If you watched yesterday’s Super Bowl XLIV, you may have caught a commercial featuring The Who‘s “My Generation” but heard in a different fashion. The co-vocals in that mix was done by none other than will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas. What you may not have known was that the song also featured guitarist Slash. While the new version is sure to upset purists, it was not bad at all.
The new mix, created by will.i.am with approval from The Who themselves, has now been released as an MP3. All proceeds will be going to the Oxfam America’s Haiti Earthquake Response Fund, a charity selected by will.i.am himself.
It can be said that will.i.am has been working the music industry in the last few years to his benefit, and a lot of people, including myself, would love to have the kind of opportunities that he is given. To be able to work, period, would be great.
Nonetheless, with the release of their new album, The E.N.D., a lot of people (including myself) are saying that the Black Eyed Peas haven’t been hip-hop for years, that they lost their edge and are really a pop group in butthole costumes. will.i.am has been in tap with those views, and he comments about them in this video.
At times I wonder if will.i.am really knows how shitty his music is, or if he even cares. Does he wake up and say “damn, I got the world in my hands and I don’t even have to make good music. I can just squat, eat my bandmates lumpia and boom boom pow, people eat up my shit like hot fudge flavors.”
Yeah, that might be the case with this new track. Rearend candy for now people? You tell me.
This is what the album cover will look like for Black Eyed Peas‘ The E.N.D., said to be the last BEP album. It is allegedly a composite of the four members of the group, but why this as the cover? You can find out more by watching this video.
LMFAO have gained a buzz for the last few years, and with a deal through Interscope via will.i.am, the duo are ready to bust out when their Party Rock album is released on June 9th. Are LMFAO the Charlie Benante and Frank Bello of hip-hop? Do you understand the reference? If not, here’s the deal. LMFAO are uncle and nephew, just like Benante and Bello. Make sense? Maybe not.
But what does make sense is LMFAO’s remix of Black Eyed Peas‘ new single, “Boom Boom Pow”, which you can take a listen to here:
If there’s anything good about this video, it’s that it’s in support of what is reported to be The Black Eyed Peas‘ last album, The E.N.D., due out on June 9th. Let’s face it, this group will never return to the greatness that was their first two albums, and if there’s anyone that sold the fuck out, it’s these guys. will.i.am is this generation’s Bob Dylan? My ass.
BTW, you can pre-order The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies) by clicking over to CD Universe.
Man, I used to like the Black Eyed Peas, but while the Fergie era has helepd them become rich, it really hasn’t contributed anything significant in the grand scheme of things. The instrumental of the new single, “Boom Boom Pow”, is really good but the song is pure shit, with Fergie continuing to prove how “down” she is when she’s anything but. But falsehood works, apparently, and people are going to flock to this like sheep. Take a listen:
Lame cover, lame song: what else can you expect from millionaires? They fear becoming Wal-Mart greeters, so they deliver us this shit. Thanks for nothing.
Welcome to The Run-Off Groove #233. I am John Book, welcome.
This column is about music reviews, along with music-related books, DVD’s, etc. Each review will usually be followed by a graphic, when upon clicking you can make a purchase: (for compact disc) (for MP3′s) (vinyl) (DVD)
The point of this is to make readers aware of some of the good music out there, music I hope to be able to pass along to you. With that said, all MP3′s here are “legal”, which means they are being passed on to you with permission from the artist and/or publicity firm. All of you that are tech savvy should know where to get all the free music anyway, but please make a purchase whenever possible, whether it’s from your favorite store or in many instances from the artist themselves. If your tax return is coming in, get to those bills first and foremost, but with a bit of extra change buy a few albums.
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Now, the column.
Everyone wants to be remixed, everyone wants to remix someone else, but when it’s someone who hasn’t been a part of our world for decades, people wonder if it’s an honor or a disgrace. I had seen the cover of Re: Generations (Capitol) and wondered if Nat King Cole really needed a remix treatment. You have jazz purists who hate him because he went pop and catered to white audiences, while those say you can’t deny the passion of a man who wanted to pay bills and put food on the table. It still doesn’t answer the question: does Nat King Cole need the modern remix treatment?
I entered the album with skepticism, but I came out a fan, especially when I had seen some of the names associated with this project. Even though some of the lyrics are arguably dated, there is still a charm about hearing Cole sing about going to the barbeque stand and ladies borrowing combs from him with newly created instrumentals by The Roots (“Walkin’ My Baby Back Home”), Amp Fiddler (“Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere”), and Brazilian Girls (“El Choclo”). eden ahbez “Nature Boy” is one of those sacred songs in jazz and pop that you just don’t want to mess up, but somehow TV On The Radio‘s blitzkreig take on it fits in quite well, an unnatural feel to a natural song. Salaam Remi brings on Nas for “The Game Of Love” to add his views on the game, and love in general. will.i.am gets Natalie Cole to create a new collaboration between father and daughter in the form of “Straighten Up And Fly Right”, over a funky groove that will get people head nodding on the floor. Major highlights include Stephen & Damien Marley adding their Jamaican stylee to make the vibe of “Calypso Blues” come full circle as they attack hot dogs but show love for shrimp & rice, fish, and banana pie, and Cut Chemist‘s take on “Day In Day Out” from the inside out to reconstruct the song in the CC trademark fashion.
Re: Generations is an effective album musically, but let’s hope the younger generation will take this and help keep the spirit of Nat King Cole and his music alive.
The album cover is somewhat somber, at least if you associate a black with feeling somber, with what looks like something astrological. Jeniferever are a Swedish band who are all about taking their brand of pop and rock to unknown boundaries, only to define and rip them apart. Spring Tides (Monotreme) is an album based on concentrated melodies and countermelodies played at a deliberate pace that helps develop the musical picture in your mind even more. It’s very intense, and one of the more orgasmic songs is the album opener, “Green Meadow Island”. It starts out fairly mellow and sweet, dare I say quaint, and about three minutes in they grunge things up in a wall of noise and distortion that fits that particular moment, as if to say “don’t expect the sweetness to last forever, in fact here’s something downright ugly” and yet when you hear the moving guitar solo, you know that they know exactly what they’re doing. The distortion and haze lasts for a minute before the group relaxes again, and it only helps prepare the listener for the remaining nine tracks.
