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- FABRICLIVE 39 by DJ Yoda – mp3
- New Tru Thoughts material – mp3
- New Roots Manuva video – mp3
- Review of new Black Grass album – mp3
- Video for Park Bench People by Jose James – mp3
- Review of the new Herbaliser album – mp3
- New Mr. Scruff 12″ – mp3
- Roots Manuva mini documentary – mp3
- Jose James interview at on-point.be – mp3
- Esbjorn Svensson’s sad passing – mp3
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LIVE: Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
James Brown was known as the hardest working man in show business, the Godfather of Soul, and generally one funky mutha – so the events of Friday 7th March 2008 in Brisbane, Australia would then surely have made him an immensely proud man. I’m talking about Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings playing live at The Tivoli in Brisbane.

I’m still pinching myself even now, well over a week after the amazing event.

Touring off the back of their latest release ‘100 Days, 100 Nights’ on the label Daptone Records, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings had arrived in Australia to play several gigs, including appearances at some local festivals. I had been anticipating this for over six months and then as if by magic, the date was upon us.

Brisbane can be a fickle town for live music. There is an obvious bias towards rock and dance music and you never can tell how many people might actually leave the house for certain gigs on certain nights. When Breakestra came to Brisbane, there were probably around 300 people at the modestly sized club The Colombian. Late last year around the same number had turned out for Ohmega Watts at The Step Inn. But exactly who in Brisbane was really a Sharon Jones fan? Prior to the gig I knew around half a dozen people that were fans, so you’d understand my curiosity with regards to how many people would actually go. A friend had told me that one ticket outlet had sold over 100 tickets on their own and we came to the conclusion that if 500 people turned up, that would be a good result for Brisbane.

Doors were due to open at 7:30pm and as I was driving I really wanted to get a parking space, so I was there right on the dot! Found a spot easily and navigated myself to the back of the queue waiting to get into the old theatre. At this point there was about 50 people in the queue, all of varying ages and backgrounds – this seemed encouraging enough. Once inside I marvelled at the historical venue. As previously mentioned, The Tivoli is an old theatre, but now a venue for live music. I gazed around my surroundings and couldn’t help but crack a wry smile. I knew this would be the perfect venue for such a gig: the raised stage, huge draping deep red curtains, large dance floor and a massive balcony.

I grabbed a shirt from the merch table and a drink from the bar. After mingling with a few familiar faces (Brisbane is a small town!) I realised that I still wasn’t sure who the support act was. There were rumours of a Beat Junkie, but what we got was something altogether ‘different’. The curtain raised and out walked a man wearing an Evil Kanevil style blue jump-suit and a flight helmet with something attached to the front of it near the mouth. It turned out to be a guy named Bob Log III and the item attached to the front of the helmet was a telephone handset!

Bob is an Arizona native and one funny bastard! The telephone handset is plugged into an amp and he uses it as a mic. He also has a steel guitar, a huge kick-drum, a hi-hat and an effects machine. Basically, Bob Log III is a one-man electro-blues thrash band! It was fucking loud. Once my brain had settled and learnt to accept what it was being exposed to, I started getting into it. The style of Bob’s vocals reminded me slightly of Kings Of Leon (who I love). But the country overtones and crazy lyrics, coupled with Bob’s charismatic persona, was an experience to behold.

Bob also relies heavily on audience interaction and, as I mentioned, he is one funny bastard. His songs all seemed to be about alcohol and women, but they were extremely tongue in cheek and the crowd absolutely loved him. He played for a good hour before finally taking a bow. In hindsight, despite how different Bob is to Sharon and the boys, I think such an up-tempo and raucous support act worked perfectly to hype the crowd for the main spectacle.

Around an hour later than advertised, the Dap-Kings made to the stage. I knew it would be something special from the outset. There is always the worry that hyping something in your mind so much before an event can make it a bit of a let down, but the next two hours of my life did nothing but exceed all expectations.

Binky Griptite announced the band and proceeded to play the part of master of ceremonies for the evening. The band started by playing some of their instrumental numbers, including ‘Mellowmatic Mood’. Then finally they invited Sharon Jones out onto the stage. Wow, what a reception she got – and I should mention at this point, as I turned around the place was absolutely packed. Easily 800+ in The Tivoli. Brisbane had done me proud.

