Remember today is the day you don't buy anything. Participate by not participating. Stay at home eat your leftovers from yesterday and watch football, read a book, listen to some music or talk. Something that this economic collapse of our system has told us is that we need to make changes. We need a massive mindshift on how an average American thinks about success and what is important. Many Americans have simply consumed too much, built too big of homes, driven luxury cars that they can't afford and all of this addiction this mind numbing materailism has been enabled by greedy morally anept credit card companies, banks and other financial institution.
Fight back against Black Friday by not purchasing anything. Think about how this year you are going to save money, think about how you are going to donate money, rather than spend it. Most importantly relax and think about whats important to you I think you'll find its friends and family or a pet and not your new car in the garage.
New beats from DJ Signify aka Justin Levy of Brooklyn. Signify's first mixtapes surfaced in the 90s, Signifyin' Breaks and Mixed Messages, both were well received. He built on these two great mixtapes when he accepted an invitation by Mr. Dibbs to join the 1200 Hobos crew.
In 2004 saw the debut of his production skills with the release of "Sleep No More". The project featured emcees like Buck 65 and Sage Francis. Signify has continued to release a host of 45's and worked with the likes of everyone from Blockhead and Steinski to Joe Beats and GrandMaster Caz.
Of Cities is Signify's newest record showcasing his minimalist hip hop sound. Its very well done. The record also features two lead contributions by Analog Giant favorite, Aesop Rock. Check out a track off the upcoming record.
Mp3: DJ Signify - "The Sickness"
Link: DJ Signify feat.Check out his blog.
Its been an amazing year for this bugeoning soul revival movement. With Saadiq, Legend, Hawthorne, and now Hardkandy has released their third album Second to None. Formed in Brighton by Simon Little and Tim Bidwell, Hardkandy makes some top shelf soul music. Check out a track off the record.
Mp3: Hardkandy - "Dunks"
Buy: Get Second to None here.
New remixes by Nick Catchdubs' Fool's Gold records. Fool's Gold is also run by A-Trak, brother of Dave 1 from Chromeo if you didn't know...even though I am pretty sure you knew. Anyways check out some remixes this one by Trackademicks is my favorite.
Mp3: Chromeo "100%" (Trackademicks B-Live Pemberton Mix)
Get other remixes here.
Analog Giant friend and ally Haldan of Palmsout fame just put me on to some great new downtempo dub stuff. Lulu Rouge is two dudes named t.o.m. and buda from Copenhagen. Both are long time collaborators and best friends of the respected Trentemøller. Their new record is Bless You and it has a great Massive Attack/Kode 9 type stuff.
I think you'll really enjoy it. You know I eat this stuff up. Check out a track.
Mp3: Lulu Rouge feat. Mikael Simpson - "Bless You"
Buy: Get the record here. More over at Palms Out here.
Building on his solid 2008 release The Outside, Eliot Lipp is set to bring in 2009 with the release of a new record on his newly formed Old Tacoma Recordings on January 27th. The new record is entitled Peace Love Weed 3d and it brings the typical Lipp sound mixing instrumental electro-funk, acid, fusion, and even italo disco inspired sounds. Looking forward to this record. Check out a track.
Mp3: Eliot Lipp - "Beamrider"
photo by fotoflow / Oscar Arriola
Evidence off The Layover EP. Track is "So Fresh" done by Evidence and beats by The Alchemist (Step Brothers). The Layover is due in stores November 25th on Decon/Taylor Made Records don't miss it.
First if you haven't purchased No Way Down by Air France you don't have one of the best records of 2008 currently in your record collection. If you have? I'm proud of you and thanks to my friends over at Fader Magazine they are hosting up a the track "No Excuses." Get over there and check it out.
Mp3 link: Air France - "No Excuses" (The Autumn Cantata)
Feel in love with this 1980 track after listening to the Filthy Luka mix on DJ History.com. Track is by High Inergy, a R&B and soul girl group who found fame on Motown Records in the late 1970s.
Mp3: High Inergy - "I Just Can't Help Myself"
Born Coz Littler, Mr. Chop has been around for a while now. He had been releasing his music on his own label, then on Gerald “Jazzman” Short’s Stark Reality label and most recently on a German based label.
Littler gets help from The Heliocentrics, Malcolm Catto (drums) and Jake Ferguson (bass) on this record. Its a futuristic mix of fuzzy psychedelia, funk and jazz thats certainly enjoyable. Mr. Chop's Lightworlds, a 7-track EP, is available now and will be released on vinyl in December. His full length album will be released on Now-Again in 2009. Check out a track.
Mp3: Mr. Chop - "Zoid"
Buy: Get Lightworlds here.
