11/30/2005 - Still Standing

Song: Still Standing
Artist: Goodie Mob
Why this song is the current jam: The last verse by Cee-Lo is what makes this song for me. This group is one of my favorite rap groups (a list that gets shorter the older I get) and for good reason. Their first album, Soul Food, was really a departure from most of rap when it came out. It was strikingly confessional and not really commercial. These guys are contemporaries and homies with Outkast and together with them, they really put Atlanta on the map for Hip Hop. And this is before Hey Ya and I Like the Way You Move, before Stankonia even, way before Lil Jon began to dominate the charts. What they brought was a unique perspective into their own minds and lives, one that showed them as human and vulnerable at times, even in the midst of braggadocio and raps about crime. The driving force that differentiated this group from others was Cee-Lo. He is the one with the really distinctive, stanky voice. He is an amazing rapper, he can sing, and he really says some seriously insightful shit sometimes. Like most people he (and the rest of the group) are both. I think this idea of people being not one thing or another but rather both is important to remember, especially when it comes to rap music. It seems like either you are a commercial whore like 50 Cent who sells violence and sex or you are a lyrical genius like Common who is infallable, wise and free of vice. Neither of these views are true of course, rather it is always some mix of both ends of the spectrum (and more because they are real people), and the same goes for Cee-Lo and Goodie Mob. Not everything they say is gold. But, their perspective is really enlightening and worthwhile and makes for some really good music. If you are into hip hop at all, you should check out Soul Food. This song is off of their 2nd album, and I could do without the other rappers on here. It really is all about Cee-Lo to me. His words actually hold some weight here. He speaks about how he perceives the nature of how individuals and their thoughts fit into the grand scheme of life and nature. And aside from some tight rhymes, he delivers this verse with such intensity and reverence that it seems more honest than just the words themselves. You can hear how much he cares about his ideas and words, and the idea of his words being immortalized in rhyme is THE classic poetic theme - eternal life through words on a page. (or in this case, rhymes in a song) I am including the lyrics to his verse for those who can't catch em the first time. Cee-Lo also has two solo albums that are good too. Check out those and more Goodie Mob and old Outkast for some real, introspective music that actually does keep it real.

Final Verse: Cee-Lo

Yeah..
Each and every element that exists in this
universe is manifested from a thought first
Through the inner mind's eye of the unseen power in the sky
Gave birth to Mother Earth and all it's worth to you and I
This most loved invention, my conciousness is an extension
of Him, yet I'm flesh and bone with a mind of my own
To dig deeper than the surface, whether I learn
from your upcomings or your downfalls we all have individual purpose
It's amazing, how the streets do the majority of raising
of children who end up dead before hearing what you said
And it's sad, so all I can write about is what I had
Interpretations of life good and bad with a pen and pad
It seems like abortion, when I just write a small portion
It's either crumpled up or torn without lettin the thought be born
Young minded, and blinded in those days; I didn't want to
have a thought that I couldn't raise, nurture, and care for
Be there for, help prepare for, the times ahead
When someone doesn't agree with what is said, huh
And if they did, don't get all arrogant cause that's my kid
Just be thankful that it's good and somebody overstood
Now, the listener's ear they want the same flow but I gotta let it grow
Love it enough to let it go, if I don't wanna rap no mo'
And I'll make sure that no one ever forgets
It's immortalized forever, on wax CD's and casettes
And when someone goes to the store and purchases it for ten
The life cycle starts all over again
And I was granted this music as my soulmate, to procreate
and give back what I was given, a life worth livin
And I, am Still Standing, unscathed
Pain is for suckers to feel
MC's are running out of things to say, and
radio stations running out of songs to play, shit!
We Still Standing, unscathed
And pain is for suckers to feel, huh
And MC's running out of things to say...

11/29/2005 - Hold My Hand

Song: Hold My Hand
Artist: Van Hunt
Why this song is the current jam: This song sounds like some old school Prince to me, and I think that we covered the fact that according to Peter, that is a very good thing. I found out about this guy from John Legend's iTunes celebrity playlist. I liked the song he listed on there, so I checked out his album on iTunes, and I liked a lot of the other songs a lot more. This one is special to me because I can hear the Prince influence really strong on this one, but there are other tracks on the album that are just as good. The lyrics on the album get me as well, because he comes off as a guy who has been hurt in relationships, and not just some cool R&B crooner type, and that smacks of honesty, which I am a fan of. Hope you like.

