Although not new to the scene, having remixed tracks from Fort Knox Five, Up Bustle & Out, Ladybug Mecca of Digable Planets, Zion I, and Dr. Rubberfunk, Ancient Astronauts released their debut album of original music last month. It's titled We Are to Answer, and I'm telling you, there's something mystical and magical about it. As their name suggests, their music is a divergent blend of new and old, resulting in an album that seems to travel from here to the edge of the solar system and back. Think Sun Ra brought into the 21st century, and you'll get something like Ancient Astronauts.

The album opens with From the Sky, in which the duo of Kabanjak and Dogu, who hail from Germany, mystically descend into this world, with a beat flaunting some Middle Eastern flair and sound snippets mixed in that previews what's to come. Those instrumental attributes continue into the next cut, I Came Running, and take you on a magical voyage that reminds me of an old group that you may or may not be familiar with, Enigma. Track three, Classic, brings the music down to earth with the Pharcyde laying down some rich rhymes.

From their the album continues, laying down some thick beats blending hip hop, funk, and dub, as well as other vocal visitors including Azeem, Tippa Irie, Bajka, Phat Old Mamas, Ulf Stricker, Raashan Ahmad and Entropik. At points things get sultry and sticky (A Hole to Swallow Us), other times take it back old skool style (Risin High), occasionally traveling dipping back into luxurious middle Eastern haziness (Lost In Marrakesh), heading to the islands for some reggae flavor (All of the Things You Do) getting downright funky (Everybody), dipping into some acid jazz (Seventh Planet), slowing down to some semi-spoken word reggae (Surfing the Silvatide), and heading back into space with the final track, Cresent Moon.

And all of this flows smoothly together like you wouldn't believe.

"Love is this sudden crash in your path, quick and to the point, and nearly always it leaves someone slain on the green."

The Lions - Think (About It) (Feat. Noelle Scaggs) : Choices Vol. 1

"His songs are his home and he lets you in, but you know that to sing like that you've got to have lost a couple of fights. To know tenderness and romance you've got to have had your heart broken."


So looking back through the archives, I realized that Frank Sinatra's music has appeared in fourteen different posts over the last three years. Fourteen and counting I should say, as I'm not planning on putting him aside and hitting endsville anytime soon. At this point, I'm not sure I have anything left to say about Ol' Blue Eyes that I haven't already admitted, but go back and read for yourself if you'd like to see what I've already penned.

I'm sure that in many of you readers' eyes, Sinatra made music for a couple generations back, and that's fine. But if you've never given the man a chance, you might be surprised and find out why he is the titan of 20th century music that he is. The man knew how to win, how to live life to the fullest, and to celebrate life from one cuff link to the other. More importantly, as Bono summed up above, he know how to lose, and still come back out of his corner swinging.

A little over a year ago I wrote about Nothing But the Best, a collection of twenty two tracks from his Reprise years that although nowhere near complete, was a nice place to start for his best songs from that period in his career. Well tonight I'm sharing a similar, more recent release with you, Classic Sinatra II. Compiled as a follow-up to double platinum selling Classic Sinatra, this album culls twenty one tracks from his Capitol years (the label he was at before he founded Reprise Records under Warner Brothers Records), including one unreleased track, This Can't Be Love. Just as with Nothing But the Best, it's clearly impossible to gather all of his greatest work on one disc from this period, and for a more thorough job, do yourself a favor and get yourself the three disc set The Capitol Years. BUT, if you don't want to listen to three full discs, Classic Sinatra II is a great place to head.

darling take me by the hand
some things we can't understand
i had my bad times but i never got to choose
but i got time to lose
i got time to lose

fell asleep down on the ground
i woke up in this texas town
i spend my money just to leave those city blues
but i got time to lose
and i got time to lose

been let down a thousand times
should have read between the lines
i go my own way and i could heal every bruise
and i got time to lose
and i got time to lose
and i got time to lose
and i got time to lose

"The words to country songs are very earthy like the blues, see, very down. They're not as dressed up, and the people are very honest and say, 'Look, I miss you, darlin', so I went out and I got drunk in this bar.' That's the way you say it. Where in Tin Pan Alley will say, 'Oh, I missed you darling, so I went to this restaurant and I sat down and I had dinner for one.' That's cleaned up now, you see? But country songs and the blues is like it is."



