Audio traffiking

[Video] Yeasayer: “Madder Red”

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:25:36 +0000

HAPPY SLOW JAMS TO YOU

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:16:30 +0000

It’s my birthday today (that’s right, me, Sean Penn and De Niro, motherpluckers). Since I’ve already given myself a birthday gift, I wanted to share one with all of you.

Before me and Wil’s weekly party at the Short Stop ended, we had planned on making a mix-CD together, dedicated to all slow jams. Alas, we never managed to put that together before the night ended but I still have my half of it. The zip file has 10 songs individually saved but the whole thing goes together in a mix.

Boogaloo 2: The [...]

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MAY I HAVE A WORD WITH YOU?

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:16:14 +0000

Stevie Wonder: Hey Love
From Down to Earth (Motown, 1966)

Seriously? How the f— have I never posted this before considering it’s pretty much one of my favorite Stevie Wonder songs of all time which is another way of saying it’s one of the greatest songs of all time. Perfect pop song: under 3 minutes long, killer hook, a beat that you can’t help but smile at and Stevie at his finest, vocally.

Lately, I’ve gotten my wife hooked on the song after she heard it at a wedding I went to. Her and [...]
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ALLEN TOUSSAINT: FOR THE SISTERS

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:16:02 +0000

Allen Toussaint: Soul Sister
Fingers and Toes
From Life, Love and Faith (WEA, 1972)

i originally posted this song almost exactly five years ago, albeit under very different circumstances. At the time, it was following the Katrina disaster and I was mentally and emotionally spent and I posted a few of Toussaint’s songs as both homage and salve.

Five years later and I was at the Groove Merchant this past weekend and Cool Chris was playing “Soul Sister” and I remembered how fucking great this song is (pardon mon français). It’s funny because [...]
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MARIUS CULTIER + GRUPO LOS YOYI: CARIBBEAN CRAZINESS

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:15:51 +0000

Marius Cultier: The Way It Should Be
Nathalie
Ochung
Zouk
From My Way (Magidisco, 1976)

Grupo Los Yoyi: Banana
Paco La Calle
From S/T (Egrem, 1977)

This is easily one of the most extraordinary albums I’ve come across in a long, long time. Cultier represents one of those ultimate examples of transnational musical mastery – a pianist born in Martinique but recorded in both Canada and France and sounds like he’s from everywhere and nowhere at once. Even though My Way is ostensibly a “jazz” album, it [...]
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FRESH PEANUTS FOR SALE

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:15:40 +0000

Cachao y su Orquesta: El Manicero
From 7″ (Maype, 1968)

Johnny Sedes: El Manicero
From Mama Calunga (Fonseca, 1969)

Ranil and His Tropical Band: El Manicero
From Ranil’s Jungle Party (Masstropicas, 2010)

“El Manicero (The Peanut Vendor)” is easily one of the best known Cuban compositions in the world, covered many many many times over yet it is a tune I never, ever seem to tire of. I’ve been lax in actually showing proper love even though my intentions have been there for a while: both Cachao and Sedes’ versions [...]
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SUMMER SONGS: BARDO MARTINEZ

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:15:37 +0000

Andres Landero: Perdi Las Abarcas
From Con Las Mejores Cumbias). Also available on Historia Musical de Andres Landero

(Editor’s Note: Bardo Martinez is one-third of Chicano Batman, a great local L.A. group I “discovered” when Sonido Franko sent me their new EP earlier in the summer. Among their other strengths, the group really has a sense of what a good summer song sounds like so I reached out to Bardo for a post and he didn’t just lace us with a really cool cumbia, he provided a huge historical back story behind it. Bueno! He [...]
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“THE RECORD” OPENS AT THE NASHER TODAY

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:15:33 +0000

If you’re anywhere near Durham, NC, do yourself a favor and take thee to the Nasher Museum of Art and go see this new show, The Record, which opened today and goes through early February. It looks incredible.

SUMMER SONGS: MATTHEW AFRICA

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:15:30 +0000

The Checkmates: Got To See “U” Soon
From F/S/O (Rustic, 1974)
(Editor’s note: I’ve spoken Matthew Africa’s praises many a time before but all that needs to be said is that he’s is one righteous dude when it comes to both his taste in music as well as the generosity in sharing it, whether on his blog or as a long-time DJ on KALX FM. Ever since I met him back in the ’90s, his passion and knowledge of music continues to impress and inspire. –O.W.) This is the third year in a row [...]
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LYRICISMS PT. 2

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:15:27 +0000

During my recent guest blogging stint for Ta-Nehisi Coates’ excellent Atlantic Monthly blog, one of the things I wrote about was listening to the Doobie Brothers’ “What a Fool Believes” and making the mistake of looking up the lyrics. To me, it just made me appreciate the song less knowing how frickin’ awkward the actual lyrics are and how McDonald croons/crams them into an otherwise very hook-y melody.

I had that same feeling listening to that awesome DJ Jazzy Jeff Do-Over mix the other day when he slipped on this song:

Carl Thomas: I Wish<br [...]
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