Sharon jumped straight into it. She is a fiery live wire if ever I’ve seen one. A true entertainer. She oozes talent and class – she was clearly born to do this. So much energy, she didn’t stand still once all night. Like Bob, she loves to include her audience and immediately set about collaborating with us for her live rendition of ‘Nobody’s Baby’, enticing us to fill in the ‘ooo-ooh’s’. The crowd lapped it up – she had us wrapped around her little finger.

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings – Nobody’s Baby
>> download track / YSI
>> buy 100 Days, 100 Nights @ Daptone Records
This download link will expire on 25th March.

I was only about 30 feet from Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, but they were so on key and so perfect, that I had to keep rubbing my eyes to make sure I wasn’t actually watching some sort of 3D movie. The Dap-Kings are immense. They had two sax players, a trumpet player, a drummer, a guy on the congas and three different guitarists. Not forgetting Sharon, what a voice – ridiculously strong. The live show sounded easily as tight as the studio recordings, it all just seemed to come so naturally.

They played a large selection of their back-catalogue, but Sharon added stages to the performance too. At one point she decided to tell the story of her ancestors. Stating that one side comes from West Africa, this culminated in her doing an African peace dance. Then the other set of ancestors were Native American and she did a Native American peace dance. The crowd went absolutely spastic. There is no way just anyone in their fifties can do what Sharon does, she is incredible.

The show also included two separate occasions where people were invited up on to the stage. Sharon invited a few guys on stage for a dance and then at the pivotal points in the accompanying song she nudged them towards the edge of the stage with a snappy “bye-bye!" Then it was the turn of the girls and around six were invited up. Each had a little go at doing their dance piece – it was very entertaining!

Around two hours after the start, the band wrapped things up, they thanked Brisbane for coming out and they all left the stage. The applause that came straight after was the loudest I’ve heard in a long time and seemed to last forever. After what was actually about two minutes, Binky Griptite came out and declared that they were informed this was meant to be an early show and they thought they just had to come out, play a few songs then go home and go to bed. He asked “oh you want more?!”. Yes, Brisbane did want more. So the band assembled once more and Binky invited Sharon to come back out.

What followed was a near on hour-long encore that focused around James Brown covers. I started this article by stating that the late great James Brown would be extremely proud of what occurred on the night of Friday 7th March 2008, and this was why. Now Sharon Jones is originally from the same town as James Brown (Augusta, Georgia), but I don’t think any of this can be attributed to there being something in the water in those parts, this is something different, something very special indeed. Sharon sang ‘It’s a Man’s World’ and I think the collective number of goose pimples in the audience probably reached well into the millions.

The show finally concluded and a sea of people was left in complete awe of what they had just witnessed. I’ll state it once more: I’m still pinching myself.

I bumped into a few mates after and they looked like Santa had brought them all of their wildest dreams, but with some added interest. Then out the corner of my eye I spotted Binky Griptite walking my way. I seized the opportunity, and whilst trying not to sound like a crazed teenage girl at a Backstreet Boys concert, I shook his hand and told him exactly what I thought of his band and what I had just seen. Binky is truly a gentleman, and a humble one at that. We spoke for a few minutes bout music, vinyl and the future – oh, of which he divulged that there will be more Binky Griptite podcasts, so look out for those. I told him that what I had just witnessed eclipsed the amazing Breakestra gig I had attended in November 2006. I could tell that these words were accepted as a big of a compliment as they were intended. Others were waiting to speak with him, so we shook hands again and I wished him a pleasant remainder of his stay in Australia.

What more can I say?! I suppose like I said in my Breakestra article after seeing their live show, I’d just advise each and every one of you to ensure that if you ever get the opportunity, you have to see Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings live. They blow their contemporaries out of the water. Even people that don’t listen to soul or funk have been hypnotised by the Daptone effect. Get involved!