So a few months ago I mentioned the release of Genius! - The Ultimate Ray Charles Collection, a collection of twenty-one songs, some of Ray Charles' most well known and popular hits from over five decades of music making. While talking about the album, I also mentioned that Concord Music was re-releasing dozens of Ray's albums, some of them for the first time in digital format. I ALSO also mentioned that one of the things that made Ray so great (in my humble opinion) was his ability to craftily work with almost any genre and still make great music, two such examples of said ability being Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Volumes 1 and 2.

Well, the day has come for those monumental albums to see the light of day anew. And to put the icing in the cake, Concord has put both volumes together on one CD. Both albums were originally recorded in 1962, and turned out to be two of the most celebrated albums of his career. In fact, the first volume was one of the best selling country albums, and as a result of its release, country music saw a huge increase in its listenership. On each of the volumes, Ray takes country songs, some which had been hits previously and others not, and puts his Genius touch to them, fusing their country origins with big band R&B stylings, producing music that had an incredibly wide popular appeal, and really cementing his place in popular music.

Initially his label ABC Records was very much against the idea, being unable to understand the musical powers of Ray Charles and his vision. Luckily, he persevered, resulting in an artistic and genre defining set of albums that, much like Dave Brubeck's Time Out, really deserves to be listened to by any self professed music fan. Enclosed with this re-release are the original liner notes from both volumes as well as newly penned notes about the making and influence of the album. Below you'll find a song from the first volume, Bye Bye, Love, originally a hit for The Everly Brothers, and from the second volume, Making Believe, a real tear jerker.

Tonight I have a little morsel of audio confectionery for you courtesy of a south London sextet named simply Stanley. I can't say I know all that much about them other than they just released a five track EP deceptively titled Nothing To Say. It's very Belle and Sebastianesque: light, jangly, yet substance there for the taking if the mood strikes you. Hazel, the lead vocalist, reminds me somewhat also of Lenka. Come to think of it, the overall texture of the EP is a lot like Lenka's album. So, if you like one, you'll probably like the other, and vice versa. Here's the lead off number for you; you can check out the rest on the group's MySpace page.

I can still remember first listening to Vegas when it came out. Flippin' incredible it was. While not completely revolutionary, it was something completely different for me, an electronic album with some serious bite. It's hard to believe that it's over a decade old and I still find myself listening to it and enjoying it just as much as I did ten years ago.

Just last month, The Crystal Method dropped their latest album, titled Divided By Night, and what really caught my eye was the list of collaborators on it. Since their smashing debut, the duo that makes up Crystal Method, Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland, have gone beyond making electronic dance anthems to score a film (London), create some TV theme songs (Bones and Third Watch), get hit up by Nike to work on some running soundtrack series, auditorally appear in numerous commercials, blah blah, blah blah blah, blah.

On their latest album, they put out an all call and draw in some really talented artists from across the musical spectrum. You'll find New Order bassist Peter Hook, Matisyahu, Justin Warfield, hip hop up and comers LMFAO, Metric frontwoman Emily Haines, former Grandaddy frontman Jason Lytle, and singer / songwriter Meiko. As you might guess, such a wide talent pool results in a definitely non-Vegas album. While TCM isn't new to collaborations, the breadth of them here is certainly refreshing. You'll still find strictly electronic signature numbers here, but they're peppered amongst the line-up. Check out what is possibly the strongest cut on the album (or at least my favorite), Drown In the Now, which features your favorite Hasidic rapper, Matisyahu, by following the imeem link below (sorry, no download). Below that is a remix of one of the non-collaborator Crystal Method original tracks, Double Down Under, which you can take with you.

Roy Ayers - One Sweet Love to Remember : Vibrations

So I've been on vaca the last few days, hence the lack of new music around here. I was a little bummed because I had meant to post on Dillanthology 2: Dilla's Remixes For Various Artists, the second in the series from Rapster Records (read about the first here), before I headed out, but you know how it goes. It was slated to hit shelves on June 23rd, but lo and behold, much to my surprise today, only the digital version (missing a bunch of cuts) is out now, with the physical being pushed back to July 7th. So while I didn't get to post on it as planned on its release date, I actually get to give you a semi-sneak peak instead.

