

Nothin But a Low Price Bitch

Dog House Posse - Knuckle Up Nigga (from Dope Gets No Heavier 1994)

A rather terrifying Cresent City joint from Dog House Posse that showcases how strange New Orleans can be. I have no idea what these guys were thinking when they laid this track out, the structure in all aspects is totally fucked. Amazing use of samples, everything is so well placed yet hardly makes any sense. The entire album is a gem, and is even grim by NOLA standards. File this under Bounce tracks that sample the Halloween theme and use demon dogs barking for bass.

This Cracker is Jackin

Cobra Krames - I Think We're Alone Now (from Cracker Jackin' EP 2008)

I am pretty happy to know we live in a world where you can still get away with playing a Tommy James and the Shondells song to a bunch of dancing kids. Sean aka Cobra Krames is a cool kid from Bushwick that has a few fun throwback Baltimore House tracks under his white belt. This one's on a bit of a Chicago tip too, the bassline might say so atleast. A lot better than most of the other crackers jacking Bmore beats lately, with the exception of Fully Fitted's rehash of 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.

Sorry for the slowdown/lack of something to chew on lately, my fucking period key doesn't work. Some longer pieces are on their way, as well as some mixes.

Gone Gone Gone

White Mice - Love's Gone (from This is Dancehall vol 2 1993)

A banger from the graduate student of Casio monsters King Jammy and Sugar Minot. Allan Crichton tells his girl off with some dirty magnetic tape vocals over an equally muddy digital riddim. This relationship is definitely over.

Still Catchin Upstep

Komonazmuk - Miss Her (from Night at Delux/Miss Her 12" 2008)

A dreamy one that goes HARD from last year. Begins as a lullaby, becomes infested with duppies by the minute mark. Bass like Mustang engine rather than wubbuwubbwubbwubb.

Way Down South

Los Indios Tabajaras - Polka Paraguaya (from ?)

German influence sunk into Paraguay in the 19th century and created this weird shit. Quite a bit diferent than European Polka. I apologize for lack of information/evidence, but it's beautiful stuff. Like Cumbia, Merengue, ect, there are a bunch of different infusions of the music in modern times. This one is pretty straight up traditional, but I haven't given up the search for some Polka Villera or Polketon.

When I Die, I Want You to Play Cumbia

I have never read Cristian Alarcón's book as my Spanish isn't good enough but man do I plan on trying when it is. Fortunately I found the Bmore to BA blog, an Argentinan's journey to find his biological father, which touches up on Cristian's book and gives a more in depth look at the Villa Miserias (Misery Towns) of Buenos Aires, home to many Uruguayan and Paraguayan immigrants, as well as many Cumbia Villera bands such as Damas Gratis (Girls for Free), and Los Pibes Chorros (The Robbing Kids). Descriptions of the various scene kids of Argentina, fashion, soccer, and violence play a large part of the article, which was written almost 3 years ago. Unfortunately it doesn't look like this blog has been updated in a while, but luckily it's still up for all of us to read.

Golden Disco Dreams Pt.1

Disco Dream and the Androids- "Dream Machine" (Wake Up Records) 1979

Late Friday night/early saturday morning deep into a flu-induced fever dream i began to hear a faint machine hum whirring deep inside my head. A trepenated skull kick drum emanating deep from under the floorboards beneath my bed growing ever louder like some tumescent beast logged in the bowels of cavernous depths of my subconscious. Silence. Eyes flutter awake and i'm hurtling at an ungodly speed, night driving thru babylon in a silver ferrari. The landscape is parched and barren. Buildings decayed and overgrown with dead power cables and warped by large half-burnt and ash pocked sheets of mylar wrapped across it's concrete bosom.
A flash and the hum is louder, deafening. I'm moving through a sea of people dancing. A nude Bianca Jagger, nipples painted silver passes by on a white stallion with a giant spoon stenciled on its ass. Udo Kier wearing only a tight black turtleneck and spangled gold loin cloth leers at me and leans over to whisper in my ear. I can't make out what he's saying. It's vocoded. He leans back and purrs in polyphonic bliss and I can see the tiny Korg nameplate and shiny, obsidian oval on his throat. Tiny slivers of metal shavings trickle from his lips, his hands clasp a tiny keyboard the size of keychain. The hum dissipates and the song bursts the night sky like heat lightning from zenith to horizon. The floor spins beneath my feet. I'm standing bathed in sweat and glitter. A perfect wax facsimile of Edie Sedgwick purses it lips and blows a champagne bubble toward me. I reach out to touch it but it's no longer there. She hikes up her silver lame dress to her chest and this songs dislodges itself from her thighs and I pray that this is heaven and the line at the bar is reasonable.

