The End

THIS IS AN EX-BLOG.

Purplish Rain

American music mag SPIN asked nine bands to cover all songs on Prince's magnificent Purple Rain album, that celebrates it's 25th birthday this month. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings did Take me with you, Greg Dulli & Apollonia Kotero sang When Doves Cry, the brilliant Mariachi El Bronx covered I Would Die 4 U. Lavender Diamond reenacted the title track rather nicely.

Lavender Diamond - Purple Rain

SPIN says no:

Hello there. Please remove the Lavender Diamond track from your website. Thanks.

............. . . . . . . . . . .
peter gaston / interactive director / SPIN
408 Broadway, 4th Floor
NY NY 10013

Crazy covers

A hiphop-orchestra version of Gnarls Barkleys 'Crazy', and a husky-jazzy version. The best two coverversions of a project by Dutch radio-jock Giel Beelen, who asked a couple of Belgian and Dutch acts to redo this 00's classic, for a theme-week about teh best songs of the 00's (see list here). Room Eleven's Janne Schra is my platonic love, the girl has such a great, supersexy voice, birds suddenly appear when she opens her mouth. Kyteman is THE Dutch supertalent, his debutalbum gets rave reviews, his liveshows are intense, sweaty parties that make you mooooove, y'all.
Find all Crazy-covers HERE.

Kyteman - Crazy (Gnarls Barkley cover)
Room Eleven - Crazy (Gnarls Barkley cover)

Hoodoo Gurus

I have fond memories of listening to Belgian radioshow Domino, if I remember it clearly it was broadcasted on Thursday evenings. It was (we're talking eighties here) divided in two parts, an indie/alt.rock part, and later in the evening it became weirder, noisier, more underground. The producers had a thing for good roots-y eightiesrock, and thus I got to know bands like Guadalcanal Diary, Hunters + Collectors and The Hoodoo Gurus. What's My Scene by THG is still a favourite, and today I felt an urge to play it. And to share it. It's a solid rocksong, that has aged very, very well. Heck, you can release it today and score a hit, I'm sure.

Hoodoo Gurus - What's My Scene

Psychedelic Soul

Arguably, psychedelic soul really took off when Motown-producer Norman Whitfield thought he could better the stuff Sly Stone was putting out. Ofcourse, Sly and George Clinton were rocking the cradle of the subgenre, but The Temptations' Smiling Faces Sometimes is THE best Psychsoul track in the world, ever. Or is it Eddie Hazels rework of California Dreaming? Decide for yourself. Download from HERE.

TRACKS:
Mama I got a brand new thing - Undisputed Truth
Luv 'n Haight - Sly & the Family Stone
Psycha-Soula-Funkadelic - The Politicians
Hum Along and Dance - Jackson 5
Smiling Faces Sometimes - Temptations
I know I'm Losing You - Rare Earth
California Dreaming - Eddie Hazel
Munchies for your Love - Bootsy Collins
California Dreaming reprise - Eddie Hazel

Nebraska

Ali Gibbs = Nebraska. He makes very soulful spacedisco and other electronica. Satellite Variations was a Nebraska EP on the Butter label, that never got to the shops thanks to the collapse of the distributor. But it got reissued, thank heavens. The most gorgeous track is The Other Side, sporting an obscure soulsample. Is it Bill Withers? Is it Billy Paul?

Nebraska - The Other Side (YSI)

John Martyn ~ RIP

A Sad Farewell to a Truly Great Musician
John Martyn
September 11th 1948 - January 29th 2009

Kesang Marstrand

She sings a bit like Feist, a bit like Melody Gardot, and we like that a lot. She plays guitar. She looks amazing. She does a great cover of Michael Jackson's Say Say Say. She has an album out that you must hear if you like husky sultry singers with a guitar. Click here for more.

Kesang Merstrand - Say Say Say (YSI)
See video for original version HERE

New mix

Jazz with some soul, funk 'n disco twists, download from HERE

Ohio Players - Far East Mississippi (Mercury)
Temptations - You Need Love Like I Do (Motown)
Amy Winehouse - Back to Black [Demo Version] (MRON002)
Jazzanova ft. Ben Westbeech - I Can See (Verve)
Undisputed Truth - Heard It Through The Grapevine (Motown)
Marvin & Henry Tipper - Stubborn Kind of Fellow (Jamaica Airlines)
Greyhound - Move On Up (Compost)
Funk Inc - Running Away (BGP)
Osaka Monaurail - Supershine #9 (Unique)
Five Corners Quintet - Hot Rod (Ricky Tick)
Elizabeth Shepherd Trio - Beauty And The Beast (Rhythm Republic)
The Rongetz Foundation - East [Patchworks rmx] (Heavenly Sweetness)
Auteur Jazz - Two Jaguars in Warsaw (Ricky Tick)
Unknown - Unknown (Super Value Edits 01)
Unknown - Chunky Stub (Bumrocks)
Carlene And The Groovers - Can We Rap (Funky Forty Fives)
Funk Inc - Sister Janie (BGP)

Jay Z vs Lefties Soul Connection

Producer Umatic made a mashup/remix of a track by Jay-Z, and one by Dutch funkmeisters Lefties Soul Connection. They will be released on vinyl, here's a taster. Also check here, and here.

