Here is an Esna video also done by The Mighty Fifty. The Mighty Fifty does good work, just nice high quality looking film. Put a good musician in front of a camera, what else do you need?
Check out the Bangerz and San Jose Taiko performing "Robot Remains" live. I am pretty sure these dudes used to be called the Finger Bangerz and I saw them for free at hip hop in the park back in the day. I guess they are all grown up and have dropped the, Finger, part of their crew name, it's probably better that way. I doubt San Jose Taiko returns your phone calls if your name is The Finger Bangerz. Finger what? *Click* Enjoy an awesome culture clash; Japan vs. Hip Hop.
Last but not least the simple awesomeness of the new Cee-Lo video. New as in it's been tearing across the interwebs for a couple of weeks now. Late or not, it's a solid track.
After a two month hiatus during which yours truly finished his doctorate, I'm back with an assortment of indie rock tunes I've been enjoying as I put the finishing touches on my academic opus. I've been checking out a lot of this new California surf/garage-pop, e.g. Best Coast, Dum Dum Girls, & Wavves. It's very low-fi and noisy, but the melodies are classic 60s pop. I've also thrown in a couple songs from the new albums from Arcade Fire and The Walkmen. I really did not like the last Arcade Fire LP, but this one is pretty solid (though they still get a little too Bruce Springsteen at times). You'll also find a few songs from The National, who have provided the soundtrack to my summer thus far. The rest of the stuff is more randomly selected: Ariel Pink (his latest album is really good, though I heard his recent show in SF was a disaster), The Morning Benders (cuz they rule, and they're playing at the Fillmore 10/16), Leonard Cohen (nuff said), The Shins (hard to find Squeeze cover), and Girls (this whole album is pretty solid, and the lead singer's whole ex-cult-member back story is nuts). Anyway, I hope to be posting more regularly from this point on, so feel free to suggest stuff you'd like to hear more/less of.
Hey there! Boy things have been busy. Thank god Greybush has been holding down the fort! Hopefully you downloaded his Soul Mix 6. On the mix is Mayer Hawthorne covering Daniel Johnston's Held the Hand. I had never heard of Daniel Johnston but after doing a little bit of research I have come to realize that he is one of the greatest American singer/songwriters in the last 30 years. Seriously.
Aside from being completely crazy (ok, bi-polar) Daniel's voice sucks. His instruments are junk. His recordings were made in his bedroom. Yet, you can still tell that you're listening to something magical. This is why so many artists have covered his work. Here are some covers and some originals. Leave a comment and tell me whether you like his songs or the covers more.
First up is Walking the Cow. I've got a version by Teenage Fan Club, Kathy McCarty and Daniel. I purposely left off versions by Pearl Jam, A Side and fIREHOSE because they just aren't as good.
Damn you Stones Throw, you really know how to hype a beast up don't you? Behold the etched 12 inch collectible vinyl with a new Mayer track. Brought to you courtesy of Stones Throw and Mayer Hawthorne. Produced by Nottz and illustrated by Freegums. One side of the vinyl has Mayer's cover of Otis Leavill's, "I Need You." Mmmm...Mayeeeer..vinyl...etched...collectible...
Mayer on how the song came to be. "The song is a cover of a cat named Otis Leavill which is one of my all time fav soul sides, but relatively unknown 45. I don't think Nottz even knew it. I actually even made up some of the words because no one could make out what he said in the original. ha!
When Nottz sent me that batch - that particular beat stood out. It had the same chord progression as the Otis Leville, so I just went with it.”
Purchase it in the Stones Throw store here and have a listen below.
Mayer Hawthorne- I Need You
The generosity of Mayer does not stop there. Here is some more free music from him. He just dropped a reggae version of, "Maybe So, Maybe No." Perfect, since I have been on a reggae kick lately. Now everyone in unison, "Thaaank yooou Misterr Mayerrr."
Mayer Hawthorne- Maybe So, Maybe No (Reggae remix)
Upcoming shows time. I arranged them differently this time. Whereas before they were by venue, now they are by date. I just like to switch it up, I do the same thing with my workout routine. Sometimes I bench press cars, sometimes Municipal buildings. It just depends on the mood I am in.
September
Vetiver will be performing with The Fresh & Onlys as their openers. They will be Vetivering all over your ear canals at.The Independent on Sunday, September 5. Doors: 7:30 PM / Show: 8:00 PM. $15 tickets can be found here.
On Friday, September 17, there will be a Johnny Cash tribute band named Cash'd Out at the Shattuck Down Low. The Moonshine Bandits will be opening for them, doors open at 8:30 and tickets are $10 with a $1.54 service charge. Grab them here. I guess this is for the hardcore Cash fans who never got to see him live.
Saturday, September 25, Vampire Weekend with guests: Beach House and The Very Best will be at the Greek Theater in Berkeley. I am a big fan of Beach House, who's coming with me? The show starts at 7:00PM and general admission tickets are $37.50 plus service charges. Tickets are online here or go to the box office in Berkeley or the Fox to avoid service charges.
Perfume Genius and two yet to be named acts will be making The Bottom of the Hill smell fancy on September 27. The show starts at 9:00, Doors open at 8:30. $10 advance tickets with a booking fee of $2.01 means the $12 at the door tickets are pretty much the same damn thing. If you would like to lock down your place and buy tickets now though, have at it.
October
Fri, October 01, The Duckdown crew will be rolling into Slim's. This is a pretty quality group of performersrepping that real hip hop of days gone by. Sean P is my dude, he still gets an automatic listen when he is featured. Pharoahe is a solid lyricist, while Buck is hit or miss for me. A guaranteed quality show though.
