Tuesday 31 March 2009

superfly


curtis mayfield's 'superfly' album is a classic of 1970s soul and funk. it would be wrong however to dismiss it as merely a funky sounding record with no substance or rooted meaning. in fact, we also saw deep political meaning in mayfield's first solo album entitled 'curtis'. songs like 'keep pushing on' and 'people get ready' were commenting on the civil rights movement and gave people's belief at the time another avenue of expression.

in 'superfly' he uses each song to focus on a different aspect of what he saw was going wrong on america's streets at the time; offering probing questions of his own community. he presents a critical perception on drugs, dealers, and leading a life of such nature. mayfield doesn't slip into the trap of becoming too moralistic, but simply observes what black life was often like in the early 1970s. in particular, 'pusherman' uses the metaphor of a drug dealer as a means of earning a living and running a business. talented lyricism is evident with the incisively written... "i'm your mamma, i'm your daddy, i'm that nigga in the alley; i'm your doctor when in need, want some coke, have some weed". the latin percussion used throughout the record also helps i think to convey this theme of the streets.

curtis mayfield - 'superfly' [mediafire]

curtis mayfield - 'superfly' [yousendit]

Saturday 28 March 2009

bobby darin


bobby darin, a grammy award-winning singer and one of america's most popular big band performers, has one of those instantly recognisable voices in music. darin was unfortunately subject to severe health problems throughout his life. it is likely this is responsible for giving him such a strong drive to succeed within the limited lifetime he feared remained. he had a string of hits in the late 50's and early 60's, many of which he composed himself. his renditions of other songs were also executed to the highest quality; it is claimed even frank sinatra called darin's version of the classic 'mack the knife' the definitive version. his music has an almost nostalgic feel when listened to now, and i think to some degree it's a shame popular music of today doesn't draw more of an influence from that era. his music is always satisfying to hear and is the perfect blend of swing jazz and pop.

bobby darin - beyond the sea [mediafire]

bobby darin - beyond the sea [yousendit]

Friday 27 March 2009

the philadelphia experiment


the philadelphia experiment - not to be confused with the alleged US military experiment where a naval ship was rendered briefly invisible - is a collaboration between ahmir thompson (otherwise known as questlove/?uestlove, drummer for acclaimed hip-hop act the roots and producer for artists including common and al green), uri caine (jazz pianist and composer), and christian mcbride (jazz bassist). this one-off album was dedicated to recognising philadelphia's profound legacy of jazz and soul.

even though each member hails from philadelphia, they all bring their unique musical style to this collaboration. caine's avant-garde piano, mcbride's jazzy bass, and thompson's hip-hop drumming style all result in a very funky album unrivalled in originality. they have achieved a completely fresh approach to a style of music which consistently features in 'greatest albums of all time' lists; bringing that style of improvisational jazz into the 21st century. this album is a flawlessly executed homage to the greats of music. in particular, 'trouble man theme' is a rendition of marvin gaye's 'trouble man' which has been transformed into what some people have described as a 'revival-like groove'. not to be overlooked is the hidden gem of a track at the end of the album where mcbride plays a stripped back cover of 'just the two of us' by grover washington jr with a slapped bass rhythm line and handclaps. with repeat listens you can really appreciate the influences behind this highly successful experimental venture.

the philadelphia experiment - 'trouble man theme' [mediafire]

the philadelphia experiment - 'trouble man theme' [yousendit]

Monday 23 March 2009

ohio blues


the black keys now have five very good albums under their belt. it is clear how much lead singer dan auerbach was influenced by early blues music and this shines through in their style of psychedelic/blues-rock. it can only be a testiment to auerbach's talent on the guitar that they have such a complete sound with only the two members in the band. i'm posting a song i keep listening to recently from their third album 'rubber factory' which was recorded in an abandoned warehouse in the band's hometown of akron, ohio. '10am automatic' features brutal yet very catchy guitar riffs, which are emphasised by the raw and unvarnished production techniques - how a decent blues album should be made. i cant recommend some of their albums highly enough, i'm sure i'll be talking about more of their material in the coming weeks.

the black keys - 10am automatic [mediafire]

the black keys - 10am automatic [yousendit]

featured album: 'rubber factory'

Friday 20 March 2009

da feelin'


nightmares on wax
, or dj ease, has a habbit of making low tempo yet infectious abstract hip-hop with influences inclufing funk, soul, and jazz. 'da feelin' was a single released from his lastest album to date, and is a again a song which has a distinct 'summery' feel - probably why i'm listening to it at moment with this week of sun we are having in brighton.

nightmares on wax - da feelin' [mediafire]

recommended album: 'in a space outta sound'

poney poney


apparently this outfit started as a one-man band with an ipod playing the part of drummer and bassist, thankfully the ipod was stolen and a real band emerged. that infamous sound created by french duo justice has been dominating airwaves over the past year; whether that sound was actually coming from the pair or simply from all of the imitating artists trying to recreate that same sound remains to be seen. admittedly, poney poney are doing near enough the same thing, but this band are bringing that distorted electro and those hard-hitting snares into more of a rock scenario. one of their few tracks so far stands above the rest, 'cross the fader', in which they even recieved recording and production help from xavier de rosnay. apparently they're making an album, i'm not sure whether i could stand an album entirely comprised of this sound alone, but nevertheless this is a song to dance to in the summer.

poney poney - cross the fader [mediafire]