You can smoke and snort and bump and shoot...

... yeah, I think that just about covers your options.



So what's with the drug reference? Well, it's one of the lyrics in today's selection, a rockin' number from the great South African musician Hugh Masekela. And I love the lyrics in this song. It's almost like Hugh wrote it for the Britneys, Lindsays & Parisises of the world, only like 30 or 40 years ago. You don't believe me? Give it a listen...

Hugh Masekela - Head Peepin' (ysi)

Do I lie? Hehe... as a matter of fact, I think someone needs to cover this baby with some updated lyrics. I just gave you your idea for your first #1 hit there, folks. You better run with it... and I want my 10%!

Btw, this record is way out of print... but you know what to do.

One of those guys

But hey, he's cousins with the dude from T. Rex... you know, the dead one...



UK producer Kirk DiGiorgio is one of those guys. You know those guys. The guys that are so prolific that they record under 53 different aliases so you won't get sick of hearing their name so damn much, and you're listening to something and you look at the credits and you're like, "that's him, too? Ah, bite me." As a guy who's lucky to get a half-dozen songs completed in a year, I kinda hate those guys. Anyhoo, As One is probably the Kirkeroo's best-known alias, and the project has tended to be mostly instrumental, mostly electronic, and likes to dabble in the broken beats. That said, here's more of a downtempo track, and a quite uncomplicated one, at that...

As One - Music Is An Open Sky (ysi)

Pretty nice... which is how I'd describe the album. Not amazing, but pretty nice. Worth a gander. See, I don't have to fawn wildly over every single thing. I'll leave that to the Indie Rock bloggers. You know the ones. The ones that, if that silly twat from Of Montreal released a solo album of himself masturbating his cat whilst kazoo-ing to a Casio keyboard bossa nova beat (you know which one I'm talking about), they'd give it 11 stars out of 10. Nope, I keeps it real or something...

Gilles does Japanese Jazz

A man-crush is a strong thing, dear readers...



... which is why today we turn to Gilles Peterson's contribution to the Shibuya Jazz Classics series, which highlights the apparently quite happenin' Japanese Jazz scene of the '70s. I got nothin' on this artist, except that he's a Japanese saxophonist, which I'm pretty sure you could have figured out on your own. But hey, if Gilles picked it, you know it's gotta be good, and this little number, anchored by its sweet bassline and off-beat rhythm, does not disappoint...

Koichi Matsukaze - Under Construction (ysi)

You can pick this sucker up at Dusty Groove, which is an amazing place for all things funky.

And I'll leave you today with this hi-larious article about the 9 most unecessary greatest hits albums of all time. Make sure you check that out. Sayonara!

The Return of Nino

The shuffle starts our week off with a short, but sweet, song...



Ammoncontact is another one of the 2,748 projects of L.A.'s ubiquitous Carlos Nino, this one a team-up with one Mr. Fabain Ammon (check out one of Carlos' other groups, soul-jazz outfit Build An Ark, here). The tunes are real heady, abstract instrumental hip-hop, except on this album they have vocals on almost all tracks, hence the clever album title. Anyhoo, here's your taste, with vocals by, I think, this guy. I think. Feel free to correct me...

Ammoncontact - Ropepe (ft. Najite) (ysi)

You know who loves this record? Gilles. What, you think I could go for much longer without mentioning my man-crush? Silly you.

Sunday Funday!

Hey, everybody... checkin' in on a Sunday, just for fun, with something I've been wanting to post for a little while, my first mash-up!




VS.




Yep, Debbie Harry meets Humpty Hump and they get it on, freaky styley!

Blondie vs. Digital Underground - The Humpty Rapture (ysi)

Drop me a comment if you like it! Peace.

Sweeter Sounds

Hey, hey, it's House Music Friday!



But I'm gonna keep it real short today, due to the fact that I contracted a fuckin' brutal case of food poisoning last night... things I don't even wanna describe flyin' out both ends at the same time... no bueno! So anyways, here's The Rurals, on their own Peng Records, with a nice, deep vocal track...

The Rurals - Window Pain (ysi)

Enjoy and have a great weekend. It's bound to be better than the night I just had... :P

The kid's got game

Today's artist is way too accomplished for his age...



Will Holland, aka Quantic is one of those guys that just makes you sick. He's only about 25 years old, yet has about 8 albums under his belt including the ones with his live band, the Quantic Soul Orchestra. Way to make the rest of us all feel like underachievers, jerk. But you can't player hate for long, because the music is damn good. Today's track is the title joint from his debut album, recorded I believe before he was even of legal drinking age (in the states, anyway.) Kind of like if one of those teeny-bopper pop stars actually had some musical talent...

Quantic - The 5th Exotic (ysi)

Ya just wanna punch him in the face, don't ya? :P

Japambience

Today, proof that the iTunes on shuffle can be very (perhaps maddenlingly, if you're expecting any certain kind of music to pop up on this blog on any given day) eclectic...



Yup, we're going from vintage electric blues to guitar and synth ambience, courtesy of one of the three discs of the most excellent Kyoto Jazz Massive 10th anniversary collection. The RE: KJM disc features reworks of KJM tunes, and this one comes from a group called Aurora. Not the cheesy Euro-dance Aurora who recorded that Duran Duran cover, thankfully, but a Japanese combo consisting of this guy and this guy. And, um... well I don't have too much more to add, so just close your eyes, lean back and enjoy...

Aurora - Nacel Do Sol (ysi)

That's purdy...

This is Tonegent's new blog post. He thinks it sucks ass.

Some funky, electric, psychedelic blues, anyone?



So this album must have the oddest title ever, huh? It's true, blues legend Howlin' Wolf was not too fond of this record at all, even referring to it as the "Dog Shit Album" in interviews. Come on, man, don't hold back... tell us how you really feel! I guess the record label made him do it, and since he was a 60-year-old codger at the time, he wasn't really feelin' the whole plugged-in vibe. I can hear it now... "This electic geetar is too loud! My sciatica's actin' up! It's drafty in here, goddamn it!" Must have been a great time. But you know what, despite all that, it's really pretty awesome. Hot guitar licks, some funky-ass drumming and that powerful voice... the best word I can use to describe it is "raw as fuck"... yes I know that's three words, don't mess with me...

Howlin' Wolf - Evil (ysi)

This sucker is looooooong out of print and has never been reissued on CD either, so once again I have one word... "Google Blog Search"... I said don't mess with me... :P

A return to Habana

You know what sucks? Only having a one-day weekend. Yep, had to work all day Saturday. But I'll try not to let the pent-up bitterness get the best of me...



Ruben Gonzalez was the, I'm gonna say, 352-year-old piano player in the Buena Vista Social Club, and the second member of that group to pop up in the ol' iTunes shuffle. (Go ahead and click here for my extremely informative post on Compay Segundo.) And considering he was actually the guy who greeted Christopher Columbus when he discovered Cuba (see, you learn somethin' around here every now and then :P ), it's pretty amazing that he could still play piano so well. Anyhoo, like just about all of the B.V.S.C. members, he recorded some solo stuff after the original album came out, and it's just fantastic music...

Ruben Gonzalez - Tumbao



And here's one of my favorite clips from the film, featuring the man himself...



Heck, I just hope I'm not wearing a diaper when I'm that old. Cheers, Senor Gonzalez!