Fate the Seductive Mistress of Destiny: A Tale of The Minders

Re: goto Albums

(I have been wanting to post on this one for a while, and I thought that DJ Boff presented me with an opportunity to share the fateful story of how I happened upon one of my favorite albums)

I was paroozing a record store in Lincoln Circle, somewhere on Lincoln Ave. south of the Potbelly's spring of or summer after senior year of high-school following an investigation of some Hofner and Eastman guitars in the Different Strummer (a pretty good selection of new hollow bodied guitars by the way) when I happened upon the album Cul-de-Sacs and Dead Ends by the Minders used for 2 dollars. It was initially (I was looking in the 2 dollar used CD section so the cheapness had little relative bearing) the cover art that got me, which I admit a bit sheepishly, but for two dollars it was worth it. I guess you could say that I was looking for something out of the ordinary or something that I could attach myself to either through fixating on its thrift or the possibility of finding a good track or two or just finding something weird to share with friends. What I did not expect, I can safely say, would be to pick up what would become one of my favorite albums.

Listening to it on the drive back from the suburbs, I was listening to the album while talking with my dad and sister, I wasn't listening to hard but periodically I would catch bits and think "hey this ain't that bad." I listened through and realized that it was pretty good because I couldn't really even remember a part that put me off. Though I try to be open minded about what I listen too, like with all things I can't necessarily control how music makes me feel from the onset, and if it puts me off I am pretty aware of it. Usually with a mediocre album, if you believe in such things, you can tell the marked difference between how some of the songs are written or the difference in song structure (usually tending towards the more cliche or simplistic) showing lack of inspiration, care, or worse yet consistency (though most often due to a combination of those factors). This goes beyond music as cheesy or saccharine, both can be thought of as positive attributes with the right perspective. I am not talking about a bad show, or a bad solo, or even bad music I am talking about a clear divergence shown in songs like Ebony and Ivory by Paul McCartney and sung by McCartney and Stevie Wonder that despite whatever intrinsic talent after any initial radio honeymoon has ended, it is clear the song just doesn't cut it, lacks something, that inchoate quality known as feeling or ethos or style or relevancy or whatever that signals the presence of passion in music.

As mentioned about three sentences before, not only does Cul-de-Sacs and Dead Ends not lack that whatever which bestows intrigue upon recordings (meaning that it is good) as does Ebony and Ivory, that feeling is present in every single song. So much so that I am almost at a loss of which ones to show you today. Though I doubt any members of the Minders are as good of musicians or as influential as McCartney or Wonder, they have managed to write enough good songs to make Cul-de-Sacs and Dead Ends as good or worthy as any other album I've heard, especially for this generation. I don't know much about the Minders, except for the fact that they were an early part of the Seattle based Elephant Six collective that has brought such artists as Neutral Milk Hotel, Of Montreal, and Apples In Stereo (who share a few members with the Minders); and were on and off until they officially broke up in 2008 after a long period of relative dormancy.

Cul-de-Sac's and Dead Ends is a compilation of singles and B-sides, which by its consistency proves to be impressive in its own right. Its sound harkens to early Pink Floyd (circa Sid Barret/Piper at the Gates of Dawn) mixed with the pop sensibilities of the Beach Boys and the lo-fi sound that Elephant Six and the Seattle grunge scene helped to popularize throughout the nineties. Though indie lo-fi isn't quite my thing, I have been continually fixed upon this album ever since I picked it up, in part for its obscurity and its chance aquisition but more so because it sounds so good. You don't have to be in the mood for the Minders, the Minders put you in their own little world. It neither relies on overly dramatic or overly fluffy tunes like other bands that have followed in their sonic footsteps (Of Montreal, New Pornographers, and Apples in Stereo most notably). Instead the songs of the Minders seem to exist in a quixotic nether world of upbeat agitated self awareness and dreamy sonic playgrounds. Its the type of music made by late to mid 20 somethings who wish they were nineteen, who sing of longing, despair, youth, and adventure all put through an irresistible uplifting Brian Wilson lens. This dichotomy (between youth/adventure with longing/despair) is mainly drawn between the lyrics and the music, but the more I listen to it the more I find an aspect of darkness buried in the music itself. Maybe I've just gone crazy, maybe not, but Cul-de-Sacs and Dead End's through and through consistency where within its simple contradictions is what makes it an album I love. Maybe its in the blissfully sharp denial captured in the lyrics "Now I Can Smile" or hidden in the haunt of the satirical la la la's of "Chatty Patty" or the albums hopeless title but its there and it represents a large part of what I like about music. The seemingly endless depth at which you can take it, if you want, the rest of the time you just enjoy it.

