desk job

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Movers and Shakers




KC and the Sunshine Band - Party With Your Body




Jeffrey Osborne - Don't You Get So Mad

Quick post today - I'm in the process of moving into a new apartment. Here are a couple of tunes I had on last night as I shoved the contents of my refrigerator and freezer into plastic shopping bags for transfer to the new refrigerator and freezer, severed fingertip style. Especially into Mr. Osborne's track.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

My Mom Can Make A Better Mixtape Than Me or Digitalism


So I've been sitting on this since around last holiday season when I was back in Phoenix, but digging through some old boxes I found the cassette you see above, labeled 'Physical Excursion'. No track list, no artists, nothing. On the drive back to L.A. I popped it in the tape deck, and barely through the first listen I stopped it to call and ask for details. She said it was just a work out tape from about 20 years ago and she couldn't remember, and why was I calling about a cassette tape.

This morning I crawled out from under my rock and gave Digitalism's 2008 mix, Kitsune Tabloid, a listen only to find the seventh track, The Human League's 'The Things That Dreams Are Made Of (Original Dub)' bore a striking resemblance to the .mp3 that had been sitting on my hard drive innocuously labeled dance_tape_2.mp3 Here's that rip:



The Human League - The Things That Dreams Are Made Of (Physical Excursion Instrumental)

Also in case anyone else is interested the tape included an instrumental of 'Don't You Want Me Baby'. I at least knew that one:



The Human League - Don't You Want Me Baby (Physical Excursion Instrumental)

By far however, my favorite track from the tape, the one that the most people have asked about, and the one that really got me on the phone on the way back to Phoenix is still a mystery to me. Any help in identifying this would be greatly appreciated. Give it a listen:



??? (Physical Excursion Instrumental)

So, in review my mom (circa 20 years ago):


Gives today's top electroclash producers:


a run for their money.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Lucia Lucia Lucia Lucia You Should Know




So coming a bit later than promised, but here's a sampling from the third of three vinyls a friend of mine brought back from Argentina this March - Paco de Lucia's Almoraima. Digging just a bit I found this fairly thorough article/essay fleshing out some of the album's historical context in addition to providing track by track analysis for all of the theory heads. For the sample heads, aside from the obvious plethora of guitar material here check the bells ringing in the beginning of 'Cueva del Gato'. Ole!



Paco de Lucia - Almoraima



Paco de Lucia - Cueva del Gato

If you don't dig the guitar, dig the hair and jacket:

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

The First Black Astronaut or Kelly Watch The Starrs


So this afternoon I had one of those nerdy a ha! sample ID moments. If you haven't seen out Doctor Okeh's work over at FORREALHEADZ get over there now. Browsing the soundtrack labeled posts there I came across the score to the 1974 film Hell Up In Harlem, featuring Edwin Starr. If you've ever heard a song answer the question 'War, what is it good for?', you know something about Starr. Before we go any further, check out the title track:



Edwin Starr - Ain't It Hell Up In Harlem (1974)

Skipping forward to the fourth track, Runnin' anyone who has spent any amount of time with Air's 1998 debut Moon Safari and still registers a pulse should feel a few synapses firing. The original:



Edwin Starr - Runnin' (1974)

The edit:



Air - La Femme d'Argent (1998)

Anyway the good, thorough people over at Wikipedia already cited the connection, but it's fun not to plug in the Game Genie every now and then. I'd count Moon Safari amonst my favorite albums of all time, certainly ideal nighttime, computer screen glow sort of listening but I love prequels as much as the next person - though I'm willing to bet Runnin' is way cooler than any of the music in Angels and Demons.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Mandate, My Ass


So the final installment of the Argentinian vinyl trio will have to wait until either later today or tomorrow. In the meantime here are a couple of digital digs:

First up, I've had an old burned CD copy of Gil Scott Heron's Reflections in my car for about a week or so, which remember making originally after I had discovered down the song Gun in Nate Jones' part in the Real Skateboards video Real 2 Reel:



The entire soundtrack to that video is great, and I know the audio is terrible in the clip so here's the mp3 I've been driving around with:



Gil Scott Heron - Gun

Skate videos were some of my first sources of exposure to music that wasn't on the radio or TV, and the songs on the screen only lead to artists and albums and discographies etc etc, so in that spirit I'm posting the second track from that album, Grandma's Hands as well. I feel like this has to be cut into one of DOOM's beats (tangent to tangent, DOOM fans take a look at this siik.org post). Anyway, make's a good belated mother's day gift to ma and/or grandma.



Gil Scott Heron - Grandma's Hands



Second, check out the 1975 Dadawah (a.k.a. Ras Michael) release Peace and Love. I don't consider myself any kind of reggae connoissuer, rastafista etc., but this has a drone sort of vibe to it, like Earth or Lichens taking a vacation in the Caribbean. A little over halfway through Zion Land this ghost piano takes over and will haunt your lazy afternoons for all eternity.



Dadawah - Zion Land

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Regale Un Disco, El Regalo Que Queda Grabado



Second installment of Argentine imports is the compilation 1977 CBS compilation Disco Show. Below are my favorites from each side, the first a number with an organ sound I'd kill for, the second a spicy slab of disco.



Los Mensajeros - Recuerdos de Una Noche



Salvatore Adamo - Yo Bailo

Monday, May 11, 2009

Disco Es Cultura



Kicking things off with the first of three posts on records my friend brought back from his stay in Argentina, we've got the 1982 compilation Paradise Dance 2. This is one of those that reminds me of dunking on a six foot rim. You can't miss. Especially with Satin Dream. These are ripped straight off the first side. Leave a message if you're interested in the rest.



Free Enterprice - Make It On My Own



The Leaves - Cowboys and Gangsters




Satin Dream - Stay Away From My Lover