I enjoy hearing the depth in the composition of these songs, and in fact I love hearing composition, and it unfolding to reveal new things,whether it’s the sunset-like guitar in “Concrete And Glass” or the delicate touches of “The Hourglass” and “Nangijala”. It’s a remarkable listen and it’s great to think music like this can still be released in 2009. Don’t miss this.
Brooklyn’s Soft Black have been in existence for a few years, and are a band fronted by Vincent Cacchione. Their music sounds like the 1980′s never happened, with hints of Bob Dylan, The KinksTom Petty, The Clash, Randy Newman and some black new wave band that somehow weren’t a success. The Earth Is Black (And Other Apocalyptic Lullabies For Children (Plays With Dolls) is an album with the kind of strong pop songs that make you want to drink your life away through their anthemic music and drenched lyrics. “Mouth Is Drippin’” sounds like the kind of song written after a bad date and all you have in your pocket are peanuts and ludes. There’s a Southern sensibility to this even though Cacchione is from New York City, but it’s that abandoned spirit in these songs that make them work not only as good tunes, but stories to share, lyrics to remember and recite later in life.
It’s a great album for those who love singer/songwriters and the nuances they wish to share.
Not sure what makes rock duos work, but somehow it works when certain expected elements in a band or song do no exist. The Naked Hearts consist of Amy Cooper and Noah Wheeler, and while the 6-song These Knees (self-released) sounds like the music of veterans, as a duo they’ve been together for less than a year. Someone described their music as “cat & mouse”, meaning that they both trade off on vocals and pass that concept to each other back and forth ad finitum. I don’t see it that way, in fact I hear their music as an equal balance where they are able to communicate to each other without being that stereotypical call and response game, which it isn’t. You hear songs about life, hope, fears, and dreams through a wall of rock, country, noise, and even more rock, and with lines like tell me what you saw in your dream, did you underestimate the dark? (from “One False Move”) you’re intrigued and want to hear more. At times they sound like a Sonic Youth with a female voice that’s more finely tuned, or to put it better, a cross between Michelle Branch and Kim Gordon. Wheeler’s voice almost sounds bored, almost as deadpan at Beat Happening‘s Calvin Johnson but maybe he’s into Malt-O-Meals and wants to create a soothing, sleepytime adventure for his listeners.
Regardless, the basic qualities are simple yet effective, and I’m curious to see what they could pull off with a full length.
(+ free MP3 download)
Corbin Bleu has become a hit sensation among teens for his role in the High School Musical films. He has released music in the past, including a full length album, but now with the demise of the HSM franchise, the entire cast are looking towards the future. Bleu will no doubt cover a lot of ground, but his love of music has moved him to keep at it as a recording studio, which he does on his second album, Speed Of Light (Hollywood).
The album is primarily pop, and while he has never been afraid to show his R&B side, he’s only done it in spurts. While his album was recorded long before the Rihanna/Chris Brown incident, much of this Auto-Tuned tinged album could easily replace what Brown left behind in terms of effective soul and pop. In fact, it sounds like Brown was the template for all of these songs, even though Bleu has shown to be a talent when it comes to decent singing. The emulation of style in songs like “Rock 2 It”, “Moments That Matter”, and “Close” will make this great music for any and all future Disney films, and that’s where Bleu needs to break out. Nothing wrong with friendly, but he needs to work with the right producers and songwriters before his entire catalog ends up sounding like the credits for every Pokemon cartoon. In other words, something a bit more ballsy, and I’m not saying he needs to go hip-hop, as it may come off as forced as a Ray J penis imprint, but to be able to capture a style that fits him and his style, as Speed Of Light is too safe. It’s music for pre-teens, and he could capture a few more hearts if he tried something more mature.
DJ Myxzlplix is back with a brand new mix CD, and this time he’s tossing around the best in soul, jazz, funk, and hip-hop.
Strictly Social Mixed Vol. 4 (Strictly Social) is a mix you’ll want to listen to repeatedly, for all of the blends, along with song selection, is perfect for the long haul. It’s not just something that you’ll place on your digital player and wait a few years, this is a mix that works because all of the songs feel like they’re meant to be heard together, everything is carefully selected.
Here is the track listing: 1. take it slow-boozoo bajou
2. revolution ft. lyrics born & the mamaz-j boogie
3. the final view-nujabes
4. air signs-illa j
5. keep it real-milkbone
6. broken-ursula rucker
7. u do ft. stacy epps-jazz liberator
8. sunshine ft. phonte-marsha ambrosius
9. draw your bow-restless soul ft. shea soul
10. talking to you-brother dvooa
11. you and i-kissey asplund
12. believe-ayah
13. put it down f. kissey asplund-replife
14. this love-vanessa freeman
15. mojo-erin leah
16. underlined(rapson rmx)-atjazz ft. ernesto
17. keep your shirt on-hint ft. laura vane
18. come get with it-basic vocab
19. sun vibes(beef wellington rmx)-swamburger
20. i wanna dance-brother dvooa
21. want you to know-vanessa marquez
22. my gift (destroyer rmx)-rogiers
(free MP3 download)
Why Joe Budden has not become the big star he deserves to be remains one of the biggest mysteries in hip-hop, and Padded Room (Amalgam Digital) proves why.
The guy knows how to tap into all of the right formulas: great club friendly tracks, make songs strictly for the streets, offer something for the ladies, and then a song which touches on his love and commitment for family. While that template has become a huge cliche in the last 15 years, Joe Budden handles it in a way that shows he knows what he has to do to be heard, and now that people are listening, he’s going to give them something worth listening to. That’s the major difference between him and others, the fact that he wants to give fans something worth listening to. The album opens with what could be considered an early reveal of the moral of the story, or the great beginning to a movie. “Blood On The Wall” (produced by Moss) is a song that would be one of those “instant classics” that fans often look for but miss, while “Adrenaline” (produced by Dub B) has him breaking out heavy metal style, and he would do well if he did some tracks with Mike Shinoda. The rest of the songs have an R&B feel that at times seems like too much, but that’s not his fault. Why this guy is not on the same level as Ludacris, I’ll never know.
Eyran Katsenelenbogen is a pianist who has released a number of albums over the years, and 88 Fingers (Evran) is his tenth solo album. These type of albums are always interesting, because it’s just the musician and the instrument and with a piano you can take the music to new and interesting places. For this album he recorded a number of personal favorites, including “Dream A Little Dream Of me”, “A Night In Tunisia”, “Mack The Knife”, and “Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans”, along with a few other standards and classical pieces. The classical touches are nice too, and to me it helps broaden their playing quite a bit, or at least I hear that when I know a jazz pianist also has classical influences. They are able to keep within the boundaries of Western classical music, but are able to go over and beyond the boundaries when they play blues, jazz, or pop.