11/28/2005 - Life by the Drop

Song: Life by the Drop
Artist: Stevie Ray Vaughan
Why this song is the current jam: This is another song that I played at about 6 am Sunday night/Monday morning at the Open. Todd asked if I had any Stevie Ray Vaughan, and I said only a few songs, like "Life by the Drop" and before I could continue he was like "aaaw shit! Play that fuckin song!" So play it I did, I mean, hell, there were only 4 people in the room including me. It had never occurred to me to dance to that song before, but it turned out to be the bomb. It is soulful and rhythmic, and really different from what I normally dance to. It was awesome. Stevie Ray Vaughan knew how to make music that felt real, and he had good taste in his influences. The white peoples strike again. It just goes to show you that talent and passion are things that live inside of individual people, not big chunks of society. I think now I need to go check more of his stuff out myself, I hope you do the same.

11/27/2005 - I'm In Love

Song: I'm In Love
Artist: Wilson Pickett
Why this song is the current jam: This is not the "I'm in Love" my earlier post. I played this jam by Wilson Pickett on the last night of the US Open (I got two days behind here because I was busy at the event) when it was just Todd, Leah, Libbat, and me left. We closed the joint down with some awesome slow jams, this being one of them. I love it when a dance gets distilled to such a small amount of people with no energy left to go on except for their joy in the music and the dancing. I have to say too, that one thing I love about west coast swing events is that if you play a good ass song that is slow, they dont just fall the fuck over like most lindy hoppers. They actually dance slow, which I love because then I can play songs like this. I think the opening guitar-led intro on this track would make an amazing sample. In fact I tried my hand at making a beat out of it myself. I think the idea is good, but let me tell you, there is an art to producing music, as easy and cheesy as Puff Daddy made it appear. Without good sounds, the right levels and other subtle shit like that, you get a track that sounds like this. Anyways it was fun.

11/26/2005 - Pumpin on Your Stereo

Song: Pumpin on your Stereo
Artist: Supergrass
Why this song is the current jam: This is just a good old rock and roll song. It is sort of a bite of Rolling Stones type stuff, but I have to say I really dig it. It is rockin and it makes me want to rock along with it. Also this has a really sweet video. It is basically muppet version of schoolhouse rock versions of the band members playing their asses off against a black backdrop. They all have crazy super long legs and arms and stuff and it is cool. Anyways, I really like this song. Wakes me up in the shower.

11/25/2005 - Ya Playin Yaself

Song: Ya Playin Yaself
Artist: Jeru the Damaja
Why this song is the current jam: So I mentioned in my last post the phenomenon of disparaging something by describing it as if it were the coolest thing in the world. (see: "Don't Wanna Be a Player" by Joe, "Forget I Was a G" by the Whitehead Brothers, etc etc) So in this post I thought I would post an example of the flip side of that coin. An intelligent critique of such hip hop norms among other things. Jeru here takes to task several elements of hip hop and tries to point out the actual results of their actions - i.e. they end up getting played. (ironically enough, by themselves) I have to say that this song is pretty much as well-put as it gets for cutting insights from hip hop on hip hop. It is really hard to find some unmitigated wisdom on a hip hop track. I have found that in general you have your really tight, insightful lyrics, and then some bizarre bit of misogyny or homophobia or something plain old fuckin stupid. But Jeru keeps it pretty tight on this song. (that being said, when my friend and I saw him in concert, he did within the space of one minute, preach non-violence, and then tell an audience member that he would kill him if he insulted his mother again - but hey, nobody's perfect -- aaand, he DID come out with no shirt on and a flag for a cape - and this is not 50 Cent physique we are talking about here, more like 12-15 cent, but god bless him for not giving a shit) I wish more folks got to hear someone saying something really smart in a rap song. I guess it is happening more and more, especially with the underground hip hop movement, but for now I think that the stereotype of hip hop is the image of really shallow, hypersexualized, violent people. And for now, that image is the stereotype for a very good reason, not because that is necessarily who people in hip hop are, but because these are the most visible (and memorable) images out there. That and the beats for those super shallow hip hop songs are fuckin tight. (Come on underground hip hop and get your beats together so I can listen to what you have to say!) Anyways, this song is a nice mix, I really appreciate this tight beat and above all, the "fake-pimp free flow." I think this song and what it says really reminds me that the images that that run rampant through most of hip hop that I see, are just that - images. It is so easy to let a picture, whether it is one created by someone's lyrics, album cover, video, or anything else combining with suppositions you have in your head, to let that picture just become reality. If you are anywhere close to as mentally lazy as I can be, then you have fallen victim to this kind of thinking and subsequent categorization of people. Anyways, even if you are not into rap, listen to this song, the words even, and remember that the annoying shit in hip hop is often just as annoying to people within hip hop as it is to people who dont even like it.