As I mentioned back in March, Rapster is doing their part to propel Jay Dilla's legacy into where it belongs, the musical history books. Their tool: a series of albums collecting some of his greatest work into one place that is easily accessible for listeners to check out and appreciate. The first album focused on his masterful production work, this second one gathers some of his remix work. One of the things that I like about this second volume is that while most of the artist names on the first were fairly recognizable (The Pharcyde, Common, Erykah Badu, etc...), many of the names on the latest are less so. Here's the supposed line-up for the hard copy:

1. De La Soul - Stakes Is High ft. Mos Def & Truth Enola (Remix)
2. The Pharcyde - Y? (Be Like That) (Jay Dee Remix)
3. Masta Ace - Sitting On Chrome (Ummah Remix)
4. Slum Village - Fall In Love (Remix)
5. Four Tet - As Serious As Your Life (Jay Dee Remix)
6. Busta Rhymes - Whoo Ha (Jay Dee Remix)
7. Artifacts - The Ultimate (Jay Dee Remix)
8. Moods - Secrets Of The Sand (Remix)
9. Spacek - Eve (JayDee Mix)
10. DJ Cam -Love Junkie (Jay Dee Remix)
11. Brother Jack McDuff - Oblighetto (J Dilla Remix)
12. Brand New Heavies - Sometimes (Remix)

The original versions of a couple tracks here show their faces on the first volume, but there is also a lot of different material here that's welcome to the ears. If you dug the first one, keep the spirit alive and pick this one up next month. It's a great showcase for his abilities dipping into not only hip-hop but a little bit of soul, and jazz as well. The man had the touch, for sure.




and the original:

Although I didn't say it then, I'll admit it now: Jay Brannan's album Goddamned was my favorite album of 2008. There, it's out. Even now, a year after writing about it, I still can't wear the goddamned thing out, either. I just don't get tired out it, it's that good. That being said, when I got wind of a new release from Jay, I was over the moon with excitement. That new release hits shelves, virtual and physical, on July 7th, but I was lucky enough to get my little mitts on a copy beforehand.

It's an EP titled In Living Cover, and it's an apt name as seven of its nine tracks are covers, some from the extrememly familiar (Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell), some not so familiar (Terra Naomi). Here's the line-up:

1. Beautifully (original song)
2. Say It's Possible (Terra Naomi cover)
3. All I Want (Joni Mitchell cover)
4. Blowin' In the Wind (Bob Dylan cover)
5. The Freshmen (The Verve Pipe cover)
6. Good Mother (Jann Arden cover)
7. Both Hands (Ani Difranco cover)
8. Zombie (The Cranberries cover)
9. Drowning (original song)

Some of the covers are fairly honest to the originals, others are pretty original interpretations (his cover of Blowin' In the Wind and Both Hands jump out), although all hold Jay's stamp to one degree or another. Quite honestly though, my favorite track here is the opening number Beautifully, one of the two songs written by Jay. It displays the dark insight that I loved so much in his album, an insight that isn't present in his covers of others songs. That being said, I do enjoy this collection as a whole, but I'll still be looking forward to another complete album of his own material sometime soon, hopefully!




and an older favorite:

So for those of you out there who are Budos Band fans (which should be pretty much all of you), today is the day that the band dropped their self titled, seven track EP. And because the folks over at Daptone Records are good like that, it's available digitally as well as on CD and vinyl. Its seven tracks were recorded after The Budos Band I sessions but before their second full length (although one of the cuts, Mas O Menos ended up on the II), and help illustrate the direction the band was heading between the two albums. Here's one of the tracks from the EP, The Proposition, which had previously only been available on a 7".


