Free Anti- Sampler!

I just found out tonight about this insanely sweet (and free) sampler that Anti- Records is offering up on Amazon.com. And did I mention that it is FREE? It features thirteen tracks, many of them from very recent (if not not-yet released) albums from the Anti- roster. Here's the line-up:

1. People Got A Lotta Nerve - Neko Case
2. Warped Sister - Booker T.
3. Death Don't Have No Mercy - Ramblin' Jack Elliott
4. Whachadoin? (feat. Spank Rock, M.I.A., Santigold & Nick Zinner) - N.A.S.A.
5. Brand New Sun - Jason Lytle
6. I'm Sorry, Baby, But You Can't Stand In My Light Any More - Bob Mould
7. Check Your Time - Westbound Train
8. There's hope for you - William Elliott Whitmore
9. Talking Old Soldiers - Bettye Lavette
10. Hey World (Don't Give Up Version) = Michael Franti
11. It's Gonna Be O.K. = The Aggrolites
12. Freedom Highway - Mavis Staples
13. Your Big Hands - Jolie Holland

All of this, and did I already mentioned that the whole thing is free?


Booker T. - Warped Sister : Anti- 2009 Sampler

Visit the Anti- website.

Black Joe Lewis gets down and dirty

If all goes well, I'll be seeing Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears strut their stuff on April 2nd. I posted up the opening track of their debut album Tell 'Em What Your Name Is! a few Sundays ago for Sunday Soul knowing that I'd be dipping into the bucket again for the entire album, because quite honestly, it's bad-ass.

The group comes out of Austin, Texas, but after listening to the album you'll swear they've got some deep Memphis in them somewhere. Their sound is a spicy gumbo of southern soul, funk, and blues that's unabashedly gritty, with the growling vocals of Joe leading the way. His genuinely raw lyrics tell it like it is, and he needs to shout a lot of the time to be heard over his equally boisterous band, with horns blazing, guitars wah-wahing, and electric organ uhhh ... organing along!

The album's ten tracks blaze by faster than you know it, with the band giving it their all from beginning to end. I can't wait to check them out live, laying down their hefty waves of sound. I'm not sure how Joe's voice holds up night after night in front of them, but I'm looking forward to finding out. Here's a track from the album, Get Yo Shit, a song that is unapologetically centered on Joe, and another from their recent Daytrotter session, a cover of a Junior Wells song, a seriously talented bluesman who played with many of the best.

Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears - Get Yo Shit : Tell 'Em What Your Name Is

Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears - Snatch It Back and Hold It (Junior Wells cover) : Daytrotter Sessions

Visit their website, their label Lost Highway Records, and become their friend on MySpace.

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Junior Wells - Snatch It Back and Hold It : Live at Theresa's 1975

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Upcoming Tour Dates

25 Covington, KY - Madison Theater *
27 Lancaster, PA - Chameleon Club !
28 Pittsburgh, PA - Club Cafe
29 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club !
31 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom !

April
2 Northampton, MA - Pearl Street Nightclub !
18 Nashville, TN - Vanderbilt University
23 Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue #
24 St. Louis, MO - The Pageant #
28 Wilmington, NC - Greenfield Amphitheatre #
29 Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre #
30 Mobile, AL - Saenger Theatre #

* with Heartless Bastards
! with Gomez
# with Robert Randolph

Young MC Busts it Again

From our wonderful friends over at Delicious Vinyl, the same folks who gave us the deluxe edition of Tone-Loc's masterpiece Loc'd After Dark, comes another deluxe edition, this time of the old skool classic Stone Cold Rhymin'. That's right, Marvin Young (aka Young MC pictured above on his very own Yo! MTV Raps trading card) struck gold with this, his debut album back in 1989, headed up with the smash single Bust A Move. Although he went on to release several other follow-ups, he never hit again, and was relegated to the one hit wonder bin.

Coincidentally, Young MC happened to co-write two of Tone-Loc's big hits as well: Funky Thing and Funky Cold Medina, but the pair seemed destined to be left in 1989, until now that is, with Delicious Vinyl's re-release of these classics. I'm not going to lie to you, this album feels like 1989, so if you're down with that, this'll bring back some good memories. If not, you might want to stick with just busting a move. Besides the album's original thirteen cuts, there are some extra tracks to spice it up a bit:

14. I Come Off (Southern Comfort Mix)
15. Principal's Office (Impact Remix)
16. Bust A Move (Diplo RMX)
17. Know How Theme (RMX by Aaron LaCrate & Debonair Samir)
18. I Let 'Em Know (Matt Dike Remix)
19. Pick Up The Pace 1990
20. Got More Rhymes (MEN RMX)

I'm going to cut into the album here and share a track that you may not have ever heard, Know How, a track that pulls in some funky guitar via Isaac Hayes' Shaft, and a remix of Young's signature song courtesy of Don Rimini from the Rmxxology album.

The album came out on the 17th, but to be honest, I'm not sure where you can pick it up yet. Keep your eyes open, and in the meantime, enjoy the following:

Young MC - Know How : Stone Cold Rhymin (Deluxe Edition)

Young MC - Bust A Move (Don Rimini Ravekid Remix) : Rmxxology Deluxe

Visit his label Delicious Vinyl and become his friend on MySpace.