11/24/2005 - Be Thankful for What You've Got

Song: Be Thankful for What You've Got
Artist: William DeVaughn
Why this song is the current jam: This song is a beautiful slow groove track from the 70's. It is sort of a one-hit wonder thing, but the track is really amazing, smooth and slow. I also think this is the first song that I can think of with a certain theme that just cracks me/annoys the hell out of me. It is in its infancy here, still cute in its paradoxical nature. This theme is where the singer/rapper/whatever portends to be against some things (eg, the crack game, materialism, pimpin, etc) and goes about describing in painstaking and loving detail these very things. Here DeVaughn reminds us all to be thankful for what we've got, even if we dont have REALLY FUCKIN SWEET CADILLACS. I love it. But really, it is a nice sentiment, and this has to be totally Curtis Mayfield-inspired. Anyways, dig this one, and I am including in this post a newish and cheesy cover of this very song by Omar, an R&B singer from England who makes this a duet with Erykah Badu, who you obviously know. Enjoy.

11/23/2005 - I'm In Love

Song: I'm In Love
Artist: Evelyn "Champagne" King
Why this song is the current jam: The beat is the bomb. The track is just hot and a dance floor classic. Also if you have heard Janet Jackson's newish song on her latest album, then you have heard the beat before. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis jacked the beat 100% wholesale on R&B Junkie. This is the kind of old school cheesy synthesized music that I can really get down to. There is something really infectious about the rhythm of the base and that weird little trill going on in the background. If people did West Coast Swing to this song and not just the Janet one, I think it would be a better world. Anyways, this is a just a good old dance jam just like the one that started this whole blog off. Back to my roots.

11/22/2005 - Watching The Wheels

Song: Watching The Wheels
Artist: John Lennon
Why this song is the current jam: This reminds me of my family. And not in any weird way aside from the fact that it was always greatly appreciated in my household as a good song and so I link it to them. Contrary to popular belief, John Lennon was not exclusively a solo artist. In fact, he was a member of a band even as early as the 60's. They were a little British band called the Beatles, you may have heard of them. In any case, I like the sort of melancholy nature of this song. I think it is kinda touching too, the idea of this guy that no one can understand why he is doing what he is doing, like it's not enough, or the wrong thing in their eyes. It really is hard I think sometimes for anybody to really understand how another person feels. It seems to me that more often, when we think we know how someone feels, we have just searched through our feelings until we found one that seemed to fit a certain set of circumstances or syptoms. Here, Lennon describes the reaction of people to a set of circumstances that they couldnt make fit in their heads, and his reaction to that. It reminds me a little bit of Bobby D. There is another guy who I will always admire for just doing his thing and being perfectly content having other people not like it or see him as a dope, or having to occaionally tell some people to go fuck themselves. In the end, I think that is probably the only way that really creative people can do what they do. Maybe that is bullshit, but, it seems true when I hear this song. So there.

11/21/2005 - She Blinded Me With Science

Song: She Blinded Me With Science
Artist: Thomas Dolby
Why this song is the current jam: This song is hot. The super synthed out track, the whole beat, the weird dude talking, this is just a classic. This also totally reminds me of my brother, I guess cuz it was playing on MTV when he still lived at home. I just love the way this song moves. This is the kind of 80's shit that we should be getting back into. Thomas Dolby only had one other kind of hit, but I did like a few tracks on his Golden Age of Wireless album, most notably, Radio Silence, a cheesy 80's pop tune. (like this one isn't!) It is also worthy of notice that this song has been sampled by Mobb Deep for "Got It Twisted".

11/20/2005 - Jimmy Mack

Song: Jimmy Mack
Artist: Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
Why this song is the current jam: The claps. The rhythm. The build on the chorus. This is my favorite Martha Reeves song to dance to, and yes, that even includes (Love is Like a) Heat Wave - which is also a completely amazing song and a guaranteed party-starter. Although in overall enjoyment of the song, I am tied on those two, this one though takes the Motown claps to their greatest height. They start out right from the beginning, with that incredible rolling swing rhythm, the claps just pounding out every beat. Then the drums come in with that heavy ass two and four, and the song is just swingin so hard. And the vocals, just keep it rolling along, so easy and powerful. And the rising chord changes on the chorus just push this thing forward. Where as Heatwave has that killer Charleston rhythm, da-da, da-da, da-da, da-da that makes it so easy to dance to, this song has a rhythm that is pushing so hard and heavy and yet with no effort at all, the whole band swingin just as light and easy as the vocals, that it is not just easy to dance to, it is inevitable. You must dance to this. And Martha Reeves was one of the great voices from the Motown era. Listen to the way she and the girls just breeze through these lyrics, telling an all-to-true story about a love that she doesnt want to fade. She pleads for her man to come back, because even though she loves him, she needs love at home. This sentiment seems to me a bit counterintuitive and anachronistic, that her true love can be somehow mitigated by some random suitor and that she, as a woman, needs love more than she is in love with this man. But at the same time, I am finding more and more often that that kind of anachronistic, counterintuitive shit is the way things really are. Like she really does need someone close and she wants it to be him, but like she says she's "not getting any stronger." This song rings true to me and for me that completes the whole package. This is one my favorite songs to dance to and one of my favorite songs period.