My dudes Pocketknife and Cousin Cole are at it again. They've just uploaded a track from their new Canyon Dancing EP on Flagrant Fowl records. Don't miss it. Fantastic as usual.
Mp3: Yeasayer - "Sunrise" (Pocketknife's Rise and $hine Remix)
Buy: Support good music by getting the Canyon Dancing via paypal here.
New video of Kanye West's "Heartless." Check it out. Can't fault him for not coming out with fresh concepts for each and every video he puts out there.
Bit embarassed to even admit this but I was dragged to the Girl Talk show last night at Congress theater. Luckily for me I was able to get to the Bulls game before and didn't end up showing up till around 10:30 PM. Its the first time I've been to the Congress theater. Pretty cool historic spot even though its totally in disrepair, would be fantastic to have seen it when it was nicer. The Girl Talk show was sold out so the person that dragged me their who will remain nameless had to get the tickets on Craigslist. Its criminal that it was sold out because I can't count how many great DJ sets at Sonotheque have gone without ever being close to selling out.
In my opinion mashups are way over done. I do enjoy the novelty now and then and showing up last night I was expecting something along the lines of a DJ Z-Trip set. Well it wasn't anywhere close and I feel bad even comparing him to Z-Trip cause I have been to some very well crafted sets by Z-Trip who I hold in high esteem as a DJ.
This mess last night, and it was a mess, was nothing more than a drugged out american apparel ad. I thought there would actually be some DJing and I'm not talking scratching or pulling out some rare funk record, I knew that was not his deal. He plays mainstream suburban hits that every average white kid can recognize and mashes them together. I thought since he was using a computer and I would assume some type of mixing software that songs would actually like you know blend together or somewhat go together, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Maybe I am too old or just too snobby (and I was accused of being a music snob when I warned some what to expect from the show).
I assumed it was going to mainstream hits, I assumed it would be the largest collection of hipsters assembled in Chicago...what I had not assumed was that he wasn't going to make an effort to actually put tracks together in some type of cohesive set. I also had no idea how many goofy white people enjoyed this stuff. There was thousands of people there, Gillis (Girl Talk) claimed it was his largest show ever.
I think I just don't get it. I remain taken back by how raucous the show was and how out of control people got over some kid with no shirt on stage randomly switching indiscriminately through tracks on his computer. I love DJ sets and stuff mashed up using computers but last nights show was just so wrong on so many levels.
I would really like to hear from people that were there at the show last night to tell me THEIR thoughts.
Maybe I hade made up my mind before I showed up. I tried to approach it with an open mind and get into it but I found it to just be random garbage with no skill involved what so ever. He butchered classics and made good songs hard to dance to. Maybe its the rave/warehouse scene I never knew or understood that I was missing. I just simply do not get it.
Great track from Chicago's own The Cool Kids. Track gets the remix treatment by another Chi-Town resident, 9th Wonder. Be sure to check it out.
Made it down to Grant Park just as Senator McCain was giving his concession speech. The crowd at Grant Park was in the best of spirits and everyone was there to celebrate Senator Obama and the people that supported him's historical victory.
This is only the beginning, as the President-elect reminded the massive crowd last night. "Change has come to America" certainly, but voting for that change is the start, not the finish. We all need to do more than vote. The democratic party has a huge task and America resoundly put it in their lap to fix this epic mess (56 seats in the senate, 251 in the house). With great hope comes great responsibility. I couldn't be more excited about being in downtown Chicago last night. Entire city blocks were closed as people celebrated. Filled with hope and a common purpose to make this place, this America, our America a better place.
We did it.
It's been a long time coming.
Real excited/cautiously optimistic about tonight. It seems unreal that its finally election day. Two years really in the making. Hopefully history will be made tonight. I voted this morning at 6:00 AM. Lets do this people. No song more fitting than Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come."
Mp3: Sam Cooke - "A Change is Gonna Come"
Headed down to Grant Park.
This is some back to the past type stuff here. Mayer Hawthorne and the County are reminiscent of the 1950s in music. A time when music focused on a vocal-based rhythm and blues called Doo Wop. You can tell the dude grew up on the soul and doo wop of Motown records. His album is still in the works, but if the tracks on my space and this mp3 are any indication its going to be a real good one.
The rest of Mayer Hawthorne is the County which is made up of "Humbucker" Highland, James Yellowstone, Laurence Superior, "Mudfoot" Mourfield and George Moonglow. Love seeing/hearing all this soul revival stuff going on. Check out the track.
Mp3: Mayer Hawthorne and the County - "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out"
Support: Check out his myspace and lend your support.
Welcome To The Terrordome from W.A.R. Media.
Brand new anti-war/violence video from Pharoahe Monch. NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. Maintains his status as one of my favorite all time artists. Check it out.
