Film: Blank City

A love letter to New York, a cultural portrait of Manhattan in the days before Reagan, big money, and gentrification forever altered the fabric of the city. More;

 

R.I.P E-man

Jimmy Castor (1947-2012)

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East Of U

In 1971, in the midst of America's invasion of Vietnam, the U.S. Army held a show-band contest and showcased the two winning bands in a promotional album. East of Underground, were the gritty runners-up, who managed to capture the spirit of the times with their sweet-soul covers of Sly Stone, Curtis Mayfield, and Funkadelic. A Short documentary film Produced by Wax Poetics and Scion and directed by David Hollander.

Who IS?

There is currently, a documentary in progress called the Roy Ayers Project featuring the Man himself, as well as many hip-hop producers who have sampled his music and other people who have been influenced by him and his music. The documentary is planned to be released in early 2012. Keep your ears to tha ground, i can`t wait for this!

People Everywhere.

Something that was dropped into my lap last weekend and I really hadn't had a chance to digest it fully and you know anything with hard rock in the title normally puts me right off straight away, but this little comp from the Now-Again peeps really digs deep with a 70's untold story of various underground music scenes from Indonesia. Weather it be psychedelic, progressive rock or low down dirty funk, it's all here and this is my pick of the bunch.....Njoy!

(download)

Red Bull Music Academy hosted an info-session with Chandra Drewes and a mix by co-conspirator Jason “Moss” Connoy....check it out Here.

available from Stonesthrow

Body & Soul

An Afro classic coming outta West Africa in the late 70's early 8o's. William Onyeabor a contemporary of the mighty Fela and indulging also in the social-political woes of his country and the world, but instead of following the raw Afro-beat of Fela's grooves, WO goes for an altogether more smoother funky/disco style. Lifted from Booniay!! A Compilation of West African Funk, pure afrofunk pleasure!!...Njoy.

Afrodisiac Soundsystem remixes download

 

Times Are Hard Friends Are Few

Chillin' with a heavy head cold ain't no fun but with some spiritual righteous vibes from Del Jones 'Positive Vibes' 1973 LP, re-issued in Japan, that's similar in vain to the legendary Gil Scott-Heron, helps ease the suffering! This is one of those top-notch albums that really needs your attention..seek it out..Njoy!


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Melvin 'Sparkplug' Sparks R.I.P.

Sad day indeed for music men passing on, US soul/jazz blues guitarist died today from complications from diabetes. He would have been 65 next week. Played with some legends of the jazz/funk soul scene, Lou Donaldson, Charles Earland, Jimmy McGriff, Idris Muhammad, Johnny Hammond Smith and many more.

R.I.P Cool Ruler

15 July 1951 -25 October 2010

obituary

Madness Subsides

By now I had got through about 22 LP's/CD's, sitting on my balcony havin' a cheeky roll-up and an ice cold sapporo beer, the ambiance was sent..From the first few bars I felt transfixed, tune of a summer sunset, madness subsides....Pekka Pohjola is arguably the greatest electric bass players in Europe and here in equally great company with Tomi Parkkonen - drum and percussion, Eero Koivistoinen - soprano & tenor sax., Pekka Pöyry - alto and soprano sax, Paroni Paakkunainen - alto,baritone sax & piccolo and Coste Apretea - guitar. The main bassline of this piece was beautifully sampled by DJ Shadow on "Midnight In A Perfect World" Niceness!

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1. Alku (The Beginning)
2. Ensimmäinen aamu (The First Morning)
3. Huono sää / Se tanssii (Bad Weather / Bialoipokku Dances…)
4. ja näkee unta (Bialoipokku's War Dream)
5. Hereilläkin uni jatkuu (Bialoipokku's War)
6. Sekoilu seestyy (The Madness Subsides)
7. Elämä jatkuu (Life Goes On)
LRLP 118

Danish Drive

Staying on the Scandinavian theme for another stand out cut from our marathon jazz session..Renowned US drummer Ed Thigpen who passed on earlier in the year with an infectious groovy bassline with his Danish "Action.Re.Action" group comprising of Palle Mikkleborg - Trumpet, Kjell Ohman - Electric & Acoustic Piano, Mads Vinding - Bass, Lennart Aberg - Saxes & Flute, Carlinhos Pandeiro de Ouro - Percussion and the Legendary congaman, Louis "SABU" Martinez...Wickeness!

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A1. House of Poetsa)
(a)Le Matin(Palle Mikkelborg)
(b)Le Soir(Palle Mikkelborg)
(c)Who's kidding who?(Palle Mikkelborg)
2. Danish Drive(Mads Vinding)
B1. Action-re-action
(a)Illusions(Ed Thigpen)
(b) Adventures of a duck with friends(Ed Thigpen)
(c)Action-re-action(Ed Thigpen-Palle Mikkelborg)
SLP-2558

R.I.P Sugar Minott

May 25, 1956 – July 10, 2010

Lincoln Barrington "Sugar" Minott passed away saturday night. The sweet voice has gone but not forgotten.