Maga Bo on Sinden

Maga Bo - Live with Sinden on Kiss Radio (from internets 2009)

Mr transnational bass kills London's airwaves dead with his little set on Mad Decent homey Sinden's weekly radio show. Starts about half an hour in beginning with a little interview. Maga Bo is at the top of his game here, playing lots of great Cumbia, South American, and Middle Eastern gems all flawlessly. Add this to the huge collection of top notch mixes under his belt, most of which are free to download on his site. Sinden plays a few nice joints as well, including a new one from Benga and Skream's Dubstep supergroup.

Tony Snow and Big Dick Chenney

UGK - Game Been Good to Me (instrumental) (from the internets 2009)

Now you can make people sweat with your sweet indie rock/country rap tunes mashup.

Q: Can You Jack? A: Yes We Can

Gwendolyn - Come to Me (Farley "Funkin" Keith remix") (from Come to Me 12" 1984)

Jesus freak Mr. Farley's remix of an early Jesse Saunders production pre-gospel House era. The diva has her status stripped as her vocals constainly try to sneak into the mix only to be washed out. Underwater house with the acid fizz submerged. Best suited for flooded warehouse parties where people would rather wade than dance.

Autotune Awarness

Seems as though the wonderful Death Cab for Cutie have announced a campaign against "Auto Tune abuse in music", stating that the digital pitch correction software takes away the soul and character of their beloved music. "So we just want to raise awareness while we're here and try to bring back the blue note.... The note that's not so perfectly in pitch and just gives the recording some soul and some kind of real character". For a band as devoid of all they claim is holy I'd have to advise against listening to anything they have to say.

What a bunch of douchebags.

Bounce Beat

TCB - P.I.M.P. (from We Still Commin Live unknown year)

Another Go Go 50 Cent cover this time around by kings of bounce beat: Total Control Band. Heavy on the Timbales, and check out those steel drums. Whole album is pretty sick, especially the Ignition cover which I might have to throw up too.

Absent of Nudie Suits

Grievious Angel - Devotional Dubz Fact Magazine Mix 2008

I'm pretty slow with this Dubstep thing so beg my pardons. I actually hated it at first, and blame it on Burial and the lame shit I heard around the time The Wire first started hyping it. All that said, this is another great mix I slept on from last year that you hopefully didn't. GA's own words from his blog on what he claims is the best thing he's ever done:

"In the summer, I put out Lady Dub, the first of the Devotional Dubz series of dubstep / dark garage refixes of r’n’b tunes, which was the counterpart to the harder ragga techno styles on the double album, Belief is the Enemy, that was released at solstice. Lady Dub is a refix of D’Angelo’s nu-soul classic Lady, or rather of DJ Premier’s remix of it; it turned out to be fairly popular, helping to propel the garage revival that we’ve seen this year. It also offered a different vision of dubstep, one that reaffirmed the form’s original tolerance for sweetness and vocals while offering the biggest booming 808 sine waves I could manage.

Each Devotional Dubz release will have a DJ mix that acts as a kind of sonic manifesto; therefore the first one focuses on the other side of dubstep, the landslide, horsepower, mala side that traces a lineage back to soul and dancehall and broken beat, just as jungle traced a lineage back to r’n’b as much as to bashment. It includes exclusive refixes and blends of r’n’b tunes, alongside unreleased Grievous Angel garage tracks that have previously only been heard on Blackdown’s Rinse show, and some special edits of dark garage classics. It’s lush, it’s spacey, it’s skippy, and at the end it’s unremittingly heavy, but all the way it’s pure garage flavour.

