Beck’s Record Club is making dreams come true! The project brings together various musicians to record a cover album in one day. In the latest video from his third installment, Skip Spence’s 1969 folk-rock album Oar, Beck teams up with Jamie Lidell and others to record “Cripple Creek”.

In the past Record Club has featured artists such as MGMT, Feist, Wilco, Devendra Banhart, and Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. Check out all the videos here.

Beck – Cripple Creek f/ Jamie Lidell, James Gadson, Brian Lebarton

So last week, my Editor sorta told me that GlamTings are doing an erm… ‘25 fav things’ type special editorial… I dunno… 2 commiserate us being 25? I dunno lol! Anyway so she asks me to do a top-25 songs list or something like that & in my head, I go ‘Pardon Me’, the exact same way Rob Gordon replied when the reporter asked him what his all-time top 5 records were, in the movie ‘High Fidelity’… & so in this movie High Fidelity, the reporter asks again ‘Your desert-island top 5?’, to which Rob replies ‘Oh Boy… in the club OR at home?’ and the reporter ignorantly asks if there’s a difference… Ofcourse there’s a difference & you guys can back me up on this BUT ‘Top 25 Songs?’… What? Love Songs? Gospel songs? Songs to make love to (as Distinctly different from love songs! Understand!), Easy Breazy Sunday Morning Songs? Angry Songs? Songs for the car? Songs for the bus? LIKE what are you tryna do to me out here???

Anyway so Rob eventually mentions 5 of his all-time desert-island favorite records & the reporter ventures to continue interviewing him BUT she CANNOT & you wanna know why? Because he keeps interrupting her to chop & change his all-time top 5 records… It’s near enough an impossible task for the likes of Rob & I… He ends up offering to make the reporter a tape… And… And… He calls the reporter the next week to change, yet again, his all-time top 5 records list!!! ‘WHERE AM I GOING WITH THIS?’ do I hear you ask? Oh figure it OUT, will ya? And oh top 5? top 25? Equally as impossible ok!

BUT this is what I say to my Editor… ‘Ok Cool x’! OK COOL? Somebody shoot me now! Please!

Alright so expect this to be a long & painful process, it might actually take US a long while to arrive at any comprehensive top 25 list on any level so you have duly been warned lol! & that’s why we’ll be dividing this mammoth exercise into PARTS… Jheez!

PART ONE… Because this is my favorite genre of Music at the moment… Top 25 Hip-Hop Records!?!?????? Ah ahn.. Ah Ahn! Nah I can’t! Let’s start off with something easier, we’ll ease in to the tougher lists (in a couple months maybe lol).

OK let’s do that again…

PART ONE… Top 25 Albums of the 21st Century!!! **I Keep digging a GRAVE for myself, don’t I?**

One thing I will say about this list is… The first draft had 70 records on it & I was thinking of changing this ‘top 25′ list to a ‘top 50′ list because it’d be so much easier & OMG I have had to cut out some of my all time favorite albums from the final list BUT alas, the show must GO ON… SO Without further adieu!!!

Slightly MISSING OUT however ARE…

Georgia Anne Muldrow – Olesi: Fragments of an Earth (2006)

Now most of you will probably NOT have heard this album… It’s your LOSS to be honest BUT what I will say though is, THIS is one of the very few R&B albums this decade that made this list because let’s be honest R&B in the 2000s lost its way… Fragments of an Earth is progressive music 4 your soul and I like it so there!

&

Blur – Think Tank (2003)

F**K what you heard alright, Damon Albarn is a MUSICAL GENIUS & this album proves it… This was Blur’s forray away from BritPop into more experimental sounds such as Dub, Jazz, Hip-Hop & World Music BUT still laced with gorgeous melodic sounds of their epic ‘ParkLife’ album… I find it interesting how most of the musical backdrop of this album is led by the BASS sounds as against the strings of a lead-guitar (YES Coxon the lead guitarist left the band around the time of recording BUT I think it’s more than that)… On a different week, this would be in my top 25 easily… That’s how much I love this album & how fickle this top 25 list can be!!!

Other Notable mentions from my original top 70 list include BUT are not exhausted to Ledisi’s ‘Lost & Found’, Little Brother’s ‘The Listening’, Common’s ‘Like Water for Chocolate’, The Clipse’s ‘Hell Hath No Fury’, Amel Larriex’s ‘Brave Bird’, Scarface’s ‘The Fix’, El-P’s ‘Fantastic Damage’, Blu & Exile’s ‘Below the Heavens’, Outkast’s ‘Stankonia’, Queens of the Stone Age’s ‘Songs for the Deaf’, Ryan Adam’s ‘Heartbreaker’, Johnny Cash’s ‘American IV: The Man Comes Around’, Portishead’s ‘Third’… OK! I should stop! We