What I enjoy about this album is that even if you know these songs inside out, you don’t know how he’ll interpret them until they are heard, all expectations are thrown out. He’s a very eloquent player and one of those who deserves a serious listen, be it on disc or digital file, or in a live performance.
Scripts ‘N Screwz are a hip-hop duo consisting of MC Scripts and producer Loose Screwz, and both call St. Louis home. The New Noise (self-released) is a mixture of what they have done individually over the years, but bring it into the new sound they’re putting forth today. Their bio states they bring “their blend of experimetnal innovation and mastery of hip hop fundamentals”, but while I do not hear anything particularly experimental or adventurous (the closest thing would be the distorted samples and vocal tracks in “Hands High”, as they at times have more of a nice retro-soul sound), I do hear the fundamentals of what makes rap music so great, especially in “Fairy Tale”, which looks at hip-hop music as a delightful fantasy. “Eyes Wide Shut”, “My First Rhyme”, and “The war Outside” are definitely powerful songs done in a fashion that rings of the old but is very much done with the confidence of today.
Fans of SA-RA, The Roots, Crown City Rockers, and N*E*R*D will find a lot to sink their teeth into with this album, bring them to the front of the line so naysayers can beg for less. Foolish naysaers.
The name Kinetic Stereokids seems very cool, the description of the group and their approach sounded like something I would really like, but their bio quoted a review from Seattle radio station KEXP: a particular kind of post-rock from a post-industrial city … Imagine if DJ Shadow were into noise rock, if the Dead Milkmen rapped, or if My Bloody Valentine composed purely with found sounds.
It’s a bold statement, so I was curious to see/hear if this was true.
The post-industrial city they speak of is Flint, Michigan, the home of documentary film director Michael Moore and Grand Funk Railroad. If you know anything about Flint’s history, then you know what a band could sound like if they were to come from there. This is that sound, an abrasive and aggressive sound that’s complimented with hip-hop-styled rhythms where a loop becomes the anchor for each song. They bring in an acoustic element to something that sounds like some obscure acid rock gem from 1971 but also have the jingle-jangle of countless alternative bands of the 80′s and 90′s, so you may hear some Poi Dog Pondering here, and American Music Club or Violent Femmes over there. You hear a clusterfuck of sound and I know for me I was unsure about the direction they wanted to go. I think that for them, any direction is a legitimate path, so if a violin or fiddle sounds like a sarangi, that’s completely fine. Imagine Beck if he was able to be spliced and cloned into five individuals, and you would have the spontaneity of Kinetic Stereokids. In a way they are very much like their name, playing mental games with their stereos and trying to see who can do the most out of a record, or in this case their instruments or “found sounds”.
Even with the bag of sounds they bring into the studio, you either have a purposeful agenda or just create massive child-like noise, which is not a bad thing. What Kinetic Stereokids want to do is create a slightly warped vision of pop and rock perhaps to compliment a slightly warped world. It’s pop but quirky in the same fashion Flaming Lips quirky even though you know that there is genius in what they do. You can apply that to these guys too, but hopefully they will not have to wait over 15 years to hear it.
In The Run-Off Groove #164, I stated that the music of Jah Cure is ” is very much in a positive light, as he looks towards a much brighter future.” This was written to discuss his release from serving time in prison, and how he looked to turn his music into a vehicle to promote peace, harmony, and change. Two years later, he continues to do this with The Universal Cure (SoBe/Fontana).
First off, the album is released by SoBe, a company known for their juices so that caught me by surprise, but let’s get away from label politics. What you will hear here is a man who is comfortable in being one of Jamaica’s brightest stars not only in reggae, but in soul and R&B. In fact, I think a number of so-called R&B artists in the United States should listen to his vocals, lyrics, and performances here because he is about putting back class into his music. In tracks like “Mr. Jailer”, “Soon Come”, and “Hot Long Time” it pretty much sounds like late 70′s/early 80′s soul with a reggae tinge, and when he gets into the ballads, be it a romantic tune or love of a grander scale, he’s comfortable in that too.
For fans of Jawaiian music, I can see this album getting a lot of airplay back home, especially “Freedom” as it sounds like a song Sean Na’auao would sound comfortable in covering. His music is very humbling, and with enough of a promotional push it should get a lot of attention. The appearance of Flo-Rida, Mavado, and Jr. Reid in “Hot Long Time” helps make a good album much better, and one hopes radio will be able to put all of these songs into heavy rotation. He shows that he is much more than just a reggae artist, and I hope he continues to show that with future releases.
(Universal Cure will be released on April 14th, the CD can be pre-ordered through CD Universe.)
Everybody, Come Outside (Lujo) by Pomegranates has the Cincinnati band back at it with their brand of power pop that mixes up elements of the old with a modern urge.
I listened to it and it sounds like Flaming Lips combined with Coheed & Cambria, and the guy’s singing voice is high and whiny, which I get to a point but it makes me laugh because I can sing like that and I don’t have a singing career. What’s up with this?
Anyway, it’s carefree powerpop that these guys know how to do very well, I love the stop and suspense of “Beachcomber” and the clouds of “Tesseract” and “Jerusalem Has A Bad Boy” help bring the song out of a lofty situation and into the warmth of hearts that desire something to care for that is very emotional and sensitive, but still contains its huevos. The title is perfect: Everybody, Come Outside. It’s a return to innocence, and I would like to hug it.
There’s a line that a lot of journalists like to use, and I plan on using it in this review. We like to refer to something “coming out of nowhere”, which is a cliched way of saying that we as fans and critics are blown away by what we’re listening to because it leads to another cliche, the one that goes “where has this artist been all this time?” or “all my life?” I would like to apply these cliches to a great band out of Bremerton, Washington, but for the sake of not confusing anyone I’ll just say “Seattle area”, who call themselves Alligators. Their bio states their music “can be described as a high-energy, precise pop laced with beautiful harmonies and clever arrangements.” I definitely agree with this, as Piggy & Cups ( Applehouse) has a few U2 and The Alarm sensibilities with an occasional hint of early R.E.M. (I think it has to do with the Richenbacher’s I hear) and the kind of vocals and background vocals that sounds like a celebration of the best that AM radio used to offer (back when kids used to listen to AM radio for fun). “Mama, Stop” combines all of this with a sharp love for Electric Light Orchestra and courageous guitar riffs that are tough but not a nuisance. Some have compared them to Radiohead and the only similarities I hear are the range in Joshua Trembley ‘s voice in “Original Fear”, but his range on the album is varied.