Turn it up and feel the sunshine. Volume two will be out in a few months when I’ve got some funky stuff out of the way".

R&B tunes rehashed with echoes that would make Tubby proud. Very recommended

Explorer Dub

Shackleton - Live on Breezeblock Radio 2008

Had to throw up this amazing set from the outer edges of Dubstep. Shackleton is one of the more unorthodox in the world of wubble, heavier on the percussion than most with bass coming out of the walls rather than a subwoofer. Former label partner Appleblim has summed up Shackleton's music as a nightmare to a DJ, and well put for matching up these drum rhythms with a crossfader would drive me nuts. Therefore this mix is turntable free, basically a half hour long Skull Disco track with no complaints here. Basic Channel meets a laptop with Abelton.

Ramón Montoya

Ramón Montoya - Minera (from Grandes Figures Du Flamenco 1936)

Amazing Flamenco musician that former AMM member and Erstwhile records champ Keith Rowe claims greatest guitar player ever. A bit confusing from someone that plays them with radios and fans, but none the less interesting. Montoya was responsble for fathering the solo Flamenco guitar concerts non-accompanied by song and dance, and is one of the most important musicians of the genre. His shit is so bananas it sounds like there's overdubs at times. I was reminded of this CD by the Spanish lady that plays guitar, violin, tap shoes and sings all at once in the downtown EL stations here in Chicago. She's obviously influenced by Ramón goin solo.

Literally Grandfather

Sugar Minott - Nuh Know it Like Me (from Inna Reggae Dancehall 1986)

While Sugar doesn't beat out Prince Jammy or Prince Jazzbo for title of first digital reggae track, he was responsible for resurrecting Studio One along with Coxsone with his new method of recycling old label material much like riddims work today. Nuh Know it Like Me has toasting qualities but a more mellow, duppy expelling kind of vibe with less tape echo than the Roots Radics experiments at the time. Wackies comes to mind, but there is enough shit talking on the track to lump it in with the proto-Bashment tracks of the early to mid eighties. Sugar is a proud father and now grandfather to both his children's children and the gold chains and cowboy boots of modern Jamaica.

Doo Doo Obnoxious

K Man aka Karizma - Blow (Shahittin Mix) (from Blow 12" 1994)

I had a dream last night that I got a phone call and all I heard on the other line was this song. Pretty much makes me responsible for throwing it up. The whistle on this is so obnoxious that it becomes infectious. One of the strangest Bmore tracks I know of that I see as an influence for the NFL horns and trumpet sample tracks that followed.

Too Pure

Pilooski - Mother Sky (edit) (from Dark & Lovely vol. 2 12" 2006)

Great edit of the Krautrock classic by Paris cut and paster Pilooski. Not a shit to gold conversion a la Terje, but more a freakout turned appropriate dancefloor staple. In no way a replacement for Can, but interesting none the less. My only complain is that its length. The original was 15 minutes, and I was kinda hoping for that to be doubled.

Hustlin Since 91

Backyard Band - Wanksta (from Blackout Sunrise unknown year)

Finally grabbed a copy of the DC issue of Stop Smiling, one of the better magazines out there today. It came with a nice CD of Backyard Band bootlegs including a cover of a Pack song thats hilarious. Andrew Noz did a nice job on his Go Go primer, and the Anwan Glover interview is great. Photography is top notch too. Due to walking around today with headphones blaring conga funk, I was reminded of one of my favorite Backyard Band tracks. I love the way they emulate the ice cream man sound of Curtis' jumpoff single, and the drumming is sick as ever.


Eventually, I'm going to put up every Backyard Band song I have on here.