BONUS POST - live from the road in LA

Dude, so I mentioned before in an earlier post that I was gonna try to see Jon Brion play while I was out in LA for a week before the US Open. Well, I did just that last night, and it was really amazing. In general, I dont have the patience, attention span, or tolerance for drunk/high assholes to enjoy live performances. I really love music, but I have found it to be very disappointing live sometimes (this may be because of my general proclivity towards music that is heavily produced and hard to replicate live eg hip hop etc). But I had heard nothing but good things about the talents of Jon Brion, and I found ample evidence of this in the music of his that I have been able to get a hold of. So I planned on coming out here early, pretty much to try to see him at this club here called Largo. Well, I wasnt able to make a dinner reservation so I said, fuck it, I am just gonna go and stand around and see if they just let folks in. They do. There were a bunch of folks lined up without tickets like me and they eventually let us all in, and we just had to stand in the back, which was all good with me. It was fuckin great. It was a little weird just standing there by myself in the back with a bunch of folks who were not by themselves, but it was really nice as well. I just read my new book club book "In Cold Blood" (which is good so far p.s.) and kinda enjoyed not having to chatter it up with anyone. I find more and more that, when I stop scrambling to surround myself with people to entertain and be entertained by, I really enjoy myself. And this was no exception, because what I really wanted to was to see this artist up close, to see more of what he does and how he does it etc. And that was exactly what I got. It really was impressive. He so clearly has so much skill musically, it was awesome to watch. He plays a bunch of instruments, and it was just him, playing stuff, and entertaining the shit out of us with nothing but music from 10pm or so until 2am with one like 20 minute set break. It was great because he came out and just started playing, no warm up the crowd bullshit. He played a guitar song, then a piano song or two, and then he went to the drums. He did this a bunch of times and it was really cool. He would like lay down a drum track - I loved his drumming ps, mad fuckin rhythm - and then loop it, so then that is going then he moves to the bass, lays down a loop for that too, and I mean like a long ass loop, like the whole melody line of a song, then he goes to the guitar, or the piano, or some weird electronic shit, and eventually he plays one thing live and sings. It was impressive and fun to watch, and he really made some nice music out of it. He also took a bunch of requests. But not like Freebird and shit, like stuff that interested and challenged him to do something new, and that was fun to see. I liked how he did it too, he would just ask if anyone had any requests and then when people started yelling shit out, he would just sit there until he heard one that struck his fancy and then he would play it. It was cool to see him finding things that he enjoyed, not just delivering some shiny but soul-sucking dog and pony vegas show full of smarm and fake personality. My personal highlight though, was when he played "Strings That Tie to You" the very song of his that I chose to post on this here music blog. It felt like when you read a new book that you found all by yourself and it wasnt a "classic" or anything and then you find out they are gonna make a movie out of it. And what was double-cool was that I didnt spot it coming, because he played the scratchy higher melody first on this little tinkly keyboard, looped it, then distorted the shit out of it, there on stage, so that it began to sound familiar to me. And then, he started playing some piano and then I could hear the chord changes, and then he started singing. It was so cool how he stuck with the tempo he had set up initially, but still playing with his timing, sometimes playing a bit faster and then letting his voice lag and hang over a few words, letting the loop catch up, sometimes hangin back and blurting out a word. It was really beautiful. If you are in LA on a Friday night, you should definitely go check him out, it was awesome. You can get info at "www.largo-la.com". (that's him playing the piano on the website) Peetski out!

11/19/2005 - This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)

Song: This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)
Artist: The Talking Heads
Why this song is the current jam: There have been times where I have listened to this song and only this song for several days on end. Now, to be fair, I am easily addicted and I have an extremely high tolerance for repetition when it comes to songs I like, but, that being said, there is something special about this song to me. I first found it about a year and a half ago on someone's iTunes celebrity playlist. I really dont know much stuff by the Talking Heads still, but anyways, I liked this song immediately. I remember the celebrity, whoever it was, describing it as a beautiful happy song with a melody that always put her (I do remember that it was a woman) in a good mood. I find that so odd, because I would never describe this song as just plain old happy. But I think I am not the best at listening to lyrics either. But, I think that one thing about me that probably won't change is that my impression of the feeling that a song conveys is much more about how it sounds than what the words say. I think I think this same way about people for the most part as well. I mean I really hate ugly people, no matter how nice they are. I kid. I mean like there is a sense of people, or at least how they are feeling at that moment that sorta transcends or perhaps lies beneath what they say to you. This song reminds me of that. The sound of it to me is happy, almost naive one might say, but with tinges of melancholy, with a sort of wariness towards love. That is why I like it so much, those tinges. And the lyrics really are beautiful as well really. This song comes together really well. Melody, lyrics, and a rhythm that makes it feel like the song could just cruise on forever.

