Podcast: Play in new window
Music from St Louis/Amsterdam, from Hamerfest – the most northern town on earth, from Paris, Strasbourg and Montpellier in the south of France as well as from New York, USA and Brighton, here in the UK.
Listening back to these week’s selection it does feel like hot weather music, which seems appropriate really as it is, as last, warm here in eastern England. Even the studio cat Warwick has taken to his look-out point outside the door. It is obviously such a good vantage point that he can keep watch with his eyes closed.
Hardcore – Second Time Lucky (Brighton, UK) Rann Records
Formed in July 2003 as a collection of experienced musicians from local Ska bands, we blend a punk rock attitude with the fast paced rhythms and cheery attitude of Ska to create a mixture that will both rock your socks off and have you skanking in your pants. “We give you powerful melodic vocals wrapped up in straight clean guitar riffs with catchy bass and danceable brass lines.”
www.myspace.com/secondtimelucky
I saw Something Happened last night, playing their show Taboo-Be-Do! – an amazingly entertaining romp through 100 years of politically incorrect songs from the shadier corners of jazz, bluegrass, blues, cabaret, musical and pop. It’s amazing how hearing a whole set of songs makes it clear how far we have gone down the route towards a world where anodyne is normal rather than an extreme! My thanks to Terence Blacker, Derek Hewitson and vocalist Victoria Hart for a hugely and bravely entertaining night. As Neil Innes said, the show was “Relaxed, funny and enjoyably provocative – I was delighted on all affronts.”
I’m hoping to be able to play some of their songs in the next couple of weeks.
Snake remix – Boo Boo Davis / miXendorp (St. Louis/Nr Amsterdam) Black and Tan
One of a few remixes (so far) by Dutch blues guitarist, promoter and label proprietor Jan Mittendorp. It’s certainly unusual to hear blues incorporated into remixes. I think it brings a fresh new twist to the genre and applaud Jan for trying this new approach to spreading the word about the blues which he does so well through Black and Tan Records.
Remixes of three Boo Boo Davis originals. Here are the direct links to the tracks at this iTunes link and Emusic
At the Black and Tan site you can find all this information plus lots of other and interesting stuff (pictures, links, opinions). The content is updated almost daily.
www.black-and-tan.com
Sissel – Jienat (Hamerfest, Norway)
Jienat is based in the northernmost town on earth: Hammerfest, Norway.
If you drive north on Route E6, you only have 955 km left as you cross the Arctic Circle.
More than 5,000 years ago, fishermen and hunters with special needs for climatic masochism settled in this neighborhood. Even today, we are fewer that 10,000 persons in town– a growth rate of less than 2 persons per year since 3 000 B.C.
Despite its small population, peoples have mingled in this region for thousands of years. In a reflection of this, the lyrics on this disc are in Swedish, Spanish, Northern Sami, Kildin Sami and Inare Sami. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only CD featuring the Kildin Sami language.
This may all sound pretty improbable but please check out the website to find and see more. It is quite remarkable to witness the lengths that people will go to produce music.
www.jienat.com
Be Africa – Bibi Tanga and The Selenites (Paris, France)
On Dunya, Parisian musical patch-worker Bibi Tanga crafts an interstellar inoculation of grooves and grit. With a wildly eclectic heart, the record references fellow afro-futurist Fela Kuti, funk foundationalist Curtis Mayfield, British post-punk pioneers The English Beat, famed New Orleanian jazz soloist Sidney Bechet, and a list of luminaries that gets increasingly obscure with each carefully-curated curiosity. Enlisting the invaluable assistance of producer Professor Inlassable – who worked on both of Tanga’s past releases, 2003’s Yellow Gauze LP and 2009’s It’s The Earth That Moves EP – Bibi and his band of moon-dwelling Selenites fire on all cylinders with their latest offering.
Rounded out by Arthur Simonini on violin & keyboards, Rico Kerridge on guitar and Arnaud Biscay on drums, the Selenites prove the perfect backing band for Bibi’s brand of omnivorous world music, powering through steampunk flare-ups and pre-historic funkouts with equal aplomb.
www.myspace.com/bibitanga
We can Fly remix – Lachi (New York, NY, USA)
“Though these eyes are broken, well these ears truly see right…in black and white.” Lachi sings, referring to her visual impairment, and her true ability to see through black and white piano keys. Alt-Rock Goddess Lachi has garnered musical respect from innumerable reviewers for her vocal and lyrical prowess. She and her talented band have recently finished recording an album under Fanatic Records, EMI/Caroline and are thrilled to be celebrating this release in the summer of 2010 at “Joe’s Pub”. With successful showcases at SxSW, CMJ, the IndieGirl Conference, and many other festivals, colleges and venues around the country, Lachi’s music and live performances continue to garner critical acclaim. Lachi will be remembered as one of the most important musical voices of our generation.
The CD Release party is at Joe’s Pub in NYC July 22 (and following east coast tour), and then the real national release (via EMI/Caroline) on July 27th. Joe’s pub gig details
www.lachimusic.com
Panique sur le dancefloor – Volfoniq feat. Tribuman (Montpellier and Strasbourg, France ) LCL
From the 3-track EP Dub in Taiwan, available under Creative Commons from LCL netlabel at: http://lclweb.org/audio_ep_lcl11.htm
“Like with Cosmiq Ryoku, working with people from Asia on Dub in Taiwan brought to me lots of new ideas and sonic material. Kou Chou Ching style of rap is different from the occidental ones, and their harmonics are based on other scales. The mix of this with dub and breakbeats rendered a very original blend. It was also the first time I collaborated with Tribuman, a singer with a lot of personality and high voicing skills. Such nice encounters “. Volfoniq – November 2008
www.volfoniq.com/
www.myspace.com/volfoniq
www.twitter.com/volfoniq
Chuggin’ – Second Time Lucky (Brighton, UK.) Rann Records
The second track from Second Time Lucky.
www.myspace.com/secondtimelucky
Fiesta in the Park (Cowley Road, Oxford) on Saturday evening with the now nearly legendary Kanda Bongo Man from The Congo, Grand Union Orchestra, the UK’s most successful and diverse world jazz orchestra, Oxford’s reggae favourites Makating, Unique Oxford collective Brickwork Lizards peddle a film noir soundtrack with a jazzy twist of arabic melodies and rap and Skylarkin’ Soundsystem who will be kicking out its patented brew of Jumpin’ Jivin’ Rockin’ Swingin’ Reggae, Ska, Soul, Dancehall and Rhythm & Blues. Just the think for a hot weekend eh?
www.wegottickets.com/f/1750
Red Red Wine (with The Axixs) – Splurt (New York City, NY, USA)
In 2009, Splurt met manager Donovan Thomas (Lil Vicious, Dante Thomas.) They began to work on new material at Wyclef Jean’s Platinum Sound Studios in New York City. It was there that his unique stylistic blend of reggae, hip hop and electro music caught the attention of the Fugees member Pras Michel. Splurt details the meeting,
“Pras heard me and asked me to do a track with his group, The Axixs. We chose ‘Red Red Wine’ because it was a reggae classic that we felt needed an update.” In 2010, Splurt continues to work on new singles for the upcoming release of his next album; Splurt Personality.
www.splurt.net/
www.myspace.com/splurt
www.twitter.com/splurt
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