Today Was a Good Day

I went looking for Ghetto House singles today and walked out with these. I had been looking for a copy of The Bell Album on plastic for some time now, and found it at Reckless today for $3.99 along with these under 5 dollar rap records. I didn't even know Monster was on wax. Looks like I'm gonna have to hike it out to Barney's on the Westside to find those Dancemania joints.

Wubbwubbwubbwubb

Innasekt - Archetype (from split 12" with Tes la Rok 2007)

Heard this first on Mago Bo's great Blogariddims mix from last year. Perfect example of some Dubstep thats borrows from both the atmospheric side and the wubble. Not so much for dancing as it is for spacing out. Innasekt is the group of London Djs Sully and Sneer.

Oh, and this mix of theirs from 2007 should be heard.

Domestic Violence Dance Music

Blackman - Beat that Bitch with a Bat ( from Beat that Bitch with a Bat 12" 1993)

A mysterious dude that only put out two singles on Trax records making one of the earliest ghetto house songs. Farley did a version later but this one is definitely better. Pretty fucked up song that Slugo and others have namechecked as one of the most influential records on the Chicago stuff (and I'd guess Detroit and Baltimore too).


PS I changed the settings so you can now leave comments freely without having to have a blogger or google account, so leave em.

It's a Party!

I have discovered that the best place for discovering new music (or one of the best, at least) is used vinyl stores. How can you pass a record with a cool cover by someone you never heard of, especially when it costs as much as a cup of ice cream at the near-by cafe (and you buy the ice cream too, later)? And you know, sometimes miracles do happen.

"More Authentic Acadian French Music"? An elderly bespectacled guy named Ambrose Thibodeaux? I admit i had no idea. But here's what Euguene Chadbourne has to say:

"Also known as Ambrose Sam, this Cajun accordion player was one of the leading exponents of Creole or la la music in the '50s and '60s, blowing out the doors in dancehalls throughout the St. Landry Parish of Louisiana. The appropriately titled Authentic French Acadian Music on the La Louisiane label collects many of his prime recordings. He continued performing well into his eighties and lives on as a musical presence in Cajun music in the form of his tunes, many of which are covered by artists such as Michael Doucet. The family itself is something of a musical dynasty. His brother, Herbert Sam Thibodeaux, was a sideman in his bands and Ambrose also played with his nephews in the Sam Brothers 5 band. Bassist Kenneth David is also a successful alumni of Thibodeaux's groups."

Well, I didn't know all this stuff then. And I never heard any cajun (that's what "authentic Acadian music" stands for, as i discovered by reading the back cover). So I put it on. And I bought it. Because it's awesome. Now you can hear it, too. Enjoy. It's a party.

Ambrose Thibodeaux - More Authentic Acadian French Music in Stereo (LL-119, year unknown)

P.S. Bill, an interned buddy of mine, pointed me to the La Louisianne website. They are selling their vinyl stock (including this one right here) for three bucks each. I say, judging by what we've got, it a great deal. I'd also guess, that unlike my copy, all that stuff is sealed and, therefore, is in mint condition. Here's the link: La Louisianne Records.

Wikispiracy

Los Mejores Sones de Guatemala - Saq ala Muchacho Blanco (from Marimba unknown year)

One proud Guatemalan decided to hack up wikipedia and inspired me to throw up this wild Marimba joint. Unfortunately the internet bosses took it down about 5 minutes after I opened the page.

Hypnotic Ass Ensemble

Wade Nichols - Horse with No Shame (America Disco Edit) (from Rvng Of The Nrds Vol. 5 2008)

A future guest poster put me up on this whole disco edit thing. I put on Wade's aka Todd Terje's reworking of a Canned Heat song a few weeks ago when I got home from a party and woke up on the floor with my headphones still on. You don't really notice what's going on until you realize you've been listening to the same song for double its length. I never thought I'd be put in a trance by one of the corniest songs from the 70s.