11/18/2005 - My Father Is A Giant

Song: My Father Is A Giant
Artist: Pablo
Why this song is the current jam: This song is by my close homeboy who some of you dancers out there may recognize from his old dancing days on the Swing Craze video - a must see for any aficionado of the GAP-inspired swing dancing fad of the late 90's. That's him on the cover - what a sexy bitch. Anyways, this is one my favorite songs by him, beautiful, heartbreaking, poignant, all that good stuff. I especially love when he sings about "every kind of man that he [his father] never knew existed." This is off of his "Bitches and Machines" album. Check out more of his stuff for a really unique mix of the beautiful and the profane, stuff like his other album, Vulgar Modalities, and if you get a chance to see him live, don't miss it - he is hilarious and I think most in his element in front of a live audience, his songs kinda show their full strength there. And you thought he was just a swing dancer. Pfah! This is the kind of music that makes me realize that I dont know shit and have no idea how much good stuff is out there because there are probably other artists out there like Pablo who aren't super on the map but are very very good. If you know of any, put me on to them please. For now, enjoy the Pabster.

11/16/2005 - How Long Do I Have To Wait For You?

Song: How Long Do I Have To Wait For You?
Artist: Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
Why this song is the current jam: This song sounds like it was made 35 years ago but it is a new song, not a cover, by a new band, who can actually play, with a singer, who can actually sing. In short, it has some serious soul. This is just in case you havent heard of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings yet. They are a great group out of NYC and their newish album "Naturally" is really worth having. Some great new tracks including this one and a cover or two as well. Really pretty high-quality stuff, the kind I would like to see a lot more of nowadays. It is my hope that I am just not up on all the hot new stuff, so if you know of any groups that are throwin down some real soul let me know (and for god's sake dont send me a message about Joss Stone - I have indeed heard of her and she is ok and all, but just listen to this track and you will hear what I am talking about) Caitlin said she saw these guys play in Toronto and that live they are way way better so if you get a chance, check em out if they are in your town. (she even got invited to come up on stage and dance - that's my girl!) This song really showcases her voice along with the band's badass playing - just check the opening guitar riff - so hot.

11/15/2005 - I Be Blowin'

Song: I Be Blowin'
Artist: De La Soul & Maceo Parker
Why this song is the current jam: This song is off of De La Soul's 3rd album, "Buhloone Mindstate" and it is a pretty diffferent sort of song than what you'll traditionally find on a hip-hop album. This is basically just a beautiful sax solo by Maceo Parker with a little instrumental track behind him. He creates a powerful mood from the get go and just plays his ass off basically for the whole track. If you dont know, Maceo played with James Brown (and Bootsy who I posted on here earlier) and is one of the best sax players around. Think of Papa's Got a Brand New Bag & Cold Sweat - that's him. For me, I think that the saxophone is maybe my favorite horn (hence my love of Lester Young) and Maceo is always kicking ass. De La Soul is of course a favorite hip hop group of many a people, myself included, and I may post some of their other stuff on here some time, but for now, I am really feeling this instrumental. This is rainy-day-in-the-city music for me, and I love it. I keep thinking of really interesting scenes to movies about my life (a life that of course would look really intriguing and sexy on screen) set to this song. In most of them I am in New York. Hope you like.

11/14/2005 - So In Love

Song: So In Love
Artist: Curtis Mayfield
Why this song is the current jam: This is one of the most beautiful love songs I know. It is so slow and tender, and Curtis Mayfield's gentle falsetto vocals just epitomize the feeling he is trying to get across here. It also has a really simple but infectious rhythm, something I always connect to in a song. There are a lot of sexy songs out there, but this one is straight up romantic, and I love that. The intro takes forever, it almost teaches you to shut up and listen, to just sorta wait for it and let the song wash over you. I have had a lot of amazing and special dances in my day, but one of the ones I always remember was to this song late at night with barely anyone left at the dance and with the music on full blast, filling up the room so it felt like we were swimming in it. This is a song where all you have to do is hold someone in your arms and just move together. I got a request for this song this last weekend when I DJed and I couldnt fit it in and didnt want to play it if folks werent gonna be able to dance to it. I can put up with a lot, but I think if someone complained to me that I had played this song, for any reason, I would have to strangle them. There are some songs that I love so much that I rarely DJ them, like this one. But if you hear me DJ soul music you are guaranteed to hear some Curtis Mayfield at least, probably with the Impressions. He is an amazing artist along the lines of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, writing his own songs, producing, playing, singing. He was an amazing talent. His style changed dramatically over the years and he brought a uniquely black consciousness to the forefront of popular music through his songs. Required listening - as a matter of fact I am gonna find some more of him right now and study up. Enjoy this song alone, or if you have someone handy, hold 'em close and just move to this.