Up-coming tour dates:
- UK & Ireland
  - Thursday April 10 – Button Factory – Dublin, Ireland
    -
    Friday April 11 – Mint Lounge – Manchester, England
    -
    Saturday April 12th – Concorde 2 – Brighton, England
    -
    Sunday April 13th - The Yardbird – Birmingham, England
    -
    Wednesday April 16, 7pm
    Thursday April 17, 7pm
    Friday April 18, 7pm – Jazz Cafe – London, UK
    -
    Saturday April 19 – The Sage Gateshead – Gateshead, England
- US
  - Friday April 25th – Coachella Music Festival
    -
    Saturday May 31st – Mountain Jam Festival
    -
    Friday June 6th – Toyota Park – Bridgeview, IL
    -
    Saturday June 14th – Bonnaroo Festival
    -
    Sunday July 20th – KCRW’s World Festival @ Hollywood Bowl
Useful links:
- Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings MySpace
- Daptone Records website
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Weapons Of Jazz Destruction
Sounds dramatic, doesn’t it? But relax, the only thing that is threatened with destruction is the ignorant belief that jazz music is dead. Jazz music isn’t dead, my friend – jazz music is alive and Ben Lamdin is here to testify. Who is Ben Lamdin?! He is Nostalgia 77, front-man of the Nostalgia 77 Octet and producer of the new Octet LP Weapons Of Jazz Destruction, out now on Tru Thoughts! That’s who!

Weapons Of Jazz Destruction dropped towards the end of November last year and kind of got sucked up into the end of year whirlwind vortex, so perhaps only the staunch fans had this register on the old radar. However, I’m not one to be committed to putting things in particular boxes and I believe that ones enjoyment from the arts does not have to be restricted by any boundaries. Fortunately in the case of this new album, I do think that it is very much accessible to anybody willing to relax and open their mind. The album is an hour long and takes the listener on an immense journey through time and styles. Inklings of legendary sounds, coupled with a fresh modern influence intended to stretch ones ear beyond its usual path. Of course, if you are actually a big jazz fan, then you are in for one hell of a treat.

Although not always an option, it really is advisable to listen to this record on a decent sound system. The array of instruments, and the sounds they obviously produce, is both rich and refined – it is a real sensory experience. You can close your eyes and invisage being dragged along a beautiful journey. Initially sounding like some powerful early Miles material, then later bounding through string laden lounge dreams, as soulful as they are hypnotic.

Ben Lamdin’s career thus far tells an interesting tale of a young man that started in the relms of hip-hop and funk, then made his journey back in time to find a more organic and hands-on sound that perhaps only jazz can provide. If one was to suggest that Danger Mouse or Dr. Dre were to head up their next project with an 8 piece jazz ensemble, you’d probably choke on your cheerios. Alas this is what Benjamin Lamdin did. Many hip-hop aficionados confess to a love of jazz and/or funk, but rarely do you expect them to output such material. I guess the closest we have come recently would be some of Madlib’s work, most of which was largely sampled and remixed. The Nostalgia 77 Octet is just that… an Octet.

This blend of electronic production techniques, paired with jazz and various soulful elements is perhaps what gives the sound such an edge. It would be easy to miss the target with something so bold – but Lamdin and his cohorts seem to pay a lot respect to the sounds they are crafting, no shortcuts are taken. The results are spectacular. Cliche as this might sound, Weapons Of Jazz Destruction truly makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. It is exquisite. Powerful, emotional. A set of 11 masterful compositions, that even in their infancy already sound timeless.

Nostalgia 77 Octet – The District
>> download track / YSI
>> buy Weapons Of Jazz Destruction @ EtchShop
This download link will expire on 10th February.

It’s all about the peaks – the highs and lows. From melancholy to inspiration, and back again. This album has a lot of depth to it, expressed in such an awesome fashion. Three quarters of it is instrumental, whilst the fantastic vocal talents of Sophie Smith are evident on a few tracks. As I said before, this already seems timeless. The only thing that could possibly better it would be to experience a live session of the said material. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for that. Weapons Of Jazz Destruction is in a similar vein to the previous Octet albums Sevens and Eights and Borderlands, although perhaps a bit darker. I’ve always felt that the best songs were the dark ones, and this just goes further to back up my theory. Well Ben, you’ve done it again.

Useful links:
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Twelve of Twelve
So here is December – a symbolic month if nothing else. The last month of the year, an opportunity to look back on the last twelve months. I will write an obligatory “best of 2007″ style post, but most likely in January – before then I have a bit of catching up to do, or more specifically, I need to help you do some catching up! I’ve been so busy of late, but I have listened to so much good music, I just need to spit it all out over this here blog.