Hand Me Downs - The Minders

Paper Planes - The Minders

Now I Can Smile - The Minders

Chatty Patty - The Minders

goto albums

i have reservations posting here.. but i''m drunk again so here we go
i want to share with someone the albums that i consider the best i've ever heard

my goto albums.. the albums i can listen to over and over and never get bored
the albums i guess that can define me.

here we go in no particular order (probably alphabetical as i scroll through itunes)

Ill Communication - Beastie Boys

this album is fairly new to the list,

Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit

The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand

Little Man Tate- About what you know

Michael Franti & Spearhead - Stay Human

Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News

Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over The Sea

The New Pornographers - (Twin Cinema or Electric Version... take your pick)

At the risk of being cliche.... Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon

Ryan Adams - Cold Roses

Sufjan Stevens - Come on Feel the Illinoise

Tea Leaf Green - Rock N' Roll Band

here's the thing... i'll elaborate on why each of these are great albums individually but you should listen to each yourself and try and feel for a connection... but i have to sleep tonight ... so finally

The goto song... which happens to be not on any of these albums is
Best Feeling by Keller WIlliams... here's a good version for you

best feeling - keller williams

Chicago Folk and Roots Fest

So not last weekend but the weekend before it was the Chicago Folk and Roots Festival, put on every year in Lincoln Circle by the Old Town School of Folk Music. This year was my first time going and only caught a bit of it, but it was a very good time. To start off with the food there was not bad by any means, yes you could get corn dogs and funnel cake but you could also get vegan tacos, African sausage, and some other interesting stuff that caught my eye that currently I cannot remember. The festival was composed of a main stage for larger acts, a stage for the school staff to play at, a gazebo for jam sessions, a dance tent, and a "nuestra musica" tent which was made to display some aspects of the research that the Smithsonian Institute had done on the Latin American community in Chicago with the help of the Old Town School, and its very own instrument petting zoo (no f'n joke).

The music was pretty interesting, I spent a bit of time at the staff tent trying to meet some faculty to interview for my research on the school, but I also witnessed a surprisingly virtuosic Grateful Dead jam at the gazebo, as well as a few shows at the main stage most notably Curley Taylor and the Zydeco Trouble and the Watcha Clan. The Zydeco trouble is, you guessed it a zydeco band from Louisiana. They were quite funky, and definitely down with The Summer of Soul, cause they pulled out some nasty James Brown and Sam Cooke covers.

Also there was this very interesting French-Algerian band fronted by a sephardic Jewish woman. Their music combined North African roots with drum and bass, that painted a pretty cool atmosphere among the setting sun of the festival. I managed to capture a video of part of a song I found interesting, it was a rendition of the famous poem by Israeli poet Hannah Senesh, Aylee Aylee.

Overall the most refreshing aspect of the festival was that, as opposed to the Wells St. Art Fair earlier this summer, I was able to enjoy myself without being elbow to elbow with wasted young professionals. The music was an eclectic mix of folk, rock, roots, soul (they had a jam at the gazebo); Comparable to in talent, but with less choices, which I can deal with, and if I wanted to be dancing or picnic-ing I had my choice without having to sacrifice being able to hear. Which is always a good thing.

אלי, אלי, שלא יגמר לעולם

החול והים

רישרוש של המים

ברק השמים

תפילת האדם

Turn Turn Turn-Table...