11/13/2005 - Old School Joint Remix

Song: Old School Joint (Remix)
Artist: Missy Elliott
Why this song is the current jam: The beat is hot, that's about it. I like Missy's vocals on here too, here she is showcasing her pretty tolerable singing voice. She really is a talented chick and I have heard that she is like a genius, literally. All I know is nobody knows how to start a party like Missy Elliott, and her production is so consistently bangin, it is really impressive. This is my special remix too. I stole the bongos from a Talib Queli song and pasted them onto this track, and if I do say so myself, I think it makes it a lot better. I call this my "Root Beer Float" style of production. I like Root Beer, and I like ice cream. So then I have this genius idea - what if I mix root beer and ice cream?! And what do you know, it is good! I like the Missy song - I like the bongos - and heyo! I like the remix! I am a musical genius!!! Anyways, I dedicate this to the recently married Jen, she always like this little remix, so I hope she can finally download a copy. p.s. Congrats to Matt and Jen!

11/12/2005 - I'm Still In Love With You

Song: I'm Still In Love With You
Artist: Alton Ellis
Why this song is the current jam: So I mentioned Alton Ellis a while ago on my Bitty McLean post. He was a huge Reggae artist back in the day. He kinda helped transition the music into Rocksteady and then to Reggae. He has a ton of good stuff, but I decided that this would be a good song to post because it may be familiar to folks a little bit. It has been covered several times. It was a big hit for Marcia Aitken and that version was recently covered by our good friend Sean Paul on his album Dutty Rock (good shake your booty to this music). I find myself getting more and more into this kind of music, the rhythms are so heavy and the basslines are ze best around, seriously. Check out Alton's album, "Sunday Coming" for my favorite stuff of his - and let's keep in mind that I dont really know much about him beyond the AMG biography page, so there is probably tons more to find and enjoy. If you know of any good stuff like this, let me know for sure.

11/11/2005 - Strings That Tie to You

Song: Strings That Tie to You
Artist: Jon Brion
Why this song is the current jam: I love this dude. He is a talented mothergrabber. He has done the score for several movies that I have enjoyed including Magnolia, I Heart Huckabees, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. This song is off of the soundtrack for the last, and I think it is really beautiful. Brion really has a knack for catchy melodies and he plays like a zillion instruments. His sound is very distinctive and a little quirky, but still a little poppy, but not in an annoying way. With any luck I am gonna go see him play in LA in like a week. Oh, and also he co-produced Kanye West's new album - perhaps you've heard of it, it has been mildly successful. Anyways, I hope that Jon Brion does more stuff and releases it because I think he is really talented, check out some of his other stuff if you like this.

11/10/2005 - Dirty Water

Song: Dirty Water
Artist: K-Os
Why this song is the current jam:
I really like this dude. He has a nice voice, he is actually a pretty good rapper, produces most of his own stuff, and believe it or not, he is from Canadia – Bryan Adams watch out! I hereby dedicate today’s post to Caitlin, cuz K-Os is representing her newfound hometown of T.O. I can actually listen to this album pretty much all the way through, a pretty astounding statistic for a hip-hop album. I guess though that really this and his first album kinda slide in and out of more than one genre. He really is into other stuff and that is clear and he is also able to perform other styles of music. When he sings, he can ACTUALLY sing well. Another fairly unique point. And here is one I really like. He is a pretty serious religious/spiritual dude, which is perhaps not right up my alley, but he is not annoying and super preachy. He believes what he believes, and he talks about it, but it isn’t really preaching, just expressing himself, honest but not overbearing. And if your music is good and you can sing and rap, I can listen to that. Maybe he is still a jack of all trades/master of none, but he has a lot of talent and diverse musical tastes and abilities. Score one for Canada on this one.

11/9/2005 - Petite Fleur

Song: Petite Fleur
Artist: Sidney Bechet
Why this song is the current jam: So I mentioned Sidney Bechet, so I figured I should let you hear how he plays, in case you have never heard him. (in which case, what is wrong with you?) This is one of the most amazing recordings I have ever heard by him. He has tons of really amazing swingin stuff that is great for dancing, but this one is very different. Here is creates from the very first notes a mood so thick and sultry and exotic and sad - shit it just comes across as this completely cohesive mix of so many moods wrapped into one delicious feeling. This song makes me picture tendrils of smoke curling up on a hot sweaty parisian night. Sidney Bechet is one horn player that I can recognize instantly and you can hear in his crazy vibrato and and piercing style why even a novice like myself can always tell when it is Bechet playing. I watched the Ken Burns jazz thing and apparently Sidney was a mean mothergrabber, a dude who was always jealous of Louis Armstrong's success. Sounds like Miles before Miles came along. A mean dude who could play a mean horn. Anyways, this song is so beautiful sometimes I can barely listen to it. If I ever have enough feelings of love and pain to dance with someone to this song, I will know I have lived a full life. I am a long ways off as of now.