Jay Z vs Lefties Soul Connection - Party Life Remix

D-I-S-C-O

Dewey Sakitumi of the Bossa Boogie Crew made a great Disco Mix to get deep, down 'n dirty to:

Download from HERE

Unknown - Last Night (Glossy)
The Popular People's Front - I Love Only You (The Popular People's Front)
Unknown - Mo juice (Galaxy Sound Company)
Unknown - You Got Love Song (Combi)
Dimitri From Paris - Madd Luck (Supreme)
Fitzcarraldo Variations - Mediterraneans (History Clock)
Louis - Pink Footpath [Instrumental version] (Balearica)
The Popular People's Front - Speak Swahili (The Popular People's Front)
Jean-Luc Ponty - Fast Lane (Editions Disco)
Airy Dun - Cockney Wide Boy (Codek)
Runaway - Brooklyn Club Jam [L.S.B. remix] (Rekids)
Das Etwas - So Deep (Urban Myth)
Motor City Drum Ensemble - Raw Cuts #3 (MCDE)
Hercules and Love Affair - You Belong [Riton Rerub] (DFA)

Christmas A Go Go

Santa's back in town and so is

Christmas A Go Go

Perfect Blue Eyed Brothers

From Ireland to Wales to England, from the US Westcoast to the Eastcoast to the South, and a stopover in Holland: dunno if all these guys really have blue eyes, but they sure are white. AND sing about love, life and the collisions between 'm with a chocolate heart.


Download from HERE

Tracks:
Dexy's Midnight Runners - Celtic Soul Brothers (video)
Van Morrison - Jackie Wilson Said
Tom Jones - Looking Out My Window
The Jam - The Bitterest Pill
Joe South - Walk a Mile in My Shoes
Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels - I'd Rather Go to Jail
Rare Earth - I Know I'm Losing You (single version)
Squeeze & Paul Carrack - Tempted
Remy Shand - Take a Message
Matthew Herbert feat. Jamie Lidell - The Audience
Lewis Taylor - Lovelight (west coast version)
Michael McDonald - I Keep Forgetting
Dan Penn/Spooner Oldham - Do Right Woman, Do Right Man (live)
Boz Scaggs - What Can I Say?
George Michael - It Doesn't Really Matter
Hall & Oates - She's Gone
Reboot Your Soul feat. Ivar - Slowly
Justin Timberlake - Magic

Eighties Roots Rock Mix

This mix was sparked by the Ry Cooder song that I heard on the radio recently, and the Chris Isaak tune, that I played again. While listening to these marvellous songs, I thought back of more eighties artists who, in a decade stuffed with fluorescent legwarmers, cheap synths and a-symmetrical hair, kept the rootsrock flame burning. Either by putting r&b, folk and country-influences in their songs, or by playing their rootsy songs on an incredible volume. Here's a bunch of songs that are as timeless as they were back then. (Yeah, I know, that Smithereens song is a bit off, but I think it works great here)

Download from HERE

Tracklist:
Southside Girl - Don Dixon (85)
Ways To Be Wicked - Lone Justice (85)
Will The Wolf Survive? - Los Lobos (84)
Get Rhythem - Ry Cooder (87)
I Still Want You - The Del Fuegos (85)
Reconsider Me - Warren Zevon (87)
Guitars, Cadillacs - Dwight Yoakam (84)
I Believe - R.E.M. (86)
This Must Be The Night - Mink DeVille (80)
In a Lonely Place - The Smithereens (86)
White Lies - Jason & The Scorchers (85)
You Don't Know What's Right, You Don't Know What's Wrong - Long Ryders (83)
The Conductor Wore Black - Rank and File (82)
Dancin' - Chris Isaak ((85)
Ridin' with the King - John Hiatt (83)
Shining Moon - Cowboy Junkies (86)
Guitar Town - Steve Earle (86)
Tuff Enuff - The Fabulous Thunderbirds (86)
Praying Mantis - Don Dixon (85)

Jose James + Flying Lotus

The maker of the best jazz album of the year teams up with the maker of the best electronica album of the year. Visions in Violet is therefore one of the best songs to come out this year, it's that simple.

Jose James & Flying Lotus - Visions in Violet (YSI)

Perfect Organs

And the Perfect...mixes just keep on coming. Here's another one:

Download from HERE
Holler if you want a tracklist!