So I recently started ripping some old 45's that my dad picked last year or so at a garage sale. I do not know how much he purchased the set for, though knowing my father it couldn't have been more than ten dollars, maximum. Still for a cheap garage sale find this collection is an eclectic mix of old sixties garage rock, pop, and psychedelia. There are singles from the Kinks, Peter Paul and Mary, Spencer Davis Group, the Who, the Yardbirds all with the hits (some more than others) and their enigmatic B-sides. I am very excited to introduce this collection to sound out loud' repertoire, and see what insight the dusty shadowed side of sixties hits and obscurity can lend in our mutual (writer and reader) blogging experience!

This first selection is from the Byrds ubiquitous 1965 recording of Turn Turn Turn, the song whose melody was written by Pete Seeger and text based on that one verse from ecclesiastes about time going by... oh how it does go by. The B-Side is a surprisingly well written and catchy tune entitled She Dont Care About Time. It sounds a little Beach Boy/CSNY-eque and has aged surprisingly well from a band that these days often gets thrown only into the background of conversations about the sixties. Though the Byrds are often referred to as a folk band, but with their mop top Amero-phillic style this B-side is further evidence that what was going on in the Sixties, folk or not, is something in its own right, but something that certainly still holds merit in music to follow today.

- MC J-Sauce

Turn Turn Turn(Side A) - The Byrds

She Don't Care About Time(side B) - The Byrds

Fuck You Debut

So here it is, my debut on a blog site. Well not really a debut but I don't count thirteen yearold

attempts at being the greatest blogger in the world (at least I had ambition). So after a few glasses of nectar (J & B scotch) I'll just get on with it. This is good for me, cause I think what

I say is important, even if no one else seems to agree with me, so having somewhere to write my oh so important thoughts may be beneficial (to whom i'm not sure).

This blog (of josh cahan, who i happen to admire greatly) seems to be about music, and from what I'm told food as well, but I'm gonna take this opportunity to rant about music. There is something universal in all music the rythm the melody they all have it in some form or another. So here is my piece of advice... Trust no person that says they do not like a particular genre of music and here's why.

I'm gonna leave alone the fact that all music is related in an enormous music genre tree, and focus on the type of person that could claim they dont like rap or country or classical or electronica... I mean I've heard it all.

Here's the deal.

If you are thinking about music, you don't get it. Its not a thought process, its deeper than that

its subconscious, its instinctual. Why can I get down to some african drum beat from a culture

I don't know (or maybe don't care to)? Its because music is universal, it always has been,

it always will be. Give yourself up to it.

Maybe not thinking about it is too harsh, but all I find thinking does in most people is cause prejudice many would be unhappy to learn that Biggie has a lot to thank of Blondie, but thats just the way it is (as tupac would say)

Certainly the reason I can get down to country (it's fun, the stories are good and the chicks are

hot) is not the same reason I can get down to indie shit (it's got soul and personality and its

interesting) but it doesn't stop me from enjoying both. I mean lets be realistic, some music sucks but it doesnt suck because of its genre, it sucks cause it sucks its unoriginal or bland and uninspiring not because its a bad genre.

So stop saying you don't like pop you dont like bluegrass because to be honest... its just music

so shut up open your mind and enjoy.

Oh, and to cover the food part...

fat people love hot dogs

thanks for reading

oh and listen to this shit

Sincerely,

DJ Boff

walls of jericho -animal liberation orchestra

Dylan Mashed Up

Here is a sampling of Bob Dylan mashups by French DJ ToToM. The tracks are pretty eclectic ranging from upbeat power-pop mixes to Kanye West samples. The style he takes on this one isn't the Girltalk or Jason Forest style of mashing many different songs together, or even the dangermouse style of heavy beats constructed from one song that are applied to another. ToToM takes a simpler route by combining two songs in near stock form to build a song that is greater or at least stranger than their predecessor (probably greater on the non-Dylan side while stranger on the Dylan side, which isn't necessarily a bad thing at all). The whole album is really interesting though I must admit I find some tracks to fall flat in my view (The Man in Me mixed with Eagles of Death Metal to count one) but others just reach this weird level of apocolyptic sentimental gushing emotive power that only Dylan on steroids could reach (Lay Bittersweet Lady... just guess what that one is a mash up of). You can find the whole album here.