There’s a sense of freedom in these songs too, and maybe it’s my association with the sounds that are on here, be it the sampled Mellotron’s or the background vocals that remind me of a time when background vocals and choruses were what made life worth living, and perhaps that too is a cliche. What’s not a cliche is a band’s need to rock and push the pop envelope to the limit. Pop is the template, but the musicianship of these five gentlement makes it feel like they’re wanting to kick pop’s balls hard in order to show it can be one of many things and not just one thing.
With a name like Boom Box Repair Kit, one might expect that this might be good, right?
Well, My Dear Antagonist didn’t quite thrill me in the way I had hoped for, but maybe that’s due to me hoping for a lot wit a great band name. However, what they did offer is something a bit more lighthearted, or what someone called “a new breed of Afro-Caribbean rock”, or basically what the group does is take on various styles of music and run it through the rock and pop filter to create something that sounds like all of the great hybrids you wished to listen to as a kid. Imagine Smashing Pumpkins mixed in with Los Lobos, Rapeman, and some young new band you heard on the festival circuit. Or how about this, remember when MTV meant something? Yeah, seemed like generations ago but believe it or not, MTV did matter. Boom Box Repair Kit would have been the leader of a movement back then, but this isn’t about then, this is about now. I like how some of the vocals have little to no effects applied to it, reminds me of World Party and The Smithereens on vacation in Cuba. It makes me wish Ozomatli progressed in this direction.
Bill Wimmer‘s new album is an interesting one in that the entire album was recorded live in front of an audience but it seems they’re told not to applause or anything until the end. Okay, I’m assuming that’s what happened judging by the sound of it, maybe Wimmer was inspired by what Joe Jackson did on his Big World album, but Project Omaha (Wimjazz) is one of those albums that could like any other random jazz album, but the musicianship and comraderie amongst them is something that doesn’t make this a random album. Wimmer brings in guitarist Dave Stryker, drummer Victor Lewis, bassist Mark Luebbe, keyboardist Tony Gulizia and percussionist Joey Gulizia to create an album that is approrpriately lively, and it would have been great to have been one of the people in the crowd witnessing this. “Soy Califa” starts off like musicians getting ready for some kind of war, with Wimmer’s saxophone work being the call to progress forward. Stryker’s guitar work has impressed me in the past and here he almost shifts the song to his direction before bringing it back, around, and full circle to his bandmates. The song runs for almost nine minutes and could’ve went on for another five had they chosen to do so.
“Rhyne, Rhythm and Song”, “Geo Rose”, “Gypsy Blue”, and the album closer “Carnaval” (the latter clocking in at 9:43) should convince everyone that these guys should go on tour for the next few years, there’s a driving force in their sound that sounds brilliant. My first thoughts when I heard Tony Gulizia’s keyboards was “do I like this? Do I want to like this?” But I believe the steel drums heard in one of the tracks are actually played by him on the keyboard, and it was simply adding a unique color to the music. The only turn-off, for me at least, was Tony Gulizia’s vocals, as he sings on four of the nine tracks featured. His voice is actually fine, but I am not big on jazz vocals and while it helped to ease up the intensity of the album, sometimes it felt like it went to a grinding holt. Fans fo jazz vocals will probably cringe and say his performances are superb, but I just don’t want to listen to it. If you were to take the five instrumentals on here, it would’ve made for a perfect album that clocks in at under 40 minutes. Apart from my personal preference, this album is for anyone who craves the mental action of musicians at work, and re-living it through repeated plays.
The Wright Family are a group where the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” is certainly true. One guy looks like he just got off of work on Friday at 5pm and he’s ready to go to the batting cages. Another guy looks like he owns some real estate and wants to hang loose. The lady in the group has a 60′s vibe about her and appears to look like one of those moms on a TBS weekend marathon. Just by that alone, what kind of music do you think they record? alt.country? Folk? Alternative rock? It may surprise you that these three individuals create hip-hop.
The World’s Happiest Gremlin (self-released) reminds me of something that Slug of Atmosphere would be associated with, or the kind of album that would be perfect on Rhymesayers with that loose-yet-aggressive flow that comes from late night mental sessions mixed in with week and imported alcohol. “Chance To Change” sounds like a dusted track with a laid back, almost downtempo vibe to it mixed with a hard rock guitar riff with a blow that has a slight Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony feel with a slight Kool Keith motif.
Away from the comparisons, it sounds like some damn good independent hip-hop with top notch production, rhymes and flows that sounds like a hungry MC in need of a decent meal, and the occasional female background vocals that add to the songs without being overbearing. Could become the sleeper album of 2009.
The Great Kat is back with a brand new DVD called Beethoven’s Guitar Shred (TPR), and while the back cover lists seven music videos and four extras (one of which is the credits for the DVD), I’m curious as to what’s the reason for this?
I’ve been a fan of her and her work since high school, and that was 22 years ago. This is a lady to takes her classical training and thrashes it around by adapting it to playing electric guitar and playing speed metal in a ridiculous manner, and I say ridiculous in a musical fashion. She does this by wearing fishnets and fetish gear, smeared make-up and always being seen with her mouth agape. Fair enough.
The seven songs on here are very brief, and by the time you get into them, they’re over. I love the homemade/independent feel of this project, but for those who may not have heard of her, it may be a bit confusing as to why she’s just letting out brief spurts. I would love to see a more relaxed Kat in the studio, recording, composing, practicing, take away the blood, gore, and sexy outfits and allow fans to at least see the woman behind the savagery work herself to become the GOD she proclaims she is. Many musicians, from Michael Kamen to Frank Zappa have brought in their classical influences into their brand of rock, and The Great Kat is no exception, but it would be cool to see her teach a lesson to younger ladies or girls who may not only want to mix together classical and metal, but who want to be aspiring musicians. Maybe The Great Kat is not ready to be anything but The Great Kat, and that is alright, but I’d like to suggest a DVD with more stuff on there than a few music videos. With that said, it is worth the $8 she is charging for it, but cram it with goodies to make the non-believers want to beg in front of her until she forgives them for not knowing.