More Perfect...mixes here, here and here.

Perfect Bossa

For everyone who, like me, is in desperate need of some sunshine, here's mix of pure, and cut-up bossanova. With some Brazilian heroes, a Dutch girl, a French girl, Japanese weirdos and a brilliant remix. Download from HERE. Or HERE

Tracklist:

Corcovado - Antonio Carlos Jobim
La Penombre des Pays-Bas - Leine
Domingo en Copacabana - Elis Regina
Nu Bossa Guitar - Euro Cinema
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Nouvelle Vague
Tropicalia - Beck
Os Grilos - Marcos Valle
Cria - Maria Rita
Chega de Saudade - Joao Gilberto
L'Ombre et la Lumiere - Coralie Clement
Bossa Nova Baby - Tippie & the Clovers
The Girl from Ipanema - Pizzicato 5
Break on Through - The Doors (Bossarocker mix)

The Perfect Sextape

The most perfect sextape you make yourself, with your partner(s), on the sofa, on the kitchentable, in the hall. Or outside. But do you want to listen back to your huffing 'n puffing? Don't think so. Here's the next best thing, The Perfect Sextape to guide you through the highs and the lows. Download from HERE (13 tracks, one big file, one hour long). There are a few surprises, so if you want the tracklist, holler in the comments. (VIA)

Belafonte Bmore

If you don't know what Bmore music is, read here. If you want to hear good ole Harry Belafonte jump around like a cat on a hot tin roof, download the remix that John Bourke (of the absofuckinglutely brilliant Trash Yourself) made of Jump in the Line.

Harry Belafonte - Jump in the Line (John Bourke Bmore remix)

Tricky, slow

On his brandspanking new, and very good album Knowle West Boy, triphop survivor Tricky does a rockin' good version of Kylie's Slow. Compare!

Tricky - Slow (link works now)
Kylie - Slow

Park Bench People

American jazz-vocalist José James not only made an impressive coverversion of Freestyle Fellowship's Park Bench People, James' version now has an equally impressive video too!

Freestyle Fellowship - Park Bench People
Jose James - Park Bench People

Born to Make You Happy

Britney's Born to Make You Happy is really a deeply emotional song, best sung by a man who's been around, who's seen things, who has lived, loved and got drunk. The result looks and sounds like this:


The Spears - Born to Make You Happy

Wonder Wrote It

Just cuz we felt like it, me and my mate Dewey decided to make two mixes of our favourite Stevie Wonder songs. Either songs sang by Stevie, or that were written by him. Plus some remixes. Every track was mixed from vinyl. Enjoy, and let us know what you think!

Tracklist Stevie Knows 1 (download from HERE):

Syreeta - To Know You Is To Love You
Stevie Wonder - Respect
Stevie Wonder - My Cherie Amour
Joe Farrel - Too High
Amp Fiddler - Too High rmx
Stevie Wonder - As If You Read My Mind (Underdog edit)
Michael Jackson - I Can't Help It
Art Pepper - Isn't She Lovely
Minnie Riperton - Perfect Angel
Yesterdays New Quintet - You've Got it Bad Girl
Stevie Wonder - Uptight
Bobby Byrd - Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Stevie Wonder - If You Really Love Me
Stevie Wonder - Send One Your Love
Small Change - Nuff Man Live Fi Yah City
Stevie Wonder - Shoo Be Do Bee Da Day
Stevie Wonder - I Was Made To Love Her
Stevie Wonder - You Haven't Done Nothing
Jose Feliciano - Golden Lady

Tracklist Stevie Knows 2 (download from HERE)

Stevie Wonder - Signed, Sealed, Delivered (DJ Smash rmx)
Stevie Wonder - So What The Fuss
Ellen McIlwaine - Higher Ground
Stevie Wonder - Fingertips pt 1
Stevie Wonder - Please, Please, Please
Stevie Wonder - My Love Is On Fire (DJ Spinna rmx)
Stevie Wonder - All I Do (House rmx)
Stevie Wonder - Signed, Sealed, Delivered (House rmx)
Stevie Wonder - From The Bottom Of My Heart (Tarantulaz rmx)
Stevie Wonder - Jesus Children of America
Weldon Irvine - Don't you Worry Bout A Thing
Ramsey Lewis - Spring High
Stevie Wonder - Boogie On Reggae Woman
Stevie Wonder - For Once In My Life
Luis Gasca - Visions
Houston Person - Yester Me, Yester You
Stevie Wonder - Stevie - Gamm Re-edit

Adele in the remix

Adele's Chasing Pavements (a great live version above) is a great break-up song. But how d'you like this drrrums of death-remix by Various Productions?

Adele - Chasing Pavements (Various Productions remix)