Tambourines are From Barcelona

Lay Bittersweet Lady
Fire Coming Out of Oxford Town

Shuggie Otis = The Man

So this is another addition to keep your summer of soul rolling, and this is a big one. Shuggie Otis' (who is still alive by the way) classic 1975 album Inspiration Information is one of my favorites. Ebbing between dreamy atmospherics, heroic guitar, and hard funk this album is one of those rare recordings that capture in still frame many musics synthesizing, progressing, and ultimately capturing our imagination (as well as our hearts). From the sprawling triumphant scape of Strawberry Letter 23 to the laid laid back cool of Sparkle City this album goes from track to track through moody overtones and heartfelt melodies in that way that we have come to expect good albums to be (I mean this in the Sgt.Pepper's sense in that there is an effable and subtle connection between tracks , cause anyone can say that any album has more "good songs" or is "better" ). Here are some of my favorite tracks, though I suggest you find a copy of the real thing. Island Letter, I think is my personal favorite. Not because it is catchy or particularly emotive, but perhaps the opposite. It kind of provides this soulfully pensive zone (see if you can find it) but really builds into this short lived but oh so tasteful guitar part that is oh so divine.

Inspiration Information - Shuggie Otis

Strawberry Letter 23- Shuggie Otis

Island Letter - Shuggie Otis

Sparkle City - Shuggie Otis

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa, Otherwise Known as Salsa Verde

So you know that green kinda tangy salsa that always sits alongside the familiar red stuff at the restaurant? That salsa is referred to as salsa verde which means, you guessed it, green salsa. This variety of salsa, despite common conception is not made from green peppers or even green tomatoes. Salsa verde is made from an husked vegetable called the tomatillo, that is similar to a tomato but with a husk, and can be found at most grocery stores. This serves as the base of the salsa and can be modified with any pepper (preferably green so as to not make brown salsa) for heat or flavor.

I cannot stress how easy it is to make this salsa and how versatile it is. I whipped up a batch of it in about thirty minutes last week and used it on salmon (especially good if mixed with tahini, sounds weird I know, but very very good.) , chicken, chips, and my brother even used it with his eggs. In addition I would imagine that it would go well with about any roasted vegetables, as a compliment to pita and hummus, or whatever your heart desires.

Heres how it goes...

Preheat oven on at about 350-400

Take about 6-7 tomatillos, remove the husks, and rinse.

Place tomatillos on a baking sheet along with 1-2 jalpeno or serano chillies.

Put baking sheet with chillies and tomatillos in oven.

When one sides of the skin of the vegetables is blackened (about 5-10 minutes) flip and blacken the other side.

While this is going on take two whole cloves of garlic with skin on and blacken both sides in a pan till tender.

Take tomatillos and chillies out of the oven and wait till they are able to be handled... or not its your choice

Cut off stems from peppers and remove seeds, by halving them then running your blade perpendicular to the inside scrapeing the seeds away from the flesh. (trust me you want to do this, and wash your hands afterwards)

Put tomatillos, chilles, and whole garlic (de-skinned) in blender or food processor and blend till smooth.

Add water till it reaches the smooth texture and taste of your liking and season with salt, lime, or cilantro to taste if you wish as well.

Enjoy!