The Budos Band - The Proposition : The Budos Band EP




July 24 New York, NY @ Central Park Summer Stage (w/Bettye LaVette)
July 28 Buffalo, NY @ University at Buffalo South Campus
Aug 11 New York, NY @ City Winery
Aug 13 Washington, DC @ Black Cat
Aug 14 Asheville, NC @ Harvest Records 5 Year Anniversary

Foxy - Get Off : Get Off 7"

Foxy - You Make Me Hot : Get Off 7" B-side

So as the week comes to an end, I've got one more dash of Latin music to round it out. Completely reversing gears from yesterday's flashback to Panama in the 60's and 70's, let's fast forward to the present, Brazil, with the gorgeous Chanteuse CéU. Don't ask me how to pronounce it, but in Portuguese, céu can mean either sky or heaven, depending on the context. I'd lean towards heaven upon seeing her, and more importantly, listening to her music.

CéU first entered the spotlight in 2007, when her first, self-titled American album earned her a Latin Grammy nomination for best new artist and a regular (?) Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary World Music Album. Early next month, her next release is due out, titled Vagarosa, and I've been lucky enough to get a sneak listen to it for the last few weeks. It opens with Sobre o Amor e Seu Trabalho Silencioso, a number that could easily pass as an Astrud Gilberto song. It's got a very traditional feel to it that makes you expect an album of solid, yet staid new old songs. That expectation quickly gets tossed out the window during the album's next song, Cangote, when traditional instrumentation meets contemporary mixing with subtle, yet sharp results. Try out Bubuia below to see what I mean.

The real beauty of the album is the way is effortlessly straddles the divide between old and new. A comparison that almost immediately came to my mind was the bird and the bee, albeit with a Latin flair. It doesn't hurt that CéU's voice glides like honey, making it almost immaterial if you can't translate what she's saying.




and an older one from her debut:

Visit the Soundway Records' website and you'll almost immediately see the tagline "Unveiling forgotten chapters from some of the world's most vibrant musical cultures." And that's exactly what you'll get when listening to Panama! 2: Latin Sounds, Cumbia Tropical and Calypso Funk on the Isthmus 1967-77. The last few days I've been writing about Latin music that draws upon older traditional styles and melds them with newer production techniques and western music. Well, this release is all about taking it back old school.

Just as with the first volume, released three years ago, all twenty of the tracks here were pulled from vinyl dusted off from the treasure troves of radio stations in Panama, and while sound clarity might not be perfect, it's easy to overlook in exchange for getting such a raw and varied collection of music probably never heard outside of Panama. While discerning ears will hear shades of influences from beyond the borders of Panama, of American jazz, R&B and R&R, much more front and center is the influence of Central American countries closer to Panama, such as Costa Rica and Cuba. This is genuine Latin music for Latin listeners - not westernized for commercialized purposes. And it cooks.

As the albums title suggests, contained within is a wide range of music, even if it does all come from one thin country. The twenty tracks are all upbeat numbers, which makes this a perfect summer album to throw on for a barbecue while drinking down some cold beverages. And if you happen to be in the San Francisco area, make sure to check out the official album launch party on July 3rd (more info here) where you're guaranteed to have a good time with DJ Beto (who culled the cuts on the album) spinning some Latin goodness.

Here's a couple track to wet your whistle for the album. The first, Mi Bella Panama, kicks out some salsafied rhythms that will get your body moving for sure. The second, Juck Juck, is an amusing reggae stoked number with some Englishfied lyrics you can sing along with. New Bag, the last song here, comes from the first volume released in 2006, and is all about paying some homage to good old James Brown, from it's very title, to its horn lines and funk. Along with the twenty great tracks on the album, you'll find some liner notes that provide a brief overview of the country's history, culture, and musical development. All in all, a well put together package.




and one from the first volume:

On Tuesday day I wrote about The Revolution, a project that blended the old and new, with musicians rooted in different scenes coming together to form something new. Today, I've got something completely different for you. While a lot of their music sounds like it owes a lot to 70's funk and disco and early 80's pop, Los Amigos Invisibles put together a crazy sound that stands out in my music library. I actually mentioned them last month (back here), when I wrote about Luaka Bop's (their label) latest release, a compilation of songs from their twenty one years in existence. The band owes a lot to David Byrne (the label's founder), as he helped them reach beyond the borders of Venezuela (their home country) with their music to a global audience.

