All My Rowdy Friends

R.I.P. The King of Rock ‘N’ Soul

J. Emerson-Kramer — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 00:23:45 +0000

Solomon Burke was a giant. His presence and his voice were on par with singers that achieved a level of fame that far surpassed his own, yet he still wrote some of the most influential songs of the soul generation.
Down in the Valley appeared on Redding’s 1965 album Otis Blue, and Everybody Needs Somebody to Love (written in 1964) was covered by Wilson Pickett and featured prominently in the movie the Blues Brothers.
Before entering the music business, Burke was a preacher and hosted a gospel radio show. While not on tour Burke owned and operated a funeral parlor in Los Angeles, a business he had learned from his uncle. In the 2000s Burke experienced a revival after recording the Grammy award-winning album for Fat Possum Records-produced by Joe Henry-entitled Don’t Give Up On Me. The album featured songs written by artists such as Bob Dylan and Van Morrison. He went on to record four more albums with a fifth album to now be released posthumously, including the acclaimed Nashville and Like a Fire.
My first introduction to Solomon Burke came from the song Cry to Me. This classic song is a bridge between early doowop and later R&B music. It features doowop backing vocals but Solomon Burke climbs far above that style with the raw emotion that is such a staple of his music. His voice always felt to me to combine a level of melancholy and optimism that has not been matched. It was more than just being a soul singer. Burke’s style combined a command of dynamics and tempo with a strong range and a smoky voice to create a unique and unparalleled power. He was an artist who masterfully found and inhabited the proverbial “pocket”. Not too fast, not too slow and neither too loud or too subdued. He made music that was just right.
Solomon Burke died today of natural causes en route to Amsterdam at the age of 70. He will be missed.
Enjoy a few of my favorite tracks and raise a glass to the one, the only, Solomon Burke.
Don’t Give Up On Me
10 None Of Us Are Free
Everybody Needs Somebody To Love
Cry to Me

-Jon

Karen O is a little bit country and a whole lotta rock n roll

J. Emerson-Kramer — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 15:06:41 +0000

Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs fame is taking on the Jackass theme for the all new Jackass 3D, coming out October 15. She twangs it up a little bit and definitely kills this song. Check it.
Karen O. (of Yeah Yeah Yeahs) – “If You’re Gonna Be Dumb, You Gotta Be Tough” by Some Kind of Awesome

-Jon

Weapons for War

J. Emerson-Kramer — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 16:00:45 +0000

So, A Lull are a sweet little outfit from the Windy City who are all set to release their first full-length Confetti. They have recently released the video for the first single Weapons for War and it is weird and compelling and kind of creepy. Its about two mansized animal things. IGIF definitely got the description right by calling them manbearpigs. Anyways, check out the video for yourself, see what you think.

-Jon

Just to be a dick

ulyssesdestructo — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 05:45:19 +0000

Duck Sauce started putting out tunes last year. Their first single aNYway vey quickly made it to my top 25 most played tracks due largely to the really awesome video they made for it. I’m trying to crap all over Jon’s discovery (love ya buddy), but add to the awesomeness that is Duck Sauce. Check em out.

Bar-Bar-Barbara Streisand

J. Emerson-Kramer — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 15:21:49 +0000

Duck Sauce is a brand new collaboration between A-Trak and Armand Van Helden. This is their latest single and the video is great. If everything else they release is as good as this I know what I’m dancing to for the rest of the year.

-Jon

First 5

J. Emerson-Kramer — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 00:19:36 +0000

Finally! Finally I have reliable internet and to commemorate this joyous occasion, I’m posting!
So, once upon a time the Onion A.V. Club did a little bit where they asked the interviewee to hit shuffle on their iPod and talk about the first 5 tracks that came up. Well, I really liked it and so here I bring it to you, except instead of my iPod its my iTunes, enjoy.

1.Passion Pit – Little Secrets (Amplifya Remix)
I really dig this remix, its one that kinda surprised me when it came on but hey that’s the beauty of having a digital library, sometimes things come up that you listened to once or not at all and you’re like damn that’s good.

2. Rachmaninoff – Polichinelle, Op. 3, No. 4
Just check it.

3. Ola Podrida – Sink Or Swim
This is a nice little lesson in simplicity from a guy who scores films as a day job. He’s got such a sad voice to top it off, just a fine track in general.