-Josh

Menahan Street Band: The Sound of Funky Urban Distopia

So these guys have been out for a little while, their first and only album debuted last October on Dunahm records (a subsidiary of Daptone) and was a collaberative effort between musicians from Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, The Antibalas, and Budos Band. Since its release it has been sample by the likes of Wale (look at my Fela Kuti post), Jay-Z, and I'm sure others but Jay-Z is enough to know you are ballin'. Menahan Street Band and their related acts specialize in a kind of nuevo-soul sound that essentially sounds like a frankenstein combination of a speakeasy cliche, a Graham Greene mystery, urban despair, and the unarticulated wailings of a thousand crying soul musicians... if that makes any sense, it shouldn't really. I think a more concise less vague, and perhaps more relatable way of putting it is the sound of a "The Funky Urban Distopia" (The Budos Band also falls under this distinction). This sound is a combination of a style that has both a patina of the familiar while incorporating fresh melodies that borrow from a variety of sources. Its main sonic contributors latin jazz, afro-beat, hip-hop, dub all have found themselves in dark smokey basement clubs and their sound tries to capture that. I think it is music like this that highlights the importance of hip-hop in that it is the essential element that bridges the gap between all these vaguely related forms and pulls them together into something that can be adopted into mainstream listening habits. Hip-hop in effects provides the enabling ingredient that begs us to accept this musics repetitive, perhaps by that same token almost abrasive nature and just listen to the music. To dwell in the space that it creates, outside of our daily experience, but not too far. As French spectralist composer Tristan Murail says "Music is the architecture of time", and music like this that is so specific to a style yet decidedly vague in what it actually presents is a good example of this. That is to say that the music has a strong affect but in the absence of lyrics or even a strong improvisational presence, the music makes up for the lack of the human element in its strong atmospheric presence. This presence I imagine to be the expansive hallowed proverbial walls enclosing that seedy funky underbelly of the urban distopia, what the distopia is like and exatly how funky it may be is up to you.

The Traitor - Menahan Street Band

Going the Distance (with hidden track) - Menahan Street Band

The Contender - Menahan Street Band

Michael Jackson and the New Music Paradigm: The Interweb, the Decline of the Major Record Lables, and the Day Pop Music Died.

The death of Michael Jackson marks the end of an era. The news of his death certainly delivers a blow to the triumphancy (I know its not a word, but it should be) of the Summer of Soul, and to pop music fans around the world. In many ways there is no artist that epitomized the transcendent powers of pop music and the corrupting powers of fame. Born in Gary Indian (a suburb of Chicago, and now one of the poorest cities in the united states) his tremendous talent was utilized at a young age with his involvement in the Jackson 5 (singing on such seminal soul tracks as ABC, I Want You Back, I'll Be There and many others) that elevated him to a permanent status in popular culture around the world that has been achieved by few public entertainment figures (The Beatles and Michael Jordan are really the only two comparisons that I can think of now). His tremendous fame at such a young age certainly took its toll as we all know, leading to strange stories about his personal life, erratic behavior, and drug use.

All this aside though (such a topic is not appropriate for such a post in my opinion) his 1982 album Thriller is far and away the highest selling album of all time selling over 100 million copies, and at its peak selling over a million records a week. Its sound was a mix of funk, soul, rock n' roll, and the burgeoning influence of synthesizers (still incredibly present in music today) that has proved to be one of the most influential records of all time. Listening to Thriller today, it is hard to listen pop music as it sounds today without hearing its overarching presence. But this brings me to an interesting point. With the increasing prevalence of the internet (with such cultural phenoms such as YouTube, illegal downloading, and the blog-o-sphere) and the demise of radio never has the music that we encounter has been more diverse and accessible.

What I am hinting at here is the demise of mass produced music, well at least on Michael Jackson's scale and the fact that Thriller will unlikely be usurped from its standing as the highest selling album of all time in our lifetime or possibly in this century or beyond. With the dying record industry and increased accessibility to homegrown forms (such as the availability of digital recording and myspace) the age of celebrity, at least in music, seems to be on its way out. I experienced this first hand when working at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheater (formerly the Tweeter Center, formerly the World Music Amphitheater) by my house in Tinely Park. One of Chicago's largest music venues, when working I saw not a single sold out show. Not for Nine Inch Nails, not even for Bruce Springstien. The format seemed tired: overpriced tickets, overpriced food, seating about a quarter of a mile from the stage. This is not music. If any one of those people took the time to find a music blog they liked they could have found a show of similar music for a third of the price at a small venue in the city and had a good time to boot. The

Lets be honest, we all have our favorite artists, but everything is relative, especially in music. Familiarity is nice but when it comes down to it, but nowadays with increasing musical accessibility, it is easy to point out that many artists big and small across the world make music that are much like each other and are comparable in quality. The recordings probably aren't as good with smaller artists but with a few beers in you (that are not eight dollars for a budweiser) and an intimate setting, most live performances of small semi-professional bands (forget punk ass emo bullshit highschoolers though) are great. Anyone in the biz will tell you its more about style and who you know, not what you play.