Ashley Beedle Double Header

I've got two discs today featuring the presence of British DJ and producer Ashley Beedle. Beedle has worked his hands on all sorts of tracks and worked with all sorts of folks, and these CDs display both. The first, which came out at the beginning of the month, is the 2nd in the Inspiration Information series from Strut Records.

For those of you not familiar with the series which shares the same name as the famous Shuggie Otis album, it teams up diverse artists creating new music drawing upon both of their experience. The first volume, which came out in October of last year, featured Amp Fiddler and Sly & Robbie. This second volume teams up Beedle with roots reggae songwriter and singer Horace Andy, who has also done a fair amount of work with Massive Attack.

The music here was recorded in an intense five day writing and recording session and is certainly influenced by Andy's rasta beliefs. Besides new originals, the pair also puts together a cover of Bob Marley's Hypocrites and, even more interestingly, the Rolling Stones' Angie. Here's one to try out:

Horace Andy & Ashley Beedle - Babylon You Lose : Inspiration Information, Vol. 2

Become Horace Andy's friend on MySpace.
Become Ashley Beedle's friend on MySpace.
Visit the album's label Strut Records.

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The second disc that I've dug up recently featuring Ashley Beedle is a double disc release from suSU Music from the Southport Weekender Festival. For those of you not familiar with the festival (and I was one of you before spinnin' this disc), it's been bringing musicians together for 21 years, with two events every year in Southport, England. This release has two discs, each with its own DJ mix, the first from King Britt and the second from our man Ashley. Ashley's CD starts back in the day with a Dells' song and then pulls in a filling mix of soul, funk, and disco, with only a few tracks that might be common knowledge - the previously mentioned Dells cut and one from Isaac Hayes. The King Britt mix takes on a worldly flavor, with a much more diverse mix of genres and feels to it. Both are money mixes, just with different tastes.



one from Ashley's mix:

Root Soul (Featuring Vanessa Freeman and Mike Patto) - Spirit Of Love (Phil Asher's Restless Soul Boogie MIX - Yoshi Edit) : Southport Weekender, Vol. 8

and one from King Britt's mix:

DJ Dozia - Latin High : Southport Weekender, Vol. 8

Become King Britt's friend on MySpace.
Become Ashley Beedle's friend on MySpace.
Visit the release's label suSU Music.

Sunday Soul - One Way Ticket to Love Land

One way ticket

i want a one way ticket to love land
i want a one way fare just as soon as i can

and once i get my ticket to love land
oh i ain't never comin' back, never comin' back,
never comin' back to loneliness

i can't wait till my feet touch the sand
i know she'll be waiting there
just to hold my hand
she make me know
i'm her only man
that's why i want to get to her
just as soon as i can

Leon Haywood - One Way Ticket to Love Land : One Way Ticket to Love Land 7"

Leon Haywood - There Ain't Enough Hate Around to Make Me Turn Around : One Way Ticket to Love Land 7" B-side

Get the A-side on The Best of Leon Haywood.

Visit Speck Mountain

Looking at the cover of Some Sweet Relief will reveal a lot about what's contained within it. A figured collapsed in a hole in the sand. Darkness hovering around, moving slowly in. The body curled in upon itself. It's an excellent graphic representation for the nine songs the album holds, the second album from the foursome Speck Mountain.

Its thirty eight minutes drift by in an ethereal procession of songs that carry a listener through an ambiance of uncertainty. Tempo-wise, the sounds here lazily push forward, never getting any momentum to propel you out of a shoe-gazing introspection, but varied enough not to drone on unmercifully. On top are laid the vocals of Marie-Claire Balabanian, whose voice mates up with the instruments really really, complementing their drawn out expressions.

Needless to say, this isn't an album of ecstasy, rather one of pensiveness. Experience I Feel Eternal below, a mid-album cut in which even the horn lines blend in with the flow rather than sharply punctuate. The band also recently visited the Daytrotter studios to record a session (it seems like everyone is stopping in there lately - must be a busy place). One of those recordings, another song from the album, is below along with a link to the remaining three.

Speck Mountain - I Feel Eternal : Some Sweet Relief

Speck Mountain - Backsliding : Daytrotter Session (original version appears on Some Sweet Relief)

Visit their label Carrot Top Records and become their friend on MySpace.

The Submarines re-surface again

Submarines fans rejoice - while the band hasn't released an album of new material yet, they have made available a pair of EPs of remixes, appropriately titled Honeysuckle Remixes and EP1 and EP2. As you might guess, they include some mix-mastery of cuts from their sophomore release, Honeysuckle Weeks, and are digital only releases. Here's what they include:

EP1
1. You, Me and the Bourgeoisie (Tonetiger Remix)
2. 1940 (AmpLive Remix)
3. You, Me and the Bourgeoisie (Alaska In Winter Remix)
4. Brightest Hour (Morgan Page Remix)

EP2
1. Submarine Symphonika (Ra Ra Riot Remix)
2. Submarine Symphonika (Wallpaper Remix)
3. Brightest Hour (Free the Robots Remix)
4. Xavia (Styrofoam Remix)
5. 1940 (Section Quartet Mix)

As with any of your favorite tracks that have been fiddled with, some might spin your top and some might get you hot. Pick and choose your favorites. Here's one from the first EP that works for me:

The Submarines - You Me & The Bourgeoisie (Tonetiger Remix) : Honeysuckle Remixes EP 1

Visit their website, their label Nettwerk Records, and become their friend on MySpace.

