Wednesday, June 23, 2010

A Cut Above Mixtape


I came across this dope mixtape while browsing Soundcloud. It's mixed by Lefto and features Fatima and Funkineven, in celebration of Eglo! Records' 2 year anniversary. It's available as a FREE download. All you have to do is join Soundcloud to get it.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Happy Birthday: Prince


Today is the 52nd birthday of PRINCE, born Prince Rogers Nelson on June 7, 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Prince is a pioneering multi Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter, composer, actor, and multi-instrumentalist. He's also won a Golden Globe Award, an Academy Award (for Purple Rain), and inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

This Thursday June 10th, i'll be doing a special Prince Tribute edition of Thumpin' Thursdays at Khon's wine.darts.coffee.art. You will hear sounds from 94 East, The Time, Vanity 6, Apollonia 6, Mazarati and more. Admission is FREE for everyone and family friendly.





Sunday, June 6, 2010

Turntable Tuesdays: Drums + Wheels


Alafia Gaidi of D.R.U.M.

DJ Kool Emdee

If you like the sounds of Bob Marley, Steel Pulse, Fela Kuti, Femi Kuti, Bongo Maffin, DJ Cleo, Celia Cruz, Marvin Gaye, Sean Paul, Faye Ann Lyons, Atlantik (get the picture?), then join us on Tuesdays at Rudyard's (Rudz for short) for Turntable Tuesdays: Drums + Wheels featuring DJ Kool Emdee and Baba Alafia Gaidi of D.R.U.M. (Divine Rhythm United Motion) on LIVE African percussion. Both being veterans in music, Alafia and Emdee have a combined total of over 70 years experience in passing on to others the rich history, culture, and sprituality that good music has to offer. Music is a tool that touches, can teach, and feeds the soul.

Special thanks to Toni Fisher, founder of Sisterhood Creations Inc. for teaching me about Kwaito music of South Africa. Kwaito is a music genre that emerged in Johannesburg, South Africa during the late 1990s. It is a local evolution of house music combined with African sounds typically at a slower tempo. DJ Diplo described Kwaito as “slowed-down garage music”.

If you're a drummer/percussionist, we invite you to come out and play along. We will also take the time to feature a drum circle so everyone can dance along.


Sample of Kawito music of S. Africa

Friday, June 4, 2010

Dubbel Dutch - Throwback EP


Summer is not officially here, yet we're already feeling some Texas heat from Austin based Dubbel Dutch with his latest release on Palms Out Sounds titled Throwback EP that features three amazing Dance tracks. Listen to and buy tracks below, and visit his Myspace page at Dubbel Dutch.

Happy Birthday: Josephine Baker, Curtis Mayfield, Denise Williams, Alanis Morissette

Josephine Baker


(June 3, 1906 – April 12, 1975)


Baker, an expatriate entertainer and actress was born Freda Josephine McDonald in St. Louis, Missouri. Most noted as a singer, Baker was also a celebrated dancer, most famous for her Danse Banane (banana dance) and an actress. She became a French citizen in 1937 after marrying Frenchman Jean Lion.

Baker was given the nicknames the "Bronze Venus" or the "Black Pearl", as well as the "Créole Goddess". In France she was known as "La Baker". She became an instant success with her erotic dancing and for appearing practically nude on stage. Baker's success coincided with the Exposition des Arts Décoratifs, which gave us the term "Art Deco".



Curtis Mayfield


(June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999)


Born Curtis Lee Mayfield in Chicago, Illinois, was a Soul, Rhythm & Blues, and Funk singer, songwriter, and record producer best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions and composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly. From these works and others, he is highly regarded as a pioneer of funk and of politically conscious African-American music. MAyfield was also a multi-instrumentalist who played the guitar, bass, piano, saxophone, and drums.

Mayfield had several distinctions to his style of playing and singing, adding to the uniqueness of his music. When he taught himself how to play guitar, he tuned the guitar to the black keys of the piano, giving him an open F-sharp tuning — F#, A#, C#, F#, A#, F# — that he used throughout his career. Also, he sang most of his lines in falsetto adding another flavor to his music.








Denise Williams



Deniece "Niecy" Williams, born June 3, 1951 in Gary Indiana is a multi Grammy award winning singer, songwriter and record producer who achieved success in the 1970s and 1980s. Williams, whose music has been influenced by Soul and Funk, is known for her hits such as "Free", "Let's Hear It for the Boy", "It's Gonna Take a Miracle", and for her many vocal duets with Johnny Mathis.





Alanis Morissette



Alanis Nadine Morissette born June 1, 1974 in Ottowa, Ontatio, Canada is a singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. She has won 12 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards. Morissette began her career in Canada, and as a teenager recorded two dance-pop albums, Alanis and Now Is the Time, under MCA Records. Her worldwide debut album was the rock-influenced Jagged Little Pill, which remains the best-selling debut album by a female artist in the U.S., and the highest selling debut album worldwide, selling 30 million units globally.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

I Love DnB



You can always make yourself be productive if you're bored, or continue to be bored. Heck...I don't like to be bored....so....

i love dnb

Download: i love dnb


Tracklisting:
1. Evol Intent ft. Blip - Flipside
2. Joao Gilberto - Saudade Fez Um Samba (Will Miles Remix)
3. Madmen & Poets - Afraid of Jazz
4. Alix Perez & Spectrasoul ft. Peven Everette - Forsaken
5. Flying Lotus ft. Andreya Triana - Tea Leaf Dancers (Logistics Remix)
6. Commix ft. Steve Spacek - How You Gonna Feel
7. London Electricity - Just One Second (Apex Remix)
8. D-Bridge & Vegas - True Romance (VIP Mix)
9. Redeyes & Atlantic Connection - Can't Hide
10. Twisted Individual - Bring The House Down
11. Mutt - Hot Lick Squeeze (RIP J-Dilla)

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Andreya Triana: A Town Called Obsolete


For those who missed the Bonobo show in Houston on April 14th that featured the vocal talent of Andreya Triana and his Bonobo Band, you missed a great show. I was lucky enough to talk to her briefly and get a quick photo op (see below) before she took to the stage. Here's another single off her upcoming album that will be released in August. I've been following her music since 2007, and judging from what she's done so far, she looks to have a great career and to make a massive mark in music history. It will be a good idea for you to add her CD or vinyl to your collection. For more details: Andreya Triana. Enjoy!

A Town Called Obsolete



Andreya Triana + DJ Kool Emdee