Sociologists have reported (the article is blanking me right now, and I think I left it in new york) that during times of increased commercialization of music and un-sated demand communal music forms have taken prevalence (i.e. folk forms based on principals of locality and live performance) over commercial. What we have been experiencing at least since WWII is a dominance of the commercial music market place over local forms. Of course previously in Europe and even America, classical composers, were promoted as national artifacts and symbols of western intellectual dominance due to their theoretical complexity. In general the superiority of western theoretical dominance due its rigorous complexity, western classical music theory was often hailed as irrefutable evidence. This point has since been refuted by many most modern music scholars, in particular in the 1950's with the ethnomusicologists at UCLA citing the complexity of Balinesian Gamillan music used in traditional religious practices. Similar to the pre-conception of western classical music's dominance the advent of the phenomenon of pop music and the modern music industry, have caused many to think that music had been permanently altered towards sound with a highly visceral affect (this is an opinion I hold, being that pop music tends to focus on pumping one up or marking one cry, so to speak) and one model of dispersion.

The other day my friend Spencer and I were talking about how we thought that U.K. dub-step could probably be the "next big thing". It is being played more and more in clubs and raves all around the world, as well as its influence becoming increasingly more prevalent in hip-hop and pop. The model of electronica I think probably serves as one of many new models of musical dispersion in the coming future. For one reason it doesn't rely on radio play or album sales for income, and thus the ability for people to dedicate their lives to their craft. People who want to be pop-stars will be hard pressed to find a network of venues or even the community of dedicated artists to share their craft, hence the lonely desperate souls we see on American Idol giving all their hope to a single shot in the dark. I guess, someone who wants to be a pop singer could enter the world of session recording for commercial music banks, but that pursuit is notoriously unfulfilling. Connoisseurs of electronic music/technology have a pre-established network where they can find gigs as DJ's, trade their tapes with fellow artists, remix and produce other peoples work, or use their knowledge of their local scene to contribute to blogs, magazines, etc... This is the same in any sub-culture, but electronica, as a worldwide form and electronically based (which makes for easy transfer of recordings) is primed to be a refuge for many makers of music.

But what's that you say, all electronica sounds the same? I think people who say this are right, in terms of musical texture, and often musical language, this isn't a bad thing though. My argument, what is wrong with that? The same goes for rock or jazz or folk. When music is similar to itself it allows people to who enjoy that form to subtly modify it to their own taste, maybe, just maybe come up with something new. As is the case with dub-step, or Thriller. The Jackson 5 were a great group that managed to make a number of hits, but listening to the Summer of Soul playlist I think it is easy to see that many people were out there making songs of similar quality, whether they had big names or not. Jackson is of course incredibly talented. It was when Michael Jackson made Thriller that his unique background and life of music had culminated into the greatest selling album of all time and perhaps the most influential pop-recording of the last twenty years, when Jackson created a sound we could no longer return from (thus his incredible stature).

But here is what really got me thinking. The death of Michael Jackson, the king of pop, marks the end of one of the biggest superstars the world has ever seen. With the increasing diversity of music we are exposed to do we really have the capacity to obsess over a single sound or artist the way we did in the eighties? This fact is compounded by the continual decline in record sales that has not been supplemented by digital downloads (in addition to peak oil, global warming, and the increasing chance of nuclear holocaust). This all makes me feel there is potential that Thriller may be the largest selling album of all time... for-ev-errrrr (sandlot reference). The more easily accepted point is that the way we receive music is changing and the passing of Michael Jackson marks a paradigm shift that has been occurring for the last decade or so from the heyday of commercial pop-music to the atmosphere surrounding its current decline.

Will Thriller ever be ucerped? I don't think in my lifetime, I put the odds at one in five.

Here are the songs I chose to commemorate Michael Jackson

Maria - Michael Jackson (I took this one from soul-sides summer section from a few weeks ago, they have some good not oft' heard tracks up now)

P.Y.T. (pretty young thing) - Michael Jackson

I will also take this opportunity to repost the link to The Summer of Soul : Electric Boogaloo mix

Summer of Soul Pt. 2: Electric Boogaloo '09.

and a link that will help you to keep your heart healthy.

