Which Norwegians? Oh, those Norwegians...

House Music Friday brings you another favorite from the legendary Club Septo (don't bother Googling it :P )...



I don't imagine that too many folks have heard of Those Norwegians, an act that released the fine Kaminzky Park record on Paper Recordings, but it might ring a bell for a few of you if I mention one of the members of this project was Rune Lindbaek, a guy who's done quite well for himself in the Disco House/Disco re-edit scene that all the kids are wild about these days. But since it was on Paper, you know it's gonna be some good stuff, and this track in particular was on heavy rotation back in the house party days. Seriously jazzy deepness with a guest appearance by a robot that seems to have some kind of number fixation...

Those Norwegians - 39-38-39 (ysi)

But seriously though, 39 what? And then there's only 38? But then later there's 39 again? Other than my amount of surviving brain cells, I'm not really sure what that robot is referring to... oh well, have a great weekend, but try not to kill too many brain cells of your own.

Pasty British dude #126

Music so good you could eat it today, if you could actually eat music... which you can't...



Flight 602 is the latest album from Mr. Andy Turner, aka Aim. He's been turning out really good music for years, and this is no exception. Yummy, warm downtempo treats. Kinda like s'mores, but you can't eat 'em. Well, I guess you could try to eat a CD or record if you wanted to, but I doubt it would taste too good, no matter how much Tapatio you put on it. Mmm... Tapatio... but I digress. That's what I do when I don't have a whole lot of information about an artist. If I didn't digress sometimes, probably 70% of these posts would read something like, "now here's another faceless but most assuredly pasty British dude that makes good music"... and that would probably get kinda boring after awhile, no? Anyhoo, enjoy the sounds of Aim...

Aim - Walking Home Through The Park (ysi)

Dude used to use a lot of rappers on his tracks, but this new album doesn't have so much of that... so hey, there's a tidbit for ya! I know. I'll try harder tomorrow... :P

Ape-prototypes?

So, the shuffle landed on something I haven't listened to in quite some time today...



Considering that its members included Dan the Automator and Del Tha Funkee Homosapien (and Kid Koala) and that Damon Albarn sang a song on the album, it seems that Deltron 3030 was The Gorillaz before The Gorillaz, knowhutimean? The album is just as genius, that's for sure... but then again, look at who's involved (and there are a lot more than I mentioned). Yet this record certainly never achieved anywhere near the crossover success... I guess it was the cartoon thing that pushed the idea to the next level... cartoons are funny and I like the bright colors...

Deltron 3030 - Love Story (ysi)

So supposedly, there will be another Deltron album coming out next year... let's hope that happens!

Mann-teca!

Now, yesterday I mentioned that Galactic's song had a piece of "Manteca" in it... so I figured I'd help you out, if you weren't familiar with that particular tune, because I am here to help, people! Remember when Paris Hilton was in jail and made all these pronouncements that she was going to dedicate herself to helping people when she got out, only to recant on them when she realized that helping people actually required, like, you know... doing stuff? Well, I'm no Paris Hilton! I've never recorded a sex tape... in nightvision, anyway... and I'm going to follow through! But I'm with Paris on one thing... I'm not going to Rwanda, either...



Anyhoo, Manteca is a jazz standard by Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo that has been recorded oh, about a billion times, one of my all time favorites. This version, by flautist Herbie Mann, I was just introduced to by the awesome Jose Rizo on KKJZ's "Jazz on the Latin Side" show. (Do yourself a favor and check that out on the stream some time, both the music and my man Jose are amazing... talk about the perfect drive-home-from-work music!). Now, I'm not necessarily a Jazz flute aficionado, so it's the sick, sick percussion throwdown (at about 2:30) in this arrangement that really does it for me...

Herbie Mann - Manteca (ysi)

See what I mean? Intense! But if you wanna talk Jazz flute and intense, well, there's really only one man you need to know...



Stay classy, blogosphere...

NOLA, the next generation

Okay, I'm hoping you've slept off all that turkey and booze (Americans) or other food and booze (Europeans) or just plain booze (Drunks), because it's time to start another week of blog-tastic love (huh?)...



If you're going to start a funk band, it's a very good idea to be from New Orleans, just ask Galactic. They are from New Orleans, and their funk band is quite successful, proving my theory to be 100% rock-solid. Now, these days they're messing about with the Hip-Hop a bit, and are sometimes grouped into the "jam band" category, one that makes my skin crawl with thoughts of dirty, spinning hippies. I'm not sure the "jam band" thing really applies, but if you have white guys in your band and embrace the funk it seems almost unavoidable... sigh... anyhoo, this record is from a decade ago, before all that, when their sound was pure, unadulterated NOLA funk, naturally the period of theirs that I prefer...

Galactic - Funky Bird (ysi)

Notice how they even threw a bit of "Manteca" in there? Bonus points!

The Funk Phenomena

House Music Friday is here to shake you out of that Tryptophan-induced stupor...



Yeah, yeah, I know... Armand Van Helden = Cheesy as fuck. I know... but he has had his moments. This is probably his best, right here. This track was huge in L.A....

Armand Van Helden - The Funk Phenomena (ysi)

Yep, even a dog has his day... wait, I think I fucked that saying up... never mind. Just pump it loud and have a great weekend!

Remix that fool!

The "King of Latin R'n'B" (it says so on his website!) meets remixing royalty today...



Reminted, the new remix compilation by Fort Knox Five is just chock full of the funky breaks goodness. Which is a good goodness to be chock full of, in my opinion. To wit, here they take a classic from the great singer Joe Bataan, repping Spanish Harlem again here in the blog, and funkify his shit up real nice like...

Joe Bataan - The Fool (Fort Knox Five Remix) (ysi)

I'll be taking tomorrow off to stuff my face, hope you do the same!

Which Lonnie Smith do you speak of?

Today, some great '70s Jazz/Funk and a fabulous album cover...



... but before we get to the track, allow me to clear some things up. This Lonnie Smith... or Dr. Lonnie Smith to you, whitey... is not Lonnie Liston Smith, okay? Yeah, they both have the same name, both played keyboard, both put out their most famous work at the exact same time and in pretty much the same style. But that's really all they have in common. I don't know where the confusion comes from... sheesh! Also, this Lonnie Smith is not the fine slap-hitting/base-stealing outfielder of the '80s...


"I can't even play piano!"

... besides, baseball Lonnie Smith was also a famed cokehead, and we all know that all the best Jazz players prefer the smack. Okay, so now that we have that out of the way, the song! Now, the first 1:30 of this song has some vocals that you might describe as, how can I say this nicely... Chocolate Porn City, perhaps? But after that, it settles in to a great uptempo workout with really nice extended trumpet and sax solos and some wicked percussion... a real groover, check it out...

Lonnie Smith - Afrodesia (ysi)

Dr. Lonnie is still going strong today, rocking a bad-ass turban and a surprisingly pimped out website... he's fly like that. Word.

You can call me Tonymoonbiscuit

An overlooked Neo-Soul gem today...



Ambersunshower is a singer from Brooklyn, and yes, that's her real first name. But despite that, her (one and only) album is not at all dirty hippie music. Actually, it's a hugely slept on record that pre-dates but should be mentioned in the same breath as the first Erykah Badu and Jill Scott records as one of the best of it's genre. Girl's got kind of a weird voice, but it really grows on you. Check out this jam, produced by P.M. Dawn...

Ambersunshower - The Running Song (ysi)

This is one of my favorite albums to turn people on to, because everyone I have turned onto it has become just as addicted to it as I have. Maybe you will, too? Let me know...

Did someone say Fi-yah?!?!

House Music Friday is heatin' it up...



There's not a whole lot of info out there on Powder Productions, except for what you would expect. It's a pasty Brit named Phil. Really? Never woulda guessed... but Phil put out two nice Deep House albums on Glasgow Underground, and this is probably my favorite track of his, a peak-time banger for sure...

Powder Productions - Hot Stuff (ysi)

This CD is out of print but available for 30 freakin' cents at Amazon. You need to go jump on that...

And hey, check it out, I'm on the YouTubes! I'm the one who says "That's a sweet ass"...



Look out world, a star is born! Okay, maybe not... have a great weekend!