Before I get into listing talented artists and their respective wares, just wanted to give a shout-out to Ohmega Watts and DJ Manwell. I met those two the other week in Brisbane and they are two sound fellas. Spent a fair amount of time talking to Ohmega Watts before his performance. Couldn’t have met a more humble and approachable guy. I asked him if we were likely to see any more Lightheaded material any time soon and he told me that they owe Tres Records one more album… so it is coming… I just don’t know when! Anyway, he was in town to promote his new album Watts Happening and the live show was brilliant. Supported by the excellent DJ Manwell, Ohmega Watts performed a wide array of tracks from his new album as well as some older material too. The dude has great stage presence, and for someone who (and I quote) says he is “mainly a producer”, he certainly is a formidable emcee! Make sure you cop Watts Happening, out now on Ubiquity Records.

Radiohead and Prince have been giving their latest efforts away, but what about those poor souls still trying to actually sell their music? Well this is some of the stuff I’ve been digging of late…

Cookin’ On 3 Burners – Australian funk trio that includes Lanu of The Bamboos. A sort of ground down blend of organ driven funk with jazz stylings, this talented group have just released their debut LP on Freestyle Records, it is called Baked, Broiled & Fried. Check out their mean cover of Feel Good Inc. originally by Gorillaz.

Cookin’ On 3 Burners – Feel Good Inc.
>> download track / YSI
>> buy Baked, Broiled & Fried @ Amazon.com
This download link will expire on 17th December.

The Dynamics – Soulful dub act based in Paris, France. The Dynamics shot to the forefront of the DJ radar with their seven inch release of 7 Nation Army, obviously a cover. They then followed this up with a few other covers on seven inch vinyl, including a cracking one of Miss You by the Rolling Stones. Recently signed to the Groove Attack label, their debut album Version Excursions has literally just dropped. Here is that Stones cover…

The Dynamics – Miss You
>> ~~download track / YSI~~
>> buy Version Excursions @ Amazon.com
~~This download link will expire on 17th December~~.

Little Dragon – Based in Sweden, you might recognise the vocalist from this ethereal act from her appearances with the Koop. Little Dragon’s downtempo jazzy slant on r’n'b is aurally soothing, whilst reassuringly refreshing. These guys have been around for a while but struck a cord with the recent seven inch double a-side release of Twice and Test, then subsequently their self-titled album on Peacefrog. Check the dreamy chasms of Twice…

Little Dragon – Twice
>> download track / YSI
>> buy Little Dragon @ Amazon.com
This download link will expire on 17th December.

The Sweet Vandals – A Spanish funk outfit, mixing elements of afro-beat and soul, signed to Unique Records. Their emphasis on creating a live, raw sound, fueled with powerful brass and mesmerizing keys will be sure to attract any funky mutha. Not forgetting, of course, the absolutely beautiful vocals of Mayka Edjo – she simply has a voice to die for. Listen for yourself…

The Sweet Vandals – Beautiful
>> download track / YSI
>> buy The Sweet Vandals @ Amazon.com
This download link will expire on 17th December.

Speeka – Hip-hop boys Rob Mac and Matt Smooth combine with instrumentalists and vocalists to create a loungey nu-jazz feel on Wah Wah 45s similar to lots yet also…nothing – a roundabout way of describing uniqueness I suppose! The point with Speeka is that their debut album, Bonfire, is packed with sounds edging on various genres, but each track is packaged up in quite a sincere way, the execution is remarkable…

Speeka – Rag Doll
>> download track / YSI
>> buy Bonfire@ Amazon.com
This download link will expire on 17th December.

Really just a small taster of some great records that have come out recently. Before I forget, if anyone has yet to check out the latest release by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings on Daptone Records, 100 Days, 100 Nights, then you want your head checking! Need I say more?

Coming up shortly will be a full review of the new Nostalgia 77 Octet LP Weapons of Jazz Destruction on Tru Thoughts, so look out for that. Also, I am well overdue releasing another JLM podcast. It currently stands at around 42 tracks long, so once I’ve whittled it all down to something a bit more appropriate, I’ll get it released!

Useful links:
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Long Players
LPs, albums, whatever, we get the picture. More and more come out every week and there are no signs of this growth slowing down. I wonder when and where it will all end? As it is record shops simply don’t have the space to stock all of these new releases – if you’ve got a new album coming out, I hope you have a good marketing team behind your release. Anyway, with my bionic eagle-eye vision for new music, most the hawt stuff falls under my radar, so I just want to give a quick rundown on new (and relatively new) releases.