A Cultural Icon: King Khan

One part Iggy Pop, one part James Brown, and two parts awesome is the recipe for one of my favorite new-ish artists. Between the triumphant horn lines, raspy vocals, and upbeat driving bass lines Khan's sound is refreshingly original, while still managing to pay appropriate homage to some great periods of Rock n' Roll. He sings songs about everything from the expensive eating habits of the obese women he has dated to his own personal inadequacies and from living in the fast lane to true love. Often donning nothing but a necklace and some tight briefs, the energy of his and the passion he puts behind his music is hard to miss and would perhaps make you doubt his canadian origins for a perhaps more balls-out country such as the U.S.A. He is so much fun, his music is awesome. He is best known for his work with his backing band The Shrines, but he also collaborates with old music partner Mark Sultan to create a neo-grunge do-wop band called King Kahn and the B.B.Q. show. I would suggest going out and buying "The Supreme Genious of King Khan and the Shrines" right now... so DO IT!!!!

Burning Inside - King Khan and the Shrines

Welfare Bread - King Khan and the Shrines

Got it Made - King Khan and the B.B.Q. Show

Chicago Folk Revival Legend: John Prine

Often there are times - the rainy afternoons, the frustrated evenings, the end of long stagnant weeks or months- when there is just that honest consoling sound we are drawn to. For people this can be anything from Black Flag to Britney Spears, but I think you could guess neither of those examples do much for me in any situation. For me this musical voice is that of John Prine. Coming from the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago during the urban folk revival of the 1960's historically speaking he sits alongside such historic figures as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Tom Rush, Phil Ochs and many others.

I remember the first time I heard John Prine. It was on a two disc anthology that is still in my mothers car. The first time I heard it I thought it was a type of cliche Americana. An overly simple old-timey sound that would never really garner too much respect in my ears. It was about sometime last year when I gave him a second chance. By this time I was a more seasoned appreciator of folk and bluegrass, and in my second listening instead of finding pedestrian melodies and typical progressions I found something else.

Though the melodic material is not much that warrants accolades; between the deft guitar picking (see Souvenirs), softhearted lyrics, and honest performances John Prine has become one of my favorite folk voices. I find his sound is both tender yet coarse enough to make the music feel approachable and not lofted in production, pop sentiment, or lyrical abstraction. I love his sound and the songs he writes. I find it funny that I didn't appreciate it at first, but that is one of the mysteries of taste and critical intuition, that as I have gotten older I would say the standards for what I listen to have not been lowered but I find myself asking different things from my music. I think when I was younger I was probably (as often happens in youth) I had preconceived notions of what music I listened to was supposed to sound like or do to me (think of how you as a child thought of vegetables, and if you don't like vegetables these days you better chickity check yo-self before you wreck your self, for real), asking for melodies to take me somewhere exciting and new Now, with Prine at least, I ask for his music to take me to something consoling and familiar. Perhaps its the accumulation of memory, or a newfound appreciation of the past. Either way John Prine is one of those many artists that I have grown to love, and as usual I am glad I looked past my youthful dispersions and gave him another chance.

Donald and Lydia - John Prine

Souvenirs - John Prine

Extra! Extra! Summer of Soul Update:

This is a response to the very apt suggestion from good friend and renowned funk saxophonist DJ Jose "Big Denmark" Houlihan. Consider it officially part of your boogaloo summer...

Download the Song

Also, the other night I witnessed history as Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings took the main stage for the final show of Chicago's blues fest. Though it was a short set-list (city workers don't really enjoy working overtime, so an encore was out of the question) and the sound system could have been turned up a bit the show made apparent her soulful prowess on stage and for that I was happy.

The important part though is that along with her typical dance repertoire (the funky chicken, among many others) she did.... thats right you guessed it, the boogaloo.

Now it may not have been the electric boogaloo, but considering Sharon was one of the first posts I made on this blog, I think we may have wittnessed a professy on the part of DJ Newmatic... I know, crazy.

Of all the things god hates he may have spared this song, had they sung on key...

My favorite part is at 4:04 when the men yell "The siege is coming!", it kinda reminds me of a line from a Steven Segal movie.