Sara Lov's longing for love

I absolutely love the cover art for Sara Lov's debut solo album Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming (she formerly fronted the UK act the Devics), and especially appreciated it when I discovered that Sara drew it herself. It holds under its strange artistic mix of Alice In Wonderland and The Nightmare Before Christmas ten tracks that are reassuringly morose food for the melancholy. Presented by Sara's enchanting voice, these songs make you just want to cry if they hold even a fraction of autobiographical import and question how so much could happen to one woman. In fact, the most upbeat song here is her cover of Simon & Garfunkel's Old Friends, in itself not overly sunny, but at least promises togetherness at age 70, a wish not granted in many of the other songs here about love lost or unrequited.

Listening to her very much reminded me of one of my favorites discoveries of last year, Kate Walsh, another woman with a beautiful voice whose musical expression touchs on love, and who coincidentally just recorded a session for Daytrotter. What is especially exciting about that for fans is that three of the fours tracks there for listening are brand new ones, with only one, Tonight, from her debut Tim's House. With such a finely deft musical touch, Kate's sound isn't all that different in an acoustic setting, which makes getting three unreleased cuts well worth the visit. I've shared one of the newbies below (As He Pleases), but please follow the link to get the other three.

Sara Lov - Frankie : Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming

Visit her website, her label Nettwerk Records, and become her friend on MySpace.

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Kate Walsh - As He Pleases : Daytrotter Session

Sunday Soul - Soul Sister, Brown Sugar

Skin

You're sweeter than the honey that the bees make
Soul sister, you're brown sugar
Sweeter than the icing on the best cake
Soul sister, you're brown sugar

I was in the dark, but now I see
All the doorways in front of me
I was always proud, but now I'm sayin' loud
Keep on givin' it to me

Love and affection to the bone, to the bone
Soul sister, you're brown sugar
Keep on sockin' it to me all night long
Soul sister, you're brown sugar

Sam & Dave - Soul Sister, Brown Sugar : Soul Sister, Brown Sugar 7"

Sam & Dave - Come On In : Soul Sister, Brown Sugar 7" B-side

Get them both on The Best of Sam & Dave.

Knuckleheads Unite

Here's a short but heavy dose of some serious get you off your ass and jump around music a la the Grates or the late Be Your Own Pet. It's got some snappy lyrics, a burning building melody, and a little spelling lesson thrown in for kicks. And with a title like You Filled His Head With Fluffy Clouds And Jolly Ranchers. What Did You Think Was Going To Happen?, how can you really resist this EP from Fight Like Apes? It features a few tracks from their first full length album Fight Like Apes & the Mystery of the Golden Medallion, which came out in January, and a few other non-album tracks, like Knucklehead, below.

Fight Like Apes - Knucklehead : You Filled His Head With Fluffy Clouds And Jolly Ranchers. What Did You Think Was Going To Happen?

Visit their website, their label Model Citizen Records, and become their friend on MySpace.

Desdemona

Desdemona

Desdemona
help yourself i hear you mourning at the dawn.
Desdemona
ask which side of all this lying are you on.
Did you build yourself a runway? Did you tell yourself tomorrow? Did you cry?
And are you dressed in hesitation
when you tell yourself that everything’s alright?
'Cuz I see a distance in your smile.
And what your Mondays have become could be the rest of your life.
Desdemona you're not dead yet and it’s not wrong.
If you want everything in life under the sun.
under the sun
under the sun

The Alternate Routes - Desdemona (Feat. Patty Griffin) : A Sucker's Dream

Visit their label Vanguard Records and become their friend on MySpace.

Visit Planet Pimp

I know, I know, the band name Soil & "Pimp" Sessions might be a little off putting. When I first read it, it threw me back a step or two. Then you get to the album's title, Planet Pimp, and you have to ask, what are these guys on? Well, thanks to famed UK DJ and musical prophet Gilles Peterson, who've helped bring their music to both the UK and the US, you have the chance to listen to them yourself and experience a genre of music which they've dubbed "Death Jazz."

So what is Death Jazz you might ask. I'd sum it up as brash electronic-jazz-funk-fusion madness with horns that go big and bold. Forget your grandfather's jazz, or even your father's jazz. Louis Armstrong is probably rolling over in his grave listening to these six guys from Japan take his beloved jazz and turn it up way past 10. For those people who think jazz is dead, this sextet will try to prove you wrong.

Soil & "Pimp" Sessions - Fantastic Planet : Planet Pimp

and an older one:

Soil & "Pimp" Sessions - Waltz For Goddess : Freshly Composted, Vol. 2

Visit their website, their label Brownswood Recordings, and become their friend on MySpace.