Fantastic set by Mr. Scruff form Cambridge Junction on November 14th. A bit old, but you really have to hear this. Nicely constructed mix.
photo by dibec
Unfortunately, spent last Sunday at House of Blues Chicago for the Timbaland show. A truly disappointing "performance" that he and the House of Blues Chicago should be embarrassed about. The Chicago Tribune wrote a great review of this bust of a performance.
While a start time of 11:00 PM on a Sunday isn't great for work the next day, wanted to see a Timbaland show backed by a live band. Sounded great. Waited until 12:30 a full hour and a half past "start time" and nothing. He didn't have an opener and there are plenty of fantastic Chicago acts that could have filled the spot.
Turns out he didn't go on stage until 2:00 AM. Which is unprofessional, inexcusable and incredibly inconsiderate. Even worse, according to the Tribune when he did emerge the show was terrible and the only "special guest" was his damn brother. Timbaland should stay away from the stage - cause obviously he is not an entertainer - and stick to the studio producing beats.
On a positive note - encourage everyone to atttend the Doom and Mos Def show on February 13th.
New track Fake track from Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay of the French house duo Justice. I assume the track will be on their upcoming yet to be titled 2010 record.
Not a new track and actually isn't even a real track. It was sent to me by somebody from Ed Banger but the track is a fake. Guess the joke is on me. Nice ploy however to get a bunch of eager bloggers on board. Should have known better I guess. According to this it was sent by a hacker.
Australians are absolutely destroying the pop-disco sound and have been for about a year. If you haven't heard Knightlife you really need to check out the track "Crusader" its a funky dancefloor filler. I should know cause I played it on my computer here in my office and things got really bananas...ok no they didn't...but I can imagine this would be a great DJ song if I actually knew something about DJing.
Knightlife has some awesome remixes of Bag Raiders, Midnight Juggernauts and Cut Copy you need to check out as well. The new record is out on Cutter Records now. On a side note I could watch that guy in the yellow sweater and gold pants in the video dance all day.
Just got around to getting the XX's LP which lives up to all the hype. Check out a remix of "Islands" by 23-year-old L.A. producer and AG favorite Jason Chung aka Nosaj Thing.
Buy: Get Knightlife II here.
Listen: Listen to a bunch of other great Cutter Records releases here.
First single off the new Gorillaz album Plastic Beach. Have always been a big fan of the Gorillaz (the art, the concept, the music) and this track is a great start. Looking forward to the record.
The Magical Properties tour is coming to Chicago on 2/16 at Lincoln Hall. The lineup features some of my favorite artists Daedelus, Nosaj Thing, and Jogger. It so happens that Magical Properties is also the name of Daedelus' new record label which released the acclaimed full length from Jogger. If you are in Chicago then highly recommend you check it out.
Just got around to getting the XX's LP which lives up to all the hype. Check out a remix of "Islands" by 23-year-old L.A. producer and AG favorite Jason Chung aka Nosaj Thing.
Timbaland released Shock Value II in December. There are some fun tracks on the record. I love "Meet in tha middle" and "Morning After Dark" with Nelly Furtado is catchy. There are also some intolerable tracks. The Justin Timberlake track is underwhelming - not from a production side - but the lyrics and writing is terrible. Also, there is no excuse for letting Miley Cyrus anywhere close to a hip hop record or any record for that matter. She embodies everything wrong in American music...but I digress.
Timbaland will be playing this Sunday with a live band at the House of Blues. I am interested in what his live show will be like and how he can recreate the songs live. There are few producers that have had such an enormous impact on music in the past decade, so for that alone I am excited.
Admittedly I didn't give Vampire Weekend's 2008 release much of a listen. I was told I had to download Contra and I did. Album is really really great. I don't listen to a ton of stuff under the genre of "indie" but I've had this on repeat for the last couple days. Here is a remix off
Buy: Make sure you get this record here.
photo by arbetsnarkoman
Nobody could have said it better than Conan himself.
"Hosting The Tonight Show has been the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for me - and I just want to say to the kids out there watching: You can do anything you want in life. Unless Jay Leno wants to do it, too." - Conan O'Brien 1/13/2010
Not really new it dropped in November but this really showcases the talent of FELT (Murs and Aesop Rock). The two team up with some usual hip hop customers on one of the best hip hop records of 2009. Thy are accompanied by The Grouch & Mr. Dibbs on A Tribute to Christina Ricci. Like the video as well.
Buy: Get the record here.
Lindstrøm & Christabelle's debut album as a duo, Real Life Is No Cool, is due out January 19th on Smalltown Supersound. I have already discussed my love for this record and I even placed it (prematurely perhaps) in my best of 2009. The record merges Lindstrøm's spaced-out sound with Christabelle’s raw and unique vocals. The female vocals mixed with Lindstrøm's disco production is perfect. It might be so good I'll put it on 2009 and 2010's best of list. Check out a couple streams of some tracks off the record along with some remixes.
