I started to recognize a sound today when listening to MattM’s mix which includes Thundercat’s first single, “(Thunder) For Love I Come”. With a little thought, it reminded me of MF Doom’s “I Hear Voices”. And with a little internet research (thanks Who Sampled Who), I learned that the original to both was George Duke’s “For Love (I Come Your Friend)”.

Each artist brought a lot to the table with their songs. Of course the greatest contribution comes from the legendary George Duke, but Doom’s rapid fire flow and subtle extension of the loop have made “I Hear Voices” one of my favorite tracks from him (The LIVE version is the best of the many available versions). Now Thundercat has taken the source material and worked it into a more pensive, moody track as opposed to Duke’s original funk rock. “Thunder For Love I Come” and “Daylight” have made Thundercat’s upcoming release eagerly anticipated.

A great quick mix using You Tube as my jukebox!

http://www.bam.org/view.aspx?pid=588

A little Vik Duplaix and King Britt and Budos Band?!
A little Last Dragon and The Warriors and She’s Gotta Have It?!
Some Guitar Hero and Ping Pong?!

o:{i’m lovin’ BAM right now. (not to take anything from my other fav art complex: The Barbican)}

The September Campaign Trailer from charity: water on Vimeo

As reported on Gilles Peterson‘s Worldwide show this week,
Questlove will be producing the new Smokey Robinson album!!!
{…long pause full of amazement and wonder…}

And if this upcoming album is anywhere as good as the recently ?uestlove and James Poyser produced Al Green album "Lay It Down" as well as the tribute tracks for Isaac Hayes that are credited to The Randy Watson Experience {?uest and James’ cover band} then this is going to be a project worth watching for and hearing more of. Now if they can only get an official release on the Pharrell remix project,
"Out of my mind"!

o:{and some more Bilal madness. this Time with The Randy Watson Experience. "I wanna run with ya!"}

It’s a crime that “Love 4 Sale” never got an official release. It’s an amazing album. But that didn’t stop Bilal from filling the Highline Ballroom with a crowd that was singing and dancing along to the songs from that unreleased album alongside his well-known classics.

With support from a band filled with talent like the great Robert Glasper on keys and Chris Dave on drums (“Chris Dave, motherfuckers!” was the text I got this morning from my boy Ollie, an amazing drummer in his own right.), the music was wholly on point. They even slipped from Bilal’s “All for Love” to one of Glasper’s now-standard smooth jazz (but funky!) Dilla tributes; this one was “Fall in Love”. The rest of the band consisted of bass, electric guitar, a horn section, and two back up singers – one of which, a big unassuming dude in a yankees cap, was hitting high falsetto notes to rival the headliner!

The music went from faithful renditions of the songs to fun remixes that bounced from blues to gospel to full on rock. The band cut loose with a rendition of Jimi Hendrix “Purple Haze” that led beautifully in to Bilal’s “Fast Lane”. And all the while, Bilal is being silly and laughing on stage with his band mates. I’ve seen shows where he’s been a hot mess and lines like “I wish I was drug free…” from “Sometimes” really make sense. But for this show he was clear-headed and focused. Everything from the music to the antics and camaraderie on stage to the lighting was working together as each song built in intensity. You couldn’t help but get swept up in it. And for an artist without an album out, that’s more than you could ask for.

o:{too many links? hurmm…maybe.}

My Drive Thru – Santogold, Julian Casablancas, N.E.R.D produced by Pharrell for converse.

Great video! The song is cool but the creativity of the cut-out paper figures deserves a rewind.

This Flying Lotus album is ridiculous. Or so it goes, but I think I have to agree. I tend to like beats/sounds that are very dense, or conversely taut and minimal. Somehow this record seems to be both at the same time. It’s like if Madlib’s BeatKonducta were to produce Massive Attack (or vice versa) in a vaccuum. Magnificent.

I think, though, that my favorite record of the summer so far is Silent Movie by Quiet Village. Side project of a minimal techno producer or two, I think, the project finds the duo in mellow, balearic territory. Sounds great in headphones. Rolls by lovely if you’re on the road at night.

I spent the earlier part of the week searching for a track I heard in a YouTube video. Turns out to be the title cut of My Way by a Canadian artist called Akufen. And it’s a mind-blower. Lots of FM radio samples spliced into melody and rhythm over smooth house soundscapes. Lovely.

From this:

To this:

Oh Amy.

What is going on? Although now I’m starting to believe that her slurred delivery of her hit Rehab is just a part of the stage show.

On another note, if M.I.A. and Diplo are bigging up B-more Club music, then new artist Wale is taking it there for D.C. I didn’t really feel him on the Roots’ “Rising Up”, except for the “Olson-twinnin’” line. That’s classic! As is his downloadable, Seinfeld-inspired, “Mixtape About Nothing”. Extra points to Julia “Elaine” Louis-Dreyfus for dropping in (for real!!!) on “The Vacation from Ourselves”. His subtle use of Go-Go is really nice! Check “The Grown Up”. Go-Go mixed with hip-hop/electro and Stevie flavor.

One more:

Big-up Mos Def for showing love to Jay Electronica AND Jon Brion at his Mos Def Big Band Carnegie Hall show. Beautiful.

Enjoy.

Call me a twat, but I fucking love this show. In spite of (or maybe due to) the fact that I have no cable, and don’t really watch TV when I do. Especially comedic dramas. Or dramatic comedies. Or whatever.
Anyway, I haven’t been this into a program since I was all about Ikebukuro West Gate Park whilst living in Japan. Somewhat akin to that show, Skins is a bit of post-Larry Clark (parents have all skipped town) youth scenario. High tension (dual Japanese meaning here) dramatic scenes countered with frenetic hilarity or action. Here, IWGP’s bowling and gang fights replaced with pill-popping and house-trashing. At any rate, well-written and paced, often laugh-out-loud funny, good soundtrack, and a brilliant coda to season one (I think I mean that somewhere between the American and British meanings). I almost like English people again.

(Any yeah that’s the chubby kid from About a Boy.)