Sunday Matinee - Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

The story of a man who battled severe physical setbacks to become a cultural icon. Punk's poet laureate - Ian Dury was a working-class hero whose drug and booze-fuelled career, Bohemian lifestyle and deft wordsmithery inspired fascination, fear and a fervent following. One of the true originals of the British music scene and the only man to successfully combine the energy and excitement of rock 'n' roll and funk with the bawdy humour, wit and home-spun philosophy of music-hall and of his native Essex.Ian Dury was born in Harrow. His father was a bus-driver and later a chauffeur, who split up with his university-educated mother soon after the war. The young Ian was struck down by polio at the age of seven. He spent several years in hospital and at a school in Sussex for the disabled. He left grammar school for the Royal College of Art, a stint teaching art and in 1971 the formation of his first band, Kilburn and the High Roads. They developed a minor following on the emerging London pub-rock scene and their first album, Handsome, was released in 1974.
But the defining moment came after Dury started writing with pianist Chaz Jankel and signed to the independent Stiff label and released the album 'New Boots and Panties'. With his band The Blockheads, Ian Dury exploded into the popular consciousness in 1978...

(wait a while to download if it buffers too much)

Copa do mondo

So just 10 days to go to the greatest show on earth and the anticipation felt around the world is gathering excitement by the hour...As readers will know we at mt@o are avid followers of the beautiful game...or as our friends in the US would say 'what that game with 22 grown men kicking a ball around'...yes my dear cousins that game which is truly GLOBAL and brings people together like no other. Now for the tunes to go with, Next Stop Soweto Vol.2 is the second in STRUTrecords three-part compilation series showcasing ‘underground’ South African music of the 60's and 70's. Thanks to several years of painstaking research and vinyl archaeology by compilers Duncan Brooker and Francis Gooding they've uncovered some rare gems of SA soul, funk, R&B and psych sounds from a time when these unknown musicians plied their trade under an oppressive apartheid regime during the years before the tumultuous Soweto uprising of 1976...We're dropping 2 tracks from the comp a quality funky groover from the Soul Throbs with a track called 'Little Girl' and some uptempo boogie bizniz from The Heroes with 'Come With Me', just wish the tracks were longer, re-edits anyone?... An overall amazing collection of obscure South African music....An essential purchase to enjoy head-nodding during those half-time brakes,

(Download)



(Download)

Chaos!

What a choooooooooonnn!! people just download it and keep it on play for a week.


The Sylvers - Chaos



To know all about `em

Question Time!

Yeah as you can see I've managed to squeeze some time in today from family duties....OK! QT, what is this tracks theme tune?

An original theme tune to which later became a very popular 70/80`s comedy show on US TV...Answer in the comments section please...come on people lets hear it?

History Of The Amen.

This has been doing the rounds of the bloggosphere for a long time now, i'm sure some of you have seen it already, but following on from the previous post, it's apt to share now. The vid clip is a fascinating, 20-minute narration of the history of the "Amen Break," Nate Harrison's 2004 video is an interesting theory on the ownership of culture, the nature of art and creativity, and the history of a remarkable drum break. Check out the 1Xtra history as well!

The Winstons - amen brother




Tracklist:
A.Color Me Father
B. Amen Brother
mms-117

"Gimme That Funk" # 18

I`ve neglected the "GTF" for a while now so enough of all these bleeps and 4/4 grooves lets get back to some damn dirty ole FUNK....Ok! here`s a seriously funky joint from `72 released on the Blue Candle label..featuring the vocal talents of Robert Moore Jr, later to be lead vocalist of "Notorious Miami" an in-house soul/funk/disco band of T.K records. "Cramp Your Style" has got that raw gritty funk groove that i`m sure your all dig...enjoy

All The People - cramp your style



Tracklist
A. Cramp Your Style (2:20)
B. Whatcha Gonna Do About It (3:00)
45-1496

I Am New Here

Wow! The Man Gil Scott-Heron is Back.
Monday night saw BBC Newsnight journalist Stephen Smith interview the legendary poet/musician and godfather of rap...see here, about his forthcoming brand new material to be released on XL recordings in early (10th Jan) 2010. To say i"m more than a little excited by the news, like a child waiting for Christmas is no exaggeration..Check here for a video of his new track "where did the night go" and a free download of the song....Big props to Richard Russell @ XL for pulling this off!....Can't wait.

Another new day

check my artist review:

Gotta get a job!

Some rare sister ghetto funk to start off the week....Vocalist Ann Alford made just one single, which came out on the LA label, Hy-Sign in 1972. The track was written by her husband Don Alford. It was re-issued by the Funky Forthy Fives label for their "Ultra Rare Grooves Vol. 3" Limited Edition to only 300 copies on 10"vinyl......Quality low down dirty funkiness.....Enjoy!


Ann Alford - got to get me a job