Listen: "Lovesick"
Listen: "Looking for what"
Read more: Get more info about the upcoming record here.
More lists. This time not by us but by accomplished DJ's and producers. Check out some of these dudes favorite tracks for 2009. Thank you for sending them over gentleman.
Producer, remixer, DJ and international sound aficianado.
2. Kedjevara – Tchoucou Tchoucou (Sarah va danser)
3. Mumdance & Brodinski – Eurostarr (Zombie Disco Squad Remix)
4. Mr. Vegas – Mus Come A Road
5. Ms. Dynamite – Bad Gyal
DJ mOma [myspace]
DJ and creator of some of the best soul mixes you'll ever feast your ears on. He stresses this list is in no particular order.
1. Riot Music - Donae'o
2. Gummiband - Siriusmo
3. These Things Will Pass - Kaidi Tatham
4. On To the Next One - Jay-Z
5. Poppa Large (Matthew Africa remix) - Ultramagnetic MC's
6. Shooting Stars (Shazam Dub Mix) - Bag Raiders
7. You're Not My Girl - Ryan Leslie
8. I Want You Back (Dimitri from Paris Supa Funk Brakes Mix) - The Jackson 5
9. TNT - Theophilus London
10. Pon de Floor - Major Lazer
DJ B.Cause [myspace]
SF based DJ whose Soul Boulders mix remains my wife's favorite cd since its release and his remixes and fresh takes on tracks are not to be missed. All around awesome dude.
1. Cookin On 3 Burners feat Kylie Auldist - This Girl
2. Big Boi feat Too Short - Fo Yo Sorrows
3. The Oh Sees - Tidal Wave
4. Mannie Fresh - Go Girl
5. Maxwell - Bad Habits
6. Myron & E - Cold Game
7. Pink Dollaz - Lap Dance
8. Jacka - Glamorous Lifestyle
9. Whiskey Barons - Guajira
10. Spank Pops - Beautiful Noise
These lists feature some tracks that you and I haven't heard. I have some homework to do. Peace!
photo by Lunar Tears.
A bit late but as promised here are some of my favorite reggae tracks. Seems fitting since I have spent the last week relaxing in Jamaica. Love to hear your thoughts on your favorite reggae tracks.
Eric Donaldson - "Cherry Oh Baby" [YouTube]
Johnny Osbourne - "Water Pumping" [YouTube]
Derrick Harriott and the Crystalites - "Let Me Down Easy" [YouTube]
Barrington Levy - "Murderer" [YouTube]
Johnny Osbourne - "Ice Cream Sound"
Desmond Decker - "Beautiful and Dangerous" [YouTube]
Cocoa Tea - "I've Lost My Sonia" [YouTube]
Augustus Pablo - "Chant to King Selassie I" [YouTube]
"Cherry Oh Baby" might be my overall favorite reggae track. It changes however. Been asking a lot of people down here in Jamaica if they listen to dub reggae but haven't found any. Maybe my interest in King Tubby, King Jammy, Augustus Pablo and dub is limited to a select few or just laid back white kids...not sure...
Here are the ten best records for 2009 according to me. Again, as always let me know what you think I missed, what I ranked too high or too low. Unlike the top tracks list I did try and place this one in order.
10. Diego Bernal - For Corners
9. Dam-Funk - Toeachizown Series (Vol. 1-5)
8. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
7. Brother Ali - Us
6. Washed Out - Life of Leisure
5. Junior Boys - Be Gone Dull Care
4. Phoenix -Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
3. Nosaj Thing - Drift
2. Mayer Hawthorne - Strange Arrangement
1. Lindstrom & Christabelle - Real Life is No Cool
I didn't overlook indie albums done by Animal Collective, the xx, or Girls. I am just not really into that sound. Nothing against those records I am sure they are fantastic but I personally didn't really get into them.
Indie records by Gossip and Atlas Sound were great but just didn't fit. There are hip hop albums by Mos Def, Raekwon Edan, Oh-No and Tanya Morgan that I didn't have room for along with other records of the electronic (James Pants, Gaslamp Killer) and the jazz variety. In all I do believe this list covers what I listened to most in 2009. Hope to hear from you. Peace.
photo by *Jónína*
Thanks to the friends over at Discodust for the heads up on this. As you probably already know holy ghost! has put together some of the best remixes of 2009.
They made a strictly limited run remix record of physical tapes that sold via turntable lab earlier this month. Now is the time that those to cheap to support their work can enjoy the mixtapes. Given their track record this one comes highly recommended. Don't miss it this time around you have no excuse!
Mp3 link: holy ghost! - the remixes i (on dfarecords.com)
Link: Don't miss the holy ghost! blog either were you can download some unreleased remixes.
photo by Stephen K. Schuster