The Juke of the Beast

DJ Nate Da Trak Genious - Let The Beat Build Remix (from the internets)
DJ Nate Da Trak Genious - Give Dat Man Room (from the internets)

House music with no direction let loose in a westside parking lot. Nate mastered the craft of pitching things both up and down at the same time. Young kid who doesn't answer anyones emails dealing in Aleister Crowley and Juke, making evil music that only leaves the neighborhood through myspace. If it was nate behind the third Carter Weezy might have lived up to being the Martian he claims to be. Like DJ Slugo and DJ Deeon making a Music Concret record. No clue how one is supposed to dance to this, but I'd love to see it happen. Pure Genious.

Library Troubles

Unknown Artists - Unknown Track (from Musica de los Pueblos Mayas)

Lovely collection of Amerindian music from Chiapas and the regions where the Maya once roamed. Might have been the last CD I'll ever check out from the library since I owe them like 30 dollars in fines. Unfortunately the internet doesn't want to help me with any information on it. Not claiming to know anything about this besides that there's lots of kids and a horn and/or flute that sounds like Bill Dixon. I'm probably supposed to post things I know about but what's the fun in that?

No Chimo

Curtis Mayfield - The Doo Doo Wop is Strong in Here (from Short Eyes OST 1977)

CurtMcGirt's banger with the awesome title from the film adaptation of Miguel Piñero's play. The lyrics on this sountrack are very, very strange.

Throwedbacks

I really hate to be a blog parrot, but I can't resist throwin up this story Slizzard was kind enough to transcribe from Murderdog. I need to start buying that magazine, every article and picture I've seen has been great.

Z-Ro on hanging with DJ Screw from Murder Dog Vol. 12, Number 2:

I remember he took me to the Cappa Beach Party and it was my first time going to some shit like that. At the time Screw was a celebrity like a muthafucka and he already downplayed that shit. He would never even trip off that shit. He was like "I'm gonna pick you up and we are gonna go to the beach party!" I was trying to get to the barbershop and get a fade right quick. He came to pick me up and before we even got out of Houston we was sippin lean like a muthafucka. Before we got out the neighborhood we was leanin like a muthafucka! I'm in the back seat leanin, there was someone in the back seat with me and he was leanin asleep and Shorty Mac was in the front passenger seat and Screw was driving. About 15-20 minutes into the ride I fell asleep. I woke up in the back seat and I was looking around. I looked to my right side because I was sitting right behind Screw and I looked at Grace and he was snoring. I look in the front seat at Shorty Mac and he was snoring and then I looked at Screw and he was snoring asleep and he was driving! The shit was so fucked up because Screw had his arms folded like he was the passenger or something, but he was driving. I couldn't do nothing but scream because we were about to go to the guard rail. We were in the middle of the bridge and the guard rail was getting closer and closer real fast. We were in the far left lane, but we were headed for the far right guard rail crossing the whole muthafuckin freeway. I was scared as a muthafucka!

Screw opened his eyes and he was so calm and cool! This nigga put his pinky finger on the steering wheel and got the car under control with his pinky finger. He looked in the rearview and smiled at me real fast. That was my first time going to the ghetto beach party and that whole weekend was full of shit like that. We were coming out of the room going to the Big Pokey concert down there and we were in the elevator all leanin. Once we get to the ground the doors open and we were all asleep in the elevator standing up. The police were standing right there when the doors opened up. They were like "Man, you are all on that shit, huh?" I was tryin to close the doors like a muthafucka! It was funny like a muthatfucka!

Parris is Tarris

Parris Mitchell feat Reggie Hall - All Night Long (from The Parris Mitchell Project 12" 1995)

"Clap your hands if you wanna suck...". This is like the proto-Juke version of one of those bad 90s house records with diva vocals, though instead of some annoying Whitney Houston imitation we get R Kelly on an off day. Parris did a number of records for the Ray Barney era of Dancemania, the label now being resurrected by DJ Slugo and Dj Deeon. I am obligated to post this kind of stuff since it pours from car windows during my everyday routine. This probably means I need to throw up some Reggaeton too. There will be newer ghetto house posts, I promise. Been distracted by the roots of the tree at the moment.