The band just released their latest album, Commercial, earlier this month, and it's a ton of fun. As mentioned above, the band has a sound that feels like they were big fans of 80's music, with healthy doses of funk, disco, and Latin rhythms thrown in to get things a little crazy. It seems like it's got all the trappings of cheesy lounge dance music, but somehow the group is able to pull it off and make it really enjoyable. As with the last album, the majority of songs here are in Spanish, although there is a smidgen of English as well. From what I've heard (although I don't have any direct experience), they put on a killer show, so check the tour dates below to see if they're swinging by anywhere near you.






6/20: Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
6/23: New York, NY @ Nublu (CD Release Show)
7/10: Brooklyn, NY @ Prospect Park (LAMC/Celebrate Brooklyn)
7/12: Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live
8/5: Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
8/6: San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
8/7: Los Angeles, CA @ House Of Blues Sunset Strip
8/8: San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
10/2: Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Festival

The Revolution presents Revolution Feature
Uploaded by rapsterrecords. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

"For all us UK and U.S. city-types that came to make the album, it's safe to say that Cuba left more of a mark on all of us, than we left on Cuba. Though we sometimes wrestled with her, Cuba’s spirit penetrated every element of this album and influenced every stroke of creativity you will hear on this record, though we sincerely hope that we left an indelible entry in the cultural visitors book of Cuba that people remember fondly."


So for the remainder of this week I've got some spicy syncopated Latin goodness to lay on you in celebration of summer, because nothing screams sweaty and sexy like some laid back (or juiced up) Latin grooves. Even if you don't speak Spanish or Portuguese, there's just something about Latin music that is irresistible. Even with the language barrier, those rhythms just activate your muscles like a musical remote control, making it next to impossible for your body not to think it knows how to rumba, samba, salsa, and just plain move downright sexy.

To open up my Latin week is a really intriguing project put together by Zack Winfield and Ado Yoshizaki named simply, The Revolution. The two traveled to Cuba and held an open audition in Havana, inviting local musicians, both young and old, to come in and show their chops. They then brought six heavy hitting all-star producers, including Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim), Rich File (UNKLE), Poet Name Life (Black Eyed Peas), Guy Sigsworth (Bjork), Marius De Vries (Sugarcubes), and Cameron McVey & Jan Kybert (Massive Attack), to work with the Cuban musicians in producing a blend of Cuban artisanship (itself a blend of traditional elemants and young blood) with some western production skills and styles.

The resulting twelve tracks (two from each of the producers above) come together for an incredibly diverse, yet amazingly coherent album that will appeal to western listeners while still retaining its Cubanness. The producers do a great job of integrating their own ideas with the musicians skills without pounding flat the style that everyone brings to the table. If you haven't already, check out the video above for a great overview of the project.

And to give you an aural fix of what I'm talking about, try the two tracks below. The first, Siente Mi Ritmo, features our man Norman Cook and in rhythm, instrumentation, and flavor leans towards the more traditional end of the spectrum, but Cook sneaks his presence in with some electronic effects that would let you pull this song into a contemporary mix. The second, 14Me, goes the other way, with a more modern dancehall banger build that features Cuban hip hop act Orishas laying down some rhymes. And for those leery of the language barrier, this album is a nice way to dip your toes in, as it has some songs in English as well.

Here's a sneak peak of an album that comes out tomorrow from Kim Lenz and the Jaguars. It's titled It's All True, and it's full throttle rockabilly fun. Seriously, this album is a full serving of swingin' fun, and if you haven't heard Lenz sing before, you're missing some serious girl power attitude. The twelve tunes here feel like they're straight out of the 50's and could have been cut at Sun Records. Consider her a disciple of the great Wanda Jackson, keeping rockabilly alive and kickin in the 21st century.

While I can stand country in small doses (unless it's Johnny Cash, in which case I could take a week straight), there's just something about rockabilly that's just plain infectious fun. Whether it's the galloping drums and guitars or the leaping, drawling vocals, it's just impossible not to tap your foot and get your whole body boppin'. And when Lenz slows things down for I Break A Heart Every Night, it makes you feel like you should break out some moonshine and drown your troubles away.

This is a great album to spin for the summer. Below is the lead off track, Touch Me, which will hopefully convince you how much fun Kim Lenz and crew are.








Wanda Jackson - Fujiyama Mama : Rockin' with Wanda!