4. Boris – Electric
Could you rock harder and louder than Boris at the same time!? Really, I want to know because god this track kicks so much ass its not even funny.

5. Bruno Colais – L’arrivée À L’école
This is a little piece from the score to the film Les Choristes. Its a wonderfully heartwrenching tale of a man who sets out to start a choir at a school for troubled boys. The soundtrack is wonderful, the film is great.

-Jon

Bronx River Parkway

ulyssesdestructo — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 10:44:53 +0000

I’ve been diggin this track so hard for the last week. It’s pretty much been on repeat on any bike ride I’ve been on, both on the speakers and in the head phones.

From their myspace page:

Bronx River Parkway is a band based out of NY that was initially formed during an impromptu jam session at the Soul Fire studios in early 2002. Out of that jam session came their first single entitled “Quines Que Resolverlo” which was released later that year on the Latin Express imprint of Soul Fire Records.

In 2004, Pablo Rodriguez, of Candela Records, and visual artist, Rostarr, had the vision of melding the gritty style and aesthetic of Bronx River Parkway with the distinct musical vocabulary of traditional Puerto Rican music. The way to see this though was to team up NY’s, Bronx River Parkway, with a crew of legendary salsa musicians that make their home in San Juan. Some of the local musicians who contributed to the album have graced the stage with such legends as Roberta Roena, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Ray Baretto, and Tito Rodriguez to name a few. Sammy Ayala, one the many vocalists featured on the album, was an original member of Cortijo y su Combo. Fifty years ago, Sammy Ayala, along with Raphael Cortijo and Ismael Riviera, created a blended sound in salsa incorporating the native rhythms of Puerto Rico with the Caribbean sounds from Cuba, Dominican republic and the West Indies. They were one of Puerto Rico’s most successful musical groups, and one of Salsa’s most famous groups across Latin America.

In February of 2005, original members Leon Michels, Jeff Silverman, Quincy Bright, and Nick Movshon were flown to San Juan, PR for eight days. Housed in a 200-year-old, former ballet school that was once owned by Tego Calderon, BRP built a make-shift studio with carefully arranged bed mattresses and began recording what would eventually become the album, “San Sebastian 152”. What came of these recording sessions is a unique and inspired mix of the varying musical genres that have influenced both BRP and all the musicians involved. The American soul and R&B influences of BRP remain the basis while traditional bomba, salsa, and rumba shine through to create something completely fresh. This is the first full-length from Bronx River Parkway featuring the Candela Allstars.

Read more:http://www.myspace.com/bronxriverpkwy#ixzz0zgiz0cxE

What up new millennium latin funk?

Happy almost friday.

-Ben

Made In China Vol. 23

ulyssesdestructo — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 02:33:39 +0000

I’m working backwards through my Made In China series since I think #’s 16 or so up to the present haven’t been posted anywhere. I made Vol 23 in the spring, and it consisted mostly of new music at the time (something I don’t usually do). Early 2010 was a great time for new music with a lot of strong releases coming out from a lot of talented artists, both new and old.

Made In China Vol. 23

Vol 23 has new music (released in 2010) from the likes of The Black Keys, Dosh, Tame Impala, Gonjasufi, The White Stripes, Daedelus, Chemical Brothers, Stars, Here We Go Magic, & Freeway (prod. by Jake One). It has newish/not old music (released in the last few years) from Kid Cudi, Sa-Ra Creative Partners, Flying Lotus, Bronx River Parkway, and a Beastie Boys remix. It even has a couple of old jams from the Treme Brass Band and the Mgababa Queens.

Enjoy.

-Ben

Mind Funk

ulyssesdestructo — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:44:10 +0000

First listen to this:

FLying Lotus – Drips/Aunties Harp

Then listen to (at least some) of this:

J Dilla – Take Notice

Now, watch all of this (and prepare to have your mind blown):

[Vimeo http://vimeo.com/14117595]

Download the audio here

I gotta give the nod to Pitchfork for enlightening me to this amazing performance.

-Ben

Celery Stick With Various Dips

ulyssesdestructo — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 09:45:35 +0000

I love this dude

Beautiful Food:

Happy Weekend.

-Ben