…AND NOW, THE HAWAIIAN MUSIC CORNER: Danny Carvalho is a young slack key guitarist who has released a few projects over the years, and it’s a chance to hear him develop as a musician. Somewhere (Lava Rock Music) will be an album enjoyed by ki ho’alu enthusiasts along with fans of the acoustic guitar, for he is a musician who will definitely influence tomorrow’s guitarists in the same way he was influenced by his favorites.
On this new album he does new versions of “Aia Hiki Mai” (Atta Isaacs‘ version may be the most familiar), “Maui Chimes”, and a great tribute to Leonard Kwan, a medley of “Aloha Ku’u Home” and “E Mama E”. “Pua Lilia” is a well known Hawaiian song written in 1916 by Alfred Alohikea but I know it as a Sunday Manoa track from their 1971 classic Cracked Seed, and Carvalho’s take on it is great, I love some of the drones he creates with the high string. A personal favorite is “Sangisangy”, a composition recorded and writte by Zafimahaleo Rasolofondraoslo (who records as Dama). The original version was recorded as a way to show the artist’s African roots, but Carvalho states in the liner notes “although written on the other side of the world, its composition and style may have beebn influenced by Hawaiian music.” It is possible that since it has been said that the Hawaiian slide guitar may have been influenced by a musician from India, perhaps the Indian influence also made it throughout parts of Africa, or that it is simply the continuation of the musicianship and dedication of the guitar. His versions of John Lennon‘s “Imagine” and Simon & Garfunkel‘s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” are also done respectfully and are sure to become favorites among many.
Despite the influences that come through the songs he covers or the flavorings he adds to his playing, it still sounds distinctly Hawaiian. Carvalho is taking ki ho’alu into the 21st century with grace and let’s hope he encourages musicians around the world and of course in Hawai’i to pick up the guitar to listen, learn, and perpetuate in the same way he is.
That’s it for this week’s Run-Off Groove. If you have any new music, DVD’s, books, or hot sauce, please contact me through my MySpace page and I’ll pass along my contact address. In the past I have generally frowned over receiving digital files, but I will accept them on a case by case basis. I still prefer hard copy as I want to hear the quality of the recording (which is important to me), but digital files are fine.
I’m also slowly catching up with the barrage of music that came out in the last month, so if you sent something, have patience, they will be reviewed.
Welcome to The Run-Off Groove #230. I am John Book, and it seems a lot of people are angry at President Barack Obama even though he hasn’t been in office for a year. Why the hate, mates? Let’s not get political here, there are countless websites and blogs where you can discuss this.
Anyway, if you are new to this column, let me tell you a little about things here. Each review features links to the artist’s home page or MySpace page, so if you want to hear them, you can do so easily. Links are also provided to make a vinyl, CD, or digital purchase, since your local mall probably doesn’t have most of these titles. If you would like to buy the compact disc, click the icon that looks like this:
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Now, the column.
Los Angeles heads, along with DJ and turntable fanatics, will no doubt know who Tarek Captan was. Better known as DJ Dusk, he was an important part of the L.A. DJ’ing community who united the best and showed what hip-hop was, is, and what it could/can be with a series of shows and presentations that live on with the help of various DVD releases and YouTube clips. Dusk was known for putting together the Root Down Soundclash, which brought the Jamaican aesthetic of battling your sound system through music and equipment into DJ territory. As with ska, reggae, and dancehall, the soundsystem is a musical geek out, where you take pride in knowing you are killing someone with sound.
The passing of DJ Dusk three years ago did place a void in the L.A. DJ’ing community, and to be honest no one had intentions of releasing this. DJ Dusk’s Root Down Soundclash (Mochilla) is a lo-fi affair in that it was nothing but two guys with camcorders documenting an event, something both Brian Cross (a/k/a photographer/author B+) and Eric Coleman did on a regular basis. The sound is taken directly from the camcorders, not the board, so you beat bootleggers will have to recreate these sounds on your own. The footage can be rough at times, but if you like the look of homemade porn, you’ll enjoy the bootleg vibe of this show. But what you get in the three soundclashes on here are examples of hip-hop battling, using the techniques rooted in the music and culture’s Jamaican roots.
The DVD begins with a battle between Madlib and Cut Chemist, Southern California record junkies taking things to the upper level and beyond. In early 2001, Cut Chemist still had the woolly hair and Madlib was still the hidden secret for many underground hip-hop heads. Each of them tap into their own catalogs to create, recreate, and preview songs from their catalogs, so you may hear hints of Pleasure Web’s “Music Man” within. Madlib concentrates deeply on his set-up while Cut Chemist has a bit more fun, although equally as determined to make sure his system is the best. The most interesting soundclash is the battle between will.i.am and Thes One, and this is will.i.am in early 2002, months before mainstream American discovered who he was. Thes One shows off his skills in the beats he created, but with will.i.am combining music from his hard drive and playing a Moog live, one can clearly see a genius and musical nerd at work, and it’s a trip to see and hear. Then it’s a 2003 soundclash between Ohno and Exile, and this one is really loose and incredibly funky as both DJ’s dig deep into their crates and slowly develop the tracks that they have been known for. In each of the performances, each producer slap each other silly as if to say “now do me one better” and each battle has a clear winner. You have to watch this and decide for yourself.
I would have preferred this DVD if it was mixed from a board recording, but DJ Dusk’s Root Down Soundclash is very much of the moment, without edits, cuts, or post-production overdubs. What you see and hear is what people in the audience saw and heard as well, and you will be blown away in the same manner as That Kid Named Miles, J-Rocc, Rhettmatic, Egon, and Nu-Mark are when you see them on stage reaction to music and history in the making. The DVD in many ways shows respect to DJ Dusk, who did this not only to hear great music and share it with the people but to allow DJ’s and producers to, to paraphrase a Jeru lyric, leave their egos at home and brings their skills to the battle. A respectable document from start to finish.
Jupiter Rising, according to their bio, create “sounds from teh past, present, and future”. If that’s true, the future doesn’t look too bright.