Patrick Watson – Close To Paradise (Secret City Records)

The reason ignorant bastards said the latest Cinematic Orchestra album sounded like Coldplay. If only those people had stopped to realise that even if parts of that album did indeed sound remotely like Coldplay, it would have been Coldplay at the top of their freakin’ game! Patrick Watson is an immense vocalist. I’ve not experienced anything as good in this ilk since the debut release from Damien Rice, only imagine this under a more adventurous pop guise ala Gotye perhaps. Strictly speaking this was originally released about a year ago, but I wont let that get in the way of a good review! It’s 13 tracks of indie-folk goodness, chock full of haunting vocals and beautiful music. There is something pretty indescribable about the atmosphere created by this album, you really need to hear it to fully understand.

Patrick Watson – Luscious Life
>> download track
>> buy Close To Paradise @ Amazon.com
This download link will expire on 28th October.

The Heliocentrics – Out There (Now Again)

A UK funk collective signed to the Stones Throw imprint Now-Again. That first sentence alone should be enough, but I’m never shy of a few words, so have some more… This stuff is heavy! These dudes backed Shadow on one of the only decent tracks on his latest album, that track was This Time. Madlib loves them, Egon loves them, Peanut Butter Wolf loves them – and not for no reason either. Their blend of psychedelic, dark melodies to the funkiest hip-hop’esque beats is just sublime. Guilty Simpson also lends a cypher or two on the 12″ release of Before I Die, so try to catch that while you can.

The Heliocentrics – Distant Star
>> download track
>> buy Out There @ Amazon.com
This download link will expire on 28th October.

Ohmega Watts – Watts Happening (Ubiquity Records)

Fresh from guest appearances on the latest Bamboos album and also from last year’s The Find album, Ohmega Watts is back! The first album had on point rhymes and flowed nicely, but this follow up stings hard! It is brimming with raw energy and I would say is actually better than his previous material. The beats are tight and the mic action is strong, this is one for all the real hip-hop heads. Flying that Ubiquity flag nice and high, Ohmega Watts wins again.

Ohmega Watts – Eyes and Ears
>> download track
>> buy Watts Happening @ Amazon.com
This download link will expire on 28th October.

Me&You – Floating Heavy (Tru Thoughts)

One of the albums of the year right here! Rob Luis and TM Juke of Tru Thoughts send an eclectic storm of creation right in your direction with Floating Heavy. Designed to blast the dancefloor in an authentic Tru Thoughts manner, heavy things done go on in Brighton this year! The jazzy cover of Roni Size’s Brown Paper Bag is pure class, whilst the blend of 1950s early Lord Kitchener style calypso/ska and high powered drum ‘n’ bass on Last Night will shake you to the core. There’s something for everyone on this album, but despite the eclectic array of sounds, what impresses me most is how consistently on point the whole thing is.

Me&You – Space Lizards
>> download track
>> buy Floating Heavy @ EtchShop
This download link will expire on 28th October.

Y Society – Travel At Your Own Pace (Tres Records)

Thes One is one half of People Under The Stairs, he is also heavily involved with the Tres Records label of which Y Society are signed to. Travel At Your Own Pace is a fantastic hip-hop album that manages to combine the raw sound of old skool beats with modern production techniques and sick flows. This is chilled hip-hop with a confident attitude. But don’t confuse confident with arrogant, cos it most certainly isn’t that – it’s well produced and reminds me of a sort of blend between Pete Rock & CL Smooth and The Procussions, but naturally with their own unique elements and techniques.

Y Society – How Many Of Us?
>> download track
>> buy Travel At Your Own Pace @ Amazon.com
This download link will expire on 28th October.

Five albums for you to investigate. No doubt you may have already heard some (or all) of them, so feel free to share your thoughts. Just remember, even when thousands of really shitty records are being pushed in our faces all the time… there is still just as many quality ones out there too, you just need to spend a bit of time searching for them. It is worth it in the end though. The musical world doesn’t begin and end with what you hear coming across the airwaves, it’s a big ol’ world out there with music being spread through multiple mediums. Go find that good stuff, it’s waiting for you!

Useful links:
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