Here is the original song that the Westboro Baptist Church is trying to copy. It still kinda sucks, but at least its fun.

Summer of Soul Pt. 2 : Electric Boogaloo '09

Ahh summer. The long days, the barbecues, the beaches and the beer all represent this special time of the year where, even if you don't have any more time on your hands than usual, you certainly act like you do. Summer is when we all attempt to recall those care free days of memories past that may have existed only for a moment, but are forever encapsulated in notions of everything from pool-side days, fleeting summer romance, and grandiose travel plans that were half baked at best. Last summer DJ Marcus Newmatic had a novel idea, "The Summer of Soul". There are many artists and songs that are perfect for those summer moments, but I think DJ Newmatic was on to something in that there is no genre of music that I feel epitomizes summer more than soul.

Soul music like the idea of summer is in many ways is about escape. Coming from Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York and other Black urban centers soul music in a very real way served as a place to overcome and forget the daily struggles of inner city life while promoting hope, celebrating love, and mourning heartbreak. Summer as previously noted with its mythology of freedom, is steeped in nostalgia. And soul music with each horn hit, each upstroke of the hollow-bodied guitars, and each warm crackled cry of a hopeless romantic on the microphone are drenched in the uplifting thoughts of yesteryear. More importantly perhaps is the lasting sonic power that these songs have. Even with the aspects of "old" among its sound are found tunes that connect deeply to the power of pop music while maintaining the musicality and tact that make these songs transcend their period maintaining accessibility to the ears of todays generation as well. Fitting handily on any standard blank cd and playing in any boombox or car cd player, I say without hesitation, that this is the soundtrack of your summer. So without further ado I give you the playlist for the ....

Summer of Soul Pt. 2: Electric Boogaloo '09.

Highlights:

Together - The Intruders

Ole Man Trouble - Otis Redding

Make it Good to Me - Sharon Jones

Whats on it:

As Long as Ive Got You (Demo) 3:16 the emotions songs of innocence/experience

Misdemeanor 2:41 Foster Sylvers Summer Songs '09

ABC 2:59 Jackson 5

Tell Me 2:46 Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings 100 Days, 100 Nights

In These Very Tender Moments 3:14 Eddie & Ernie Lost Friends

Maybe So, Maybe No 3:04 New Holidays 7" (Soul Hawk)

Make It Good To Me 4:52 Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings Dap-Dippin' With...

Respect 2:28 Aretha Franklin I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

Seven Years 2:19 The Impressions The Young Mod's Forgotten Story

You're No Good 2:50 Harvey Averne Viva Soul

Cold Game 3:34 Myron & E with The Soul Investigators

Ole Man Trouble 2:36 Otis Redding The Dock Of The Bay

Goodbye Baby (Baby Good Bye) 3:23 Solomon Burke Rock 'n Soul

Many Rivers To Cross 2:42 Jimmy Cliff The Harder They Come-The Definitive Collection

A Change Is Gonna Come 3:13 Sam Cooke Ain't That Good News (Remastered)

Together (Album Version) 2:56 The Intruders The Best Of The Intruders: Cowboys To Girls

I Heard It Through the Grapevine 3:05 The Temptations Clould Nine

(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay 2:45 Otis Redding The Dock Of The Bay

05 - Slip Away 3:02 Hank Ballard Can't keep a good man down - 1969

What Becomes of the Broken Hearted 3:00 Jimmy Ruffin

Woman's Got Soul 2:18 The Impressions Big Sixteen

11 Lost Someone [-] 2:42 James Brown Live at the Appollo

He Ain't Comin' Home No More 3:10 Nina Simone High Priestess Of Soul (Originals)

This Time 3:07 Dj Shadow The Outsider Hip-Hop

Tired Of Fighting 3:32 Menahan Street Band Make The Road By Walking

This Magic Moment 2:34 The Drifters Atlantic Rhythm & Blues (1947-74) - Disc 4 (1957-60)

Happy Listening,

MC J-Sauce

p.s. if any of you readers have your own summer playlist feel free to share it in the comments sections I will surely take a listen.