The Duckdown 15th Anniversary Tour will feature:
Pharoahe Monch
Boot Camp Clik featuring Buckshot, Sean Price & Smif N Wessun
Kidz in the Hall
Skyzoo
DJ Evil Dee
Sunday, October 3, First Aid Kit and Ferraby Lionheart will be at The Bottom of the Hill. 9pm (doors at 8:30pm) • $12 in advance / $14 at the door. Tickets here.
Monday, October 25, Seabear will be performing at The Independent, Doors: 7:30 PM / Show: 8:00 PM
$15 tickets here.
November
Thu, November 11, at Slim's, Ghostface Killah will be making nonsensical rhymes about Wally's and cocaine.
Fri, November 12, 2010, at Slim's, Doomtree featuring P.O.S. and Dessa bring their smart abstract rapper style stuff to town.
Showtime: 9:00 PM (Doors: 8:00 PM)
Ticket price: $15
Tickets available on-line at: slimstickets.com
All Ages 6 and Over
Sat, November 20, Slim's is at it again. This night local legends and room rockers, Zion I bring the ruckus. I highly recommend anyone who has not seen these guys live, attend this. I have lost count of how many times I have seen them but they have never done a bad show while I have been there. Even rocking for a crowd of five people for Black Family Day, in Davis, these guys get down no matter the situation. They can make non hip hop fans stans in the matter of a set. Beleedat.
Showtime: 9:00 PM (Doors: 8:00 PM)
Ticket price: $20/$23
Tickets available on-line at: slimstickets.com
All Ages 6 and Over
The next soul mix is ready to go. But I should probably let the current one marinate for awhile. The sudden deluge of content may frighten some. In the meantime here is some stuff that will be on the mix.
I listened to the coverville podcast today. Which featured Oliver Wang of Soul Sides. Coverville has an awesome site to accompany their great podcast so I recommend taking a look if you don't already frequent their site. You will learn things over there, plus it's free. Who doesn't like cover songs?
This episode was especially awesome because it was with Oliver Wang, the man who's life and musical knowledge I envy with such great intensity I have a court ordered 25 foot rule. He can still hear me though so it's ok, I just miss our hugs sometimes. Anyway here are two of the tracks that he played that I threw on this mix.
First up, Dandy Livingstone with his reggae massaged cover of the song made most famous by James and Bobby Purify, "I'm Your Puppet."
Dandy Livingstone- I'm Your Puppet
I thought this song was amazing when I heard it on the podcast. It's Betty Chung with her cover of Sonny and Cher's, "Bang Bang." Perhaps most recognizable as the song from Kill Bill that Nancy Sinatra sang. The backing track on this is so good. It also happens to be in Mandarin, but was recorded in HK. Who knew there were bands getting down like that in HK?
Betty Chung- Bang Bang
There happen to be a lot of covers on this mix. A Johnny Nash version of Sam Cooke's, "Cupid." A reggae take on, Smokey and the Miracle's, "I Second That Emotion." A Cambodian version of "Wooly Bully" called "Wooly Polly." The Hot 8 Brass Band's cover of Marvin's, "Sexual Healing."
The Hot 8 Brass Band- Sexual Healing (Re-edit)
The Majestic Arrows, off of the Bandit label are also featured. The story of Bandit records is such a crazy story, it's almost unbelievable. Here is a small snippet about the label and founder, Arrow Brown.
"Founder and force behind the Bandit label, the mysterious, vaguely criminal Brown spent a decade running his entertainment empire from a ghetto commune he shared with a harem of lovers whose welfare checks funded his showbiz aspirations. Equally odd was Bandit's roster: a collection of friends and family like seven-year-old son Altyrone Deno Brown, daughter Tridia Brown's Majestic Arrows, and crooner Johnny Davis - the latter eventually thrown off a building to his death."
I highly recommend you read the entirety of the article which can be found here. I first heard the Majestic Arrows as a sample on a Mixtape Talib Kweli had done with Madlib, called Liberation. I had no idea who they were and just randomly got this album and was surprised that this was on there. Here is the Talib sample song and the original.
Well, glad things here have been taken care of while I was on vacation. I just got back from a two week trip to Costa Rica. I was out stomping through the jungle and not partaking in their legal prostitution...I swear.
While there I had my ipod for the lengthy bus trips from one city to another. The problem was my ipod was originally my Mom's and I had loaded it with all old person music. Old person music also happens to be depressing music. A lot of the songs didn't vibe with my mood or what I was actually doing. Beautiful jungle scenery through windy mountain towns, just wasn't meshing with Dean Martin crying about lost love. I needed more jungly, more islandy, more happy stuff to listen to.
We heard a wide range of music while there. In the tourist traps we heard legendary acts like; Huey Lewis, Phil Collins, and Foreigner. They get down to some easy listening, or they think that we like to. Wilson Phillips anyone? There was also the local Spanish music, Spanish language hip hop, and a lot of reggae, Costa Rica being close to the Caribbean this makes a lot of sense.
This latest soul mix starts off with that island feel, the reggae tinged soul, this is stuff I should have had on my ipod but didn't. The songs aren't actually that happy but they have the right feel for chilling on the beach. There is a mix of the reggae/funk and then some more classic soul stuff thrown in there. A couple of them are songs that came on my ipod while I was on the bus, that didn't make me hit skip.
Sample from the Reggae section.
Download the whole mix here. If you want to keep it in it's original order in itunes, I think you have to make a new playlist and throw them in there.
Also if anyone would like to contribute to the blog, make mixes, post news, show off their daily hairstyle, send me an email at stereofattenings@gmail.com