Okay, I’ll admit that that is a bit harsh, but this self-proclaimed urban-electro duo are nothing but a pop duo with R&B touches and The Quiet Hype sounds like everyone else on the Top 100 charts. “Guarded” has vocalist Jessie Payo sounding like everyone from Jessica Simpson to Faith Hill, and the bad thing about that is if radio is the first time you’re exposed to Jupiter Rising, you’re going to get lost among the countless other anonymous singers who sound the same. The music, created by the production half of Jupiter Rising, Spencer Nezey, is done quite well but to me it works just as well as commercial knock-off music. You know, brand name deodorant wants a Justin Timberlake vibe but can’t afford Timberlake or his recording, so they find something cheaper. This is what they would end up finding.
Truth is, Payo is not a bad singer and Nezey definitely knows how to make incredible music, but they’re wasting their talents on creating bullshit music like this. Then again, it might not be bullshit to the potential millions who will know them, or at least the anonymous million people who will care when it’s heard but not seen at an ice hockey game. It’s musical wallpaper created for the lowest common denominator, and if this is all that they’re capable of doing as a duo, why would anyone want to stick around to hear their next projects? If Nezey does an album under his own name or another project that is distant from this, he could become one of the hottest producers of the 10′s (i.e the next decade.). We’re only one year from that, so I’ll wait until he comes up with his masterpiece-in-the-works. Reach towards the back pocket, I can’t wait.
LoDeck & Omega One are back together with one of the more impressive hip-hop albums of the last year, Postcards From the Third Rock (Johnny 23). LoDeck has been called one of the more gifted lyricists of our time, and he proves himself many times over in tracks like “On A Pain”, “A Day In The Triangle”, and “Shrimp”. What also makes this album work is how different each song is from the other, LoDeck makes a successful effort in changing his style and flow for each song, and Omega One compliments him by digging deep into the archives for a range of sounds that sound like an alien circus just came into town.
The best song off this album is “Maui”, and not just because it has a Hawaiian word in the title, but LoDeck is low-key, lo-fi, and almost coming off as a low-rider as he raps in a way that sounds like he just left a garage full of pakalolo smoke, with B-Real, Chino XL, Madlib, King Tee, and Funkdoobiest passing the bong around. You can smell the resin as he speaks about something that comes off like a sick freestyle, it’s just his mind at work, coming up with stuff that may not make sense at first but give him a few more lines and everything finally comes into focus.
Postcards From the Third Rock is an album that is of its own time, on its own rhymes and beats, in its own world, there aren’t many (if any) albums that sound like this. It’s a straight up hip-hop album where fans of raw lyrics and tight beats are going to leave yellow puddles in their listening areas. In other words, this is a quality hip-hop album that is spontaneous because there isn’t an effort to make this sound like the last twenty albums that were trying to copy the next big thing. A true original, now go get some Bambu
Cool, calm, and collected: a lot of times you don’t need the extravagance to share your talents to the world, and one person who doesn’t plan on going over board is jazz vocalist Mark Winkler, whose album title is self explanatory: Winkler is about to do his thing Till I Get It Right (FreeHam).
Long time readers of this column will know how fickle I can be with jazz vocal albums. If it’s really good, I’m going to praise it inside and out. If it’s nothing more than “dentist jazz”, I still want to be able to find something that I may like, even if the music is ugly. Winkler doesn’t have to worry about making ugly music, for he sounds like the kind of guy who knows and loves the music and goes out of his way to make it each own. He’s in jazz and pop mode throughout, but he and the band also dabble into a bit of soul too, such as “How Can That Makes You Fat?”. For an extra touch of class, Manhattan Transfer‘s Cheryl Bentyne duets with him in “Cool”, and as the album goes on, one can’t help but enjoy and admire Winkler’s performances. Again, cool, calm, and collection, and very smooth.
The cover photos may show hints of him admiring the spotlight (if not himself), and perhaps it is deserving, but there’s no ego involved, the emphasis is on the songs, the vocal performances, and the musicianship. You can listen to this on repeat and not get bored, the type of jazz album you may want to buy for family and friends even though you know it’s your guilty pleasure. Don’t feel guilty.
Electronic music is one of my favorite genres, and I’m not talking about just the electro boom bap bim with all of the chug-a-lug of the Chemical Brothers, but also some of the minimalist electronic excursions that I allow myself to get involved in, at least for 45 to 60 minutes. Roger O’Connell has provided my next excursion in the form of his second album, Songs From The Silver Box (Great Society/World’s Fair), and whether you like Brian Eno, Kraftwerk, Richard Wright, Gary Numan, or Tangerine Dream, there is something for everyone on this album.
O’Connell has performed with The Cure for years, but he wanted to be able to let loose on his own without the restrictions of his boss. His previous album The Truth In Me, received positive reviews by the press and while I didn’t hear it, I can sense a bit of tranquility in the music he creates. The entire album was performed with a Moog Voyager, everything done by multitrack, and what you hear are songs that offer a warmth within the mechanics of his creation. They would be the perfect music to listen to on an escalator, as it would to hear them at a huge open air music festival as the crowd weaves back and forth like a field of grass. The playing and arrangements are very open, sometimes sparse, and that gives the music its minimalistic touch, where you have to ride it out with him in order for everything to gel together. Once it does, it will become a personal favorite that you want to suggest to everyone willing to listen. Songs From The Silver Box is very cinematic, but in a very monochrome way, and after listening to it and walking away, you’ll understand why.
Jazz music in a different motif: some shun the idea while others embrace it and change into the outfit the music provides. Billet-Deux are a quintet consisting of Troy Chapman (guitar), Roger Bennett (drums), Michael Yocco (bass), Josephina Hunner (guitar), and James Hinkley (cello/vocals), and their music sounds like something you’d hear in a European cafe or jazz festival on the East Coast than the place they call home: Seattle. Then again if you know your Seattle history and the city’s ethnic heritage in the last 150 years, their brand of gypsy jazz will make perfect sense. Chapman plays with such fluidity that you may catch yourself playing the song repeatedly to catch every note and melody, while Bennett’s drumming is subtle but powerful enough to remind you of the many drumming greats of yesteryear. When you hear them play Dizzy Gillespie‘s “Be-Bop” or Charles Mingus‘ “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat”, one can only imagine these legends smiling and tapping their feet if they were around to do so (Mingus might yell and curse them out, but that would be his way of showing approval).
You do hear a heavy Django Reinhardt on Deux (self-released), as both Chapman and Hunner have a way of letting themselves go and letting the time and essence of things take its course. When Hinkley gets in their with his band mates, he can either sprinkle the music with delicate sounds or take a lead role, as he does in “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat”.
The aforementioned songs sound nothing like what you’d expect, especially not in this setting, and yet you feel a need to welcome their interpretations into your lives because it feels… right. Gypsy jazz may not be the most perfect term to describe what they do, but if it’s the entry to the gateway, Billet-Deux have a number of keys ready to present to you.
While not as prosperous as the almighty Sizzla Kalonji, Mavado is proving himself to be one of the hottest reggae/dancehall artists out now. His last album was very rugged and raw, ripped from the streets of Jamaica where it seemed one could not escape. For Mr. Brooks… a better tomorrow (VP), Mavado has recorded an album that is more accessible, pop friendly, and it could easily help him gain a greater audience around the world.
It’s a positive album, and not that he didn’t promote positivity before, but it almost seems like a 180 for him. In “So Blessed” he talks about not being lured in by the fires of babylon, and that regardless of what happens, he know he will survive any situation. Rather than this being an album about someone looking out from the inside, it’s Mavado looking at the world with a very different outlook than before, and the transformation is quite impressive. “Overcome” has Mavado extending the struggle outside of the island nation and letting other sufferers around the world that one has to have to look and live positively.
I’m someone who generally hates Auto-Tune, and while it is heard throughout this album, it’s used sparingly, something other artists should listen to. It’s hard to say what Mavado I like best: the brutal ruffneck who isn’t afraid to speak out, or the one who wants to offer guidance through peaceful living. Mr. Brooks… a better tomorrow represents the latter, and I’m curious to see how much this will influence other Jamaican artists to do the same.
(Mr. Brooks… a better tomorrow will be released on March 3rd.)
Elephant Man is unpredictable, you never know what he’s going to say in his music. In the last few years he has made a huge impact on the world of dancehall music and now you’ll get to celebrate him with the 18-song Energy God: The Very Best Of Elephant Man (VP). You get a chance to hear “Elephant Message” (using the famous diwali riddim), “Pon De River, Pon De Bank”, “Nuh Linga”, “Jook Gal”, “Genie Dance” (both using the Coolie Dance riddim) “Krazy”, “Bun Bad Mind”, and “Gully Creppa”, and many more throughout this album, and if you’ve never been moved to dance to one of his tracks, you will now. He is truly indeed the dancehall king, although Beenie Man might have issue with that.
The CD comes with a bonus DVD featuring an interview, some live performances, and a look at some of his more well known music videos.
(Energy God: The Very Best Of Elephant Man will be released on February 17th.)
Reigns create the kind of electronic-based music that will take you to the unknown and leave you there to dwell in its mystical odor until you suffocate in pleasure. At least that’s what I experienced upon listening to The House On The Causeway (Monotreme).
The group like to create their albums centered around a theme, and in this case brothers Tim and Roo Farthing take on the surroundings of where the music was recorded and turn it into a moody collection of melancholy with eeriness and chicken skin felt throughout. If Ween were a goth band who were heavily influenced by Rise Robots Rise and early Depeche Mode, well… it’s a silly way to make a comparison but I hear some of those elements in Reigns’ atmospheric, minimalistic sounds, the kind of sounds The Buggles would be happy in making in their own way. “Everything Beyond These Walls Have Been Raised” (free MP3 download) would be the kind of song that would make new fans bow down in honor of their newly found musical gods. From the carefully selected pace of the singing to the spacing in the musical arrangements, everything is deliberate and despite the electronic landscape, it’s very personal and very human, intimate as well if you allow it to be that.way. The mixture of natural sounds also helps enhance the mood and texture of each song.
A very moving album from siblings who know how to egg each other without cracking the shell.
Gretchen Phillips has been know for years for her bold music, and for those who have loved her brand of “lesbian folk music”, they will be surprised at the pop touches of I Was Just Comforting Her (Seasick Sailor). Some of the music holds true to her folk roots, but in a track like “Honey, I Feel So Good” you hear the kind of early 60′s, pre-Beatles pop that are a staple of thrift stores across the country, with a mix of old style country, and a bit of innocence in the lyrics that makes it sound of a time, timely, yet also timeless: Don’t ever stop loving me so
Just this way, I love what you know
I relinquish control, it just gets in my way
My legs are tingling I’m exploding through space
And you’ve got that sweet lovemaking look on your face
My pleasure is yours
Honey, I feel so good
Honey, I feel so good
You may get a few memories of classic records by Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Crystal Gayle, and Loggins & Messina just hearing the twang of the steel guitar and the voice choir heard in the background, and just as those sounds may have sounded daring years ago, it’s a bold statement now to the qualities that are still strong in the 21st century.
Despite the pop tendencies, Phillips’ lyrics are just as moving, strong, and occasionally humorous as they ever were. Older fans will not need to worry, because the pop-oriented songs will only help people get into the works of this very creative artist, someone isn’t afraid to say “I tried and I tried to get you by the side of the pool so I could stick my fingers into you” (from “Swimming”) or “I had the pleasure of being stuck in traffic again/behind a car whose bumper sticker read: ”Blessed Is The Country Whose God Is The Lord”/I guess that means the U.S., and I guess that means your heathen country will have to be destroyed” (from “In Case Of Rapture”)
The pop qualities of I Was Just Comforting Her could easily make her accessible to fans of The Dixie Chicks, Kasey Chambers, and Wilco, and by covering Sonic Youth (as she does in “Burning Inside”) she will keep the edginess in alternative/underground circles, which is a good thing. Phillips herself calls this album “a big, thick slab of humanism”, and after hearing the last few minutes of “In Case Of Rapture”, you’ll want to get human with someone and celebrate the rich artistry of someone who will no doubt continue to tantalize and excite her inner muse. This will be the album music fans will talk about ten to twenty years from now as an album of value.
NOODLES!!!
Okay, maybe it’s not the best word to start a review, but it is one legitimate way to describe the music on Devotion (Coalition of Creative Artists) by The Rocco John Group. It’s jazz with e leaning towards bebop and hard bop, but Rocco John Iacovone (alto and soprano saxphones), along with Dalius Naujokaitis (drums and percussion), Aaron Keane (bass), and Michael Irwin (trumpet) sound like four guys from different places coming into New Orleans, playing jazz in their own way while honoring the influence the city and its music has had on them.
The music on the album are, in th words of Iacovone, about searching for “limitless possibilities”, and they do just that in “Riffin’ For Eric”, said to be written in honor of Eric Dolphy, whom you can definitely hear in Iacovone’s playing, especially as he goes modal. He bites the reed, and the band continue on, getting involved with each other and themselves, and one of the best moments is when drumer Naujokaitis casually walks into a bit of funk before coming out, dusting his sticks off and getting back into jazz mode. A lot of times when jazz artists cover the music of the past, it’s the old standards and warmed over chestnuts, which isn’t a bad thing. But when a group of musicians get trippy and start showing their love of jazz as it became more “out there” than ever, that’s when I stop everything I’m doing and take a listen, and on top of them, they’re good too. Devotion could not have been a more appropriate title that not only honors the musicians of the past, but the jazz of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
These days in the music business, you go to where the money is, even if it means doing things that your core audience will think is foolish, even if it means “a check”. Case in point: Jake Hertzog. He is the music director for The Naked Brothers, the TV group featuring Nat and Alex Wolff, the sons of musician Michael Wolff (the one-time band director for The Arsenio Hall Show, and who plays piano on three of the ten tracks here). If you gave kids, nephews, nieces, or have a think for Nickelodeon, you probably know who The Naked Brothers are. A smart person also knows that The Naked Brothers make better music than The Jonas Brothers, but that’s another topic, another time. So sure, it’s what gives Hertzog the checks, but for a chance to hear how he truly plays, pick up his new album, Chromatosphere (That’s Out).
Hertzog plays some nice decent jazz with a bit of a rock edge, so if you’re a fan of Allan Holdsworth, Steve Lukather, or Al DiMeola, you’ll enjoy the world Hertzog plays here. “California Hills” sounds like the kind of jazz fusion one might have heard on the first three Journey albums, or some of the more progressive moments of a lot of rock/pop bands of the mid to late 70′s. “Almost Like Being In Love” is straightforward jazz with a slight nod to bebop, and in “Bonding” he goes out of his way to not play by the rules. “Back” is on the soulful tip, and one could easily imagine Michael McDonald, George Benson, or Al Jarreau doing their thing to it. “Lullaby For A Dreamer” is mellow enough to gain some smooth jazz radio airplay, but he surpasses the limits of mainstream radio in the 9 minute “In Your Own Sweet Way”, which I’m sure is further explored in a live setting.
After hearing this, you’ll realize Hertzog is a musician’s musician, and it makes sense that he apply his talents to a group like The Naked Brothers, because he knows how to play any and all genres without hesitation, even though he keeps himself within the boundaries of jazz and soul. Chromatosphere is maybe not the full vision of his musical capabilities, but it is sure a nice glance into the world that he will hopefully continue to dive in to in the years to come. The man is only 22, so as long as he keeps healthy and stays on a good path, we have at least 40 years of music to look forward to.
The swing of bossa nova and smooth Latin jazz comes through with Matt Finley, whose Brazilian Wish (Kingsmill Music) is an album that makes you wish you could shave all over and get a full body tan. It’s that good.
This is the kind of jazz that you can’t argue over nor deny, the kind of smoothness that may bring to mind the sounds of Herb Alpert, Herbie Mann, or some other guy with Herb in their name. Finley plays trumpet and flugelhorn, and as he plays he does it in a way that is soothing, romantic, and yet clear and distinct, no stress whatsoever. When he and the band get into a samba or something more furious, it’s their chance to let loose and get into the minds of its listeners, then they go right into something more luxurious and sensual. Good jazz makes you want to listen seriously, but good jazz also makes for the best mood music, perfect for those early Sunday morning lovemaking sessions. Get your suntan lotion, your bedroom is going to smell like coconut tonight.
For jazz fans who want something a bit more exotic, take a listen to Boleros (self-released), the new album by Raquel Bitton.
She takes on jazz with a Spanish and French flair, with the kind of charm and gentility that has thrilled audiences around the world. Upon listening to “Solamente una Vez”, one can tell why many have compared here to the legendary Edith Piaf, and upon covering standards like “Besame Mucho” and “Toda una Vida”, you can hear why these songs are as strong as they were then they were originally written and recorded. One can say that this is lounge music, but it’s the best lounge jazz you haven’t heard in years.
The album was recorded at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, so if you enjoyed the many albums that have been down there, you will hear that sound on this album, produced by Bitton and Gerald Prolman and engineered by Raga Sardina and Jesse Nichols. It’s one of those albums where you wish a higher resolution was available, but even if you listen to this on a clock radio, you will hear one hell of an album by one hell of a woman with one hell of a voice. Aiya!
(Boleros will be released on March 17th.)
Iron City are a band fronted by guitarist Charlie Apicella, and he leads a combo that includes drummer Alan Korzin and Hammond B-3 man Beau Sasser. Put The Flavor On It (self-released) is the perfect album for fans who love their jazz with a pinch of boogaloo and 70′s-flavored jazz fun, and of course for those who love the guitar and the thickness of the B-3.
While Apicella is the primary focus, he allows both Sasser and Korzin to stand out on their own, and they do this in tracks like “Goodnight Tonight”, “Chappy’s Groove”, and “Dalia Soul”, all Apicella originals. They take on the Burt Bacharach classic “Walk On By” (made famous by Dionne Warwick and later covered by Isaac Hayes) as if they were the originators, and you really have to hear it to know what I mean. Jerry Butler‘s “Hey Western Union Man” is also hear, and Apicella honors another great guitarist, Dave Stryker, with his interpretation of “24 For Elvin”.
Put The Flavor On It is an album that deserves better distribution, the kind of album that should be released by a bigger label, released as an advanced resolution disc or even better, on vinyl. Yes, this is a “vinyl worthy” album, the type that you hope to pass on to the next generation of jazz fans and the next two after that. May this album take them to places never imagined.
That’s it for this week’s Run-Off Groove. If you have any new music, DVD’s, books, or hot sauce, please contact me through my MySpace page and I’ll pass along my contact address. In the past I have generally frowned over receiving digital files, but I will accept them on a case by case basic. I still prefer hard copy as I want to hear the quality of the recording (which is important to me), but digital files are fine.
thisisjohnbook: @Tahj_Mowry What kind of record/vinyl collection do you have? Was doing a search here and was surprised to see your posts pop up. Inform. 2 months ago from web
thisisjohnbook: RT @vosp20: My Uncle has given me a box full of old Northern Soul vinyl records today for keeps. My ears will be in heaven tonight! 2 months ago from web
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