Wednesday, February 25, 2009

A Dose of Hip-Hop Vol. 2: "The Indisputable Sound"

messy or creative?


SERIOUSLY, from 6:05PM to 4:01AM , I've been working this hip-hop mix for approximately 10 hours with quick breaks and barely any rest (home from work, started mix, had dinner, practiced a bit of locking, failed to clean the pad and then went straight to mix again... times like these makes me wish I had serato... OH WELL, vinylz 4 life!). I couldn't unhook myself from addiction, I was determined to get this mix down by the end of the night, and by 3:38AM I started going delirious and getting lightheaded (...but whatever). After about 20-30 attempts redo-ing this mix to keep it squeakier than squeakiest, and after the editing and amplfying up of numerous sections of the mix, and overall, before the breakadawn, I was able to bring ya'll this mix. Enjoy.

A Dose of Hip-Hop Vol.2: "The Indisputable Sound"

1. Common - The Game
2. Cella Dwellas - Land of The Lost
3. InI feat. Pete Rock - No More Words
4. Reflection Eternal - 2000 Seasons
5. Black Sheep - Make Munnne
6. Common - Resurrection
7. Kym Rae - Laid Back (Def Squad Re-mix)
8. Das Efx - Mic Checka
9. People Under The Stairs - The Brownout
10. Talib Kweli - Never Been In Love
11. Dam-Funk - Burn Rubber
12. Platinum Pied Pipers - Act Like You Know (Ge-ology mix)
13. A Tribe Called Quest feat. Erykah Badu - U C Me Doin' It (instr.) (talk with DJ nPrevail)
14. A Tribe Called Quest feat. Erykah Badu - U C Me Doin' It

Monday, February 23, 2009

Breaks & Samples

Got some new tunes for all you music heads out there, hope you enjoy the originals as much as I do.


The Cyrkle - "Turn-Down Day"

The Cyrkle is a 1960s band that arose from the minds of two college student guitarists, Don Dannemann and Tom Dawes, who later teamed up with Marty Fried and Earl Pickens to create one groovy band. Formerly known as the fratrock band, The Rhondells, The Cyrkle went into a series of hardships and eventually fell apart until the creation of their first big hit, "Red Rubber Ball," which can be found on the b-sides of this 45. Under the management of Brian Epstein, who was also manager of the Beatles, the Cyrkle was a hit until Brian's death which devastated the band and cursed them to their financial downfall and failure to provide song hits. "Turn-Down Day" is a song that symbolizes the "free spirit of teenagers" in the 1960s and 60s rock n roll music. It particularly fits well as a sample used by People Under The Stairs for their version of a "Turn-Down Day."



Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers - "Bustin' Loose pt. I"

Chuck Brown, aka the Godfather of the 1970s funk soul subgenre, Go-go, is the mastermind behind this 1978 national hit. His music and creation of go-go led the way for many go-go successors of the genre and would later become a major influence to RnB and Rap scene. Although not the first group to sample it, the neptunes-produced beat for Nelly's "Hot in Heree" frames the rhythm section and bumps the track up with heavy kicks and crispy snares. Nelly even shouts out the chuck brown hook at 1:00, then compare it to the "Bustin Loose'" hook, get it? (sigh, 2002... time flies...)



Evelyn "Champagne" King - "The Show Is Over"

If you were at the Break the Silence open mic back in January, you may recognize this song as being one of the last numbers for me to drop. Although she's most remembered from her classic 1980s hit "Love Come Down," I find "The Show Is Over" to be one of my personal favorite tracks, and is notably remembered by its nice groove. To my knowledge this song is sampled as the recurring vocal chant of RJD2's "Final Frontier" and is especially sampled in Ice Cube's "You Know How We Do it."




Bob James - "Blue Lick"

It's always nice to carry a Bob James collection, and even if you don't like easy listening, his album covers of enlarged objects make hilarious props for picture taking. Bob James' music is nothing but chill chamber music. This song is sampled in Digable Planets "Jettin'", catch it in the last 46 seconds of the track and you'll know what I mean.



Bob James - "Angela" (live)

I figured that since I stepped into my Bob James collection, I might as well step down memory lane on one of my personal favorite. The theme song for Taxi, aka "Angela," is just another classic song that remains embedded in my childhood as I glimpse at reminiscing sketches of the multi-voice talented comedian Andy Kaufman (thank you Nick At Night for all the sitcom classics).

Saturday, February 21, 2009

artPhotography @ Sevilla and Blue Cafe

In the last two days of sickness and runny noses, I've been trying to cough up a house mix and several entries of unforgettable and personally favorite songs, but instead I've found myself going out to clubs and shows to meet up with friends and supporting artists (gotta show love, ya know?). So I found myself hanging around downtown LB this week, dropping by Sevilla and Blue Cafe to play catch up with folks and be entertained; and in both venues, I got artsy and did my picture thang. I'm posting up the cream of the crop, but you can find the rest of the pictures on the links at bottom of this entry.

If you've been wondering where all the music went, no worries! I know it's been awhile but I promise you that by sometime tomorrow I will have something up! So keep your ears open for my next audible entry.

Sevilla 2.19.09
Hung out with the homies from the nard. Spent most of the night taking pictures.






Blue Cafe 2.20.09
Came out to support my favorite artists/friends at Blue Cafe, particularly a Latin rhythm band called Canela Negra and this dope MC and his crew from the west co, AVI the most ill.

3 musketeers/west covina crew + jslam



AVI the most ill.






Canela Negra

ish on guitar


chad with the soul


jslam on the keys


dave on the bass


drew on the kick-snare





it's june!


Sevilla 2.19.09
Blue Cafe 2.20.09

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Valentines Day pt. 2

So after getting home and barely starting this entry, I caught several friends of my in the neighborhood and decided to hang out with them; the night goes on. Catching up with them, I call them over to my place, and if you've been to my place you know how "intimately small" it is. With the six of us, inebriated in a bombshelter of alcohol and wine, an artistic photoshoot exploded:

(Following pictures taken by June and Noel)











After leaving my pad, the team and I headed to Hamberburger Mary's to hand out safe sex packets at a gay club event, with a theme particularly targeting Asian men. We're apart of an HIV/AIDs and safe sex awareness organization called Project Choice, and advocating safe sex and passing out rubbers is only a sample of what we do (besides presentations, educational skits and activities with the audience). But go there on any other day when they're a restaurant because I have to admit, despite the kinky and informal service of Hamburger Mary's, they have the best Mac n' Cheese burgers I've ever ate. After learning of a cover charge for the event, John and I abandoned the team and took our broke asses to Roscoe's and spent our $7 bucks on secculent chicken n' waffles (if you were nearly broke and you had to choose between food or a club event? which one would you choose?). At this point, the wine was kicking in.





We met up with the rest of the famished gang and headed out to shorehouse cafe for more grub. The pictures says all.









Good times.




Time: 3:56AM. Time to sleep.

Valentines day album 2.14.09

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

A Dose of Hip-Hop vol. 1

kickin' it.

A quick, yet raw, mix I pumped out this morning; I woke up with a selection of songs in my head and had to drop 'em out, otherwise I'd be hating myself.

A Dose of Hip-Hop vol. 1



Playlist:
1. Boogie Down Productions - We In There (remix)
2. Panda One - A to Q's (fat jon's remix)
3. Giant Panda - 90s
4. High & Mighty - Weed
5. Gangstarr - Flip The Script (remix/minor adjustment mix)
6. A Tribe Called Quest - The Chase pt. ii
7. Aloe Blacc - Personal Business
8. Madlib - Take It Back

Monday, February 16, 2009

Gypsy

From pictures of records


Gypsy (formely known as The Underbeats) is a '70s progressive rock band that came straight out of Minneapolis and relocated their new identity in Los Angeles, particularly playing at the Whiskey Go-Go as the house band. Their first four albums were produced by Enrico Rosenbaum, a former member from The Escapades who carried a powerful voice of dynamic harmonies and melodies found on many of the Gypsy's first four albums. He died at the age of 36 from tuberculosis and the Gypsy legacy was continued by James Walsh. Drummer Bill Lordan didn't join the band until after the first album was made, three albums later, he became the drummer for Sly & The Stone's album Small Talk and for many of Robin Trower albums from '74 to '81 (one album in '96). In their 1970 self-titled album, Rico produces and co-produces 11 of the 13 tracks. The band was best known for their recordings of "Gypsy Queen pt. 1 & 2."

I dug up this record sometime during my first year living in Lakewood ('05 to '06ish?). I first caught on to trancing desert-like sounds of the repetitious guitar riffs in "I Was So Young," yet later realizing how the track was sampled by Force of Nature for the Samurai Champloo OST (skip to 3:48 and you'll see what I mean. If you need further proof, look no further). "Here In My Loneliness" was another notable track I wanted the post alongside "I Was So Young" to emphasize the band's potential and variety. I really dig the funky hard drumming in this track, and the organ&guitar combo feels so vibrantly bright and upbeat, I had to post this one in order to enjoy the rest of my day. Gypsy reminds me of a jazz-rock feel of an early Blood, Sweat and Tears with no trumpet section but with Greg Munford-like vocals from Mr. Rosenbaum. The keyboardist, James "Owl" Walsh, does harmonies right, and with Rico singing lead for majority of the tracks; Gypsy deserves recognition for this great album.

Band Members (copied off wikipedia):
James Calvin Johnson (lead guitar, vocals)
Enrico Rosenbaum (guitar, vocals, percussion)
James "Owl" Walsh (keyboards, vocals, percussion)

Doni Larson (bass)
Randy Cates (bass)
Willie Weeks (bass)
Bill Lordan (drums)
Jay Epstein (drums)

From pictures of records

From pictures of records

From pictures of records


Here Is My Loneliness


I Was So Young