11/8/2005 - Crosscut Saw

Song: Crosscut Saw
Artist: Albert King
Why this song is the current jam: Sorry, a little late on this one, but here it is finally. Albert King, no relation to B.B., is a blues guitar master. Now let me not pretend like I really know shit about him. But I read the bio and downloaded some music of his and it is pretty badass. He has a pretty different style than B.B. and this song just has such an amazing understated rhythm and his sound really is distinctive. (I guess he played left-handed on a right-handed guitar - aka upside down) The notes he plays are so sharp that he doesnt need that many to be kickin some serious ass. He reminds me a little bit of Sidney Bechet in that they both have this particularly sharp and strident sounds to their instruments that a lot of other people just dont have. I could shake my butt to this too, which is always a plus. Check out the album that this track is from, "Born Under a Bad Sign" for some other kick ass blues.

11/7/2005 - Fighting & Police

Song: Fighting & Police
Artist: Richard Pryor
Why this song is the current jam: Here's something special for you - a Monday double play to get you through your day. This one goes out to all your working stiffs out there with straight jobs (making real money so don't feel too bad) stuck inside the office all day. This is from the best comedian of all time, and not just according the the Comedy Central countdown. Really Richard Pryor is for me exemplary of some the best parts of the America. He is always funny, but often tragic and poignant too. But his shit was never preachy, he was just so damn honest that sometimes it almost hurts. The first bit about fighting, is just plain old funny, like Richard can make anything funny. The second bit about the police shows a little more about what things are like in America. And if you think it has changed, check out Dave Chappelle's "Killin' Them Softly" and hear basically the exact same bit, and it sounds just as true. Speaking of stolen bits, if you enjoy any black comedian today - Dave Chappelle, Martin Lawrence, Jamie Foxx - thank Richard Pryor. I have heard all of them jack at least one bit from him. I think probably all comedians today would credit him as some kind of inspiration. I wish that Richard Pryor's albums were like required listening in high school, because I think that it would be so good for white folks to hear in such a candid, honest, and hilarious way about what life is like if you are black. I think it would be a better country, honestly. Maybe when I am president. Something good to check out it you dig this is "And It's Deep Too" which is all of the recordings that Richard did for Warner Brothers. It is all hilarious and it is amazing to hear how he progresses in his comedy and in his thinking. And there is an interview with him on there that is amazing. It is amazing what goes on inside a genius like Richard Pryor, all that humor, so much of it comes from pain. It's like jazz, it's like hip hop, like almost everything great that America has produced, it's always from the hardest times that the best things are created. Enough from me, check it out.

11/6/2005 - Disciples of the Funk

Song: Disciples of Funk
Artist: Bootsy Collins
Why this song is the current jam: Here is a little something to funk up a boring old Sunday. This is off off Bootsy's Jungle Bass EP, and here again, let me give some unmitigated props to pops on this one. He bought the album, and on purpose too. But he had help, he was advised by his closest friend on this one, someone with some of the best taste in music you can find. I dedicate this song to you, Rasta Big Boy, you know who you are. Even with cheesy electronic beats, Bootsy still tears it up in a serious way. Bootsy played with James Brown and then with Parliament, so don't let his bizarre look fool you, my man has chops.

11/5/2005 - Lester Swings

Song: Lester Swings
Artist: Lester Young
Why this song is the current jam: Something a little different for the weekend. I found this song randomly searching for Lester Young stuff on the interweb. I knew a little bit about Lester, mainly that I loved his style, and it was really distinctive so I could kinda tell if it was him playing, something that I am horrible at because I know so little about jazz music. And me a full-time teacher of a jazz dance. Oh well, I am trying. Lester played with Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson, Oscar Peterson, tons of big names. And he himself was one of the biggest names in saxophone. His light breezy playing really changed the way people played sax. It kinda opened the door for cats to smooth things out and cool it down. This recording has a little more of that bebop feel to it, and I must say, although that is not typically my thing, I am in love with this song. The opening riff just blows me away, it sounds magical to me. Check out more of Lester if you have even a passing interest in jazz, and if you are a Lindy Hopper, then you will be happy to know that it is Lester you hear tearing it up on ”Jumpin at the Woodside”, our perennial favorite song to swing out to. Check out the mood he creates on this one, it feels like a magic carpet ride from beginning to end.

11/4/2005 - Uptown

Song: Uptown
Artist: Prince
Why this song is the current jam: Ok I couldn’t just leave you with one little taste of Prince and then leave you hanging. Of course you want more, and let me tell you friend, I am happy to oblige. This song here is basically the theme song of the area where I live. Yep, you guessed it, Uptown. It used to be actually quite hip and punky and now it has become increasing gentrified and commercial. But it does still hold some of the charm that Prince describes in the song. I grew up very close to here so this song is kinda special for me in that sense. Plus I first heard the Dirty Mind album in high school because my brother had left his old LP of it at home when he moved away to NYC and I listened to this every night when I went to bed for 6 months straight. Seriously. So it reminds me of my brother too. Also, there is just something special and beautiful to me about old school Prince. I mean like little black speedos and a trenchcoat Prince yknow? There is something so beautifully naïve about the crazy hyper-sexualized androgynous desperation that goes into these songs. There is so much of an act to it yes, but there is something supremely honest about it as well. This whole album was recorded essentially as a demo and the people at the record company liked it so much they wouldn’t let him redo it. They just touched it up and released it. He played most of the instruments himself too. Really, Prince is the man. He really is a bit of a fountainhead and source of inspiration for so many other artists after him including Raphael Saadiq, D’Angelo, Beck, and all sorts of other folks who mess around with white music and black music and many combinations thereof, as well as anyone who creates most of their music alone. Tons of artists owe so much to Prince, and they do often express their appreciation. Check their liner notes if you don’t believe me.

11/3/2005 - If I Was Your Girlfriend

Song: If I Was Your Girlfriend
Artist: Prince
Why this song is the current jam: Ok so I was just talking about Prince's amazing Frankenstein(the doctor not the monster)-like ability to create life out of synthetic parts? Well here it is in full form, in my favorite Prince song of all time. There is a synergy here, between the squeaky vocals, the pleading lyrics, the sparse track, and one of the best hooks of all time. You should know this about this song - if you dont like it, it is possible that we will never be friends. I played this for an old girlfriend years ago in the car cuz she wanted to hear some Prince songs I liked. She started giggling at the squeaky falsetto and I stopped the song right there and turned on the radio. I told her maybe later. Then she apologized for hurting my feelings. She didnt hurt my feelings then - I just thought less of her. I know that's some cold shit, but this is my man we are talking about. And really if you dont already own this album and song, I dont know what is wrong with you but you should go fix it right now and get "Sign 'O' the Times". Quick note on this album/song - the first time I heard this song, which was never like a big single release, was when my dad bought the album. "Your dad?!" you say? "How cool is he?!" Well cool, but let me explain. He bought "Sign 'O' the Times" for a really great song that he liked - "My Prerogative". Unfortunately this song was by Bobby Brown, and oddly enough, could only be found on his album. But anyways, my dad also liked U Got the Look, so he was happy about that, and he was the first one to play this very song for me, so in the end, he is cool. Thanks pops.

11/2/2005 - Fight Test

Song: Fight Test
Artist: The Flaming Lips
Why this song is the current jam: I didn’t know a damn thing about the Flaming Lips really until I saw a song of theirs on the iTunes celebrity playlist of Michelle Branch or someone random like that. I liked the song so much that I downloaded the whole album, “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” (legally I might add!) and was blown away by the musicianship of it. The album reminds me a lot of old Prince stuff in the way that they take sounds so starkly electronic and processed that they are almost cartoonish and they are able to make real, palpable, melodic, music that has some heart. This has always been one of the biggest parts of Prince’s genius I think, this sorta cyborg creation of something warm and alive out of cold electronic components and this song along with the whole album does the same thing beautifully. They jacked the melody from Cat Stevens’s also beautiful song, “Father and Son”. But they made something new out of it, so I forgive them. That is my basic policy on sampling/stealing music/melodies etc; if you can recontextualize it somehow that is worthwhile, then you are off the hook. I am sure the Flaming Lips are sighing with relief to have my approval, but hey the song sounds great. Plus, really this song is about learning to be a man and finding yourself face to face with things you can’t avoid and may sometimes even have to fight, a conventional sort of wisdom that seems to ring a lot more true in the context of these lyrics and this music. I seems to me that to grow up maybe one really does need to learn that there isn’t necessarily “a virtue in always being cool.” Whether you are thinking of cool as too cool for school or cool as in playing it cool, or perhaps most pertinently to this song, as in keeping your cool. This whole album asks really interesting questions and has great ideas and music all throughout it. Seriously read the bio on these guys, it is interesting as hell even if you don’t dig their music, and they seem to me eminently digable.

11/1/2005 - Dropout

Song: Dropout
Artist: Urge Overkill
Why this song is the current jam: This song will always remind me of a certain time in my life. No, not when I dropped out, smart-ass. It was when I dated this one girl for a while. She was nice I guess, but she was kinda sad all the time. This song makes me think of someone who is sad all the time. This is also yet another song that I would put into the genre of white person music, and again, as you will no doubt eventually note, so many of my favs from this broad and sweepingly general genre are of the somewhat "funky" variety, aka songs with a beat. I like the mix on this track too, how it contrasts the fake-sounding drums and melancholy, disaffected vocals. Why are sad songs good? I think this question will come up more than once as I continue to post. If there are any insightful answers out there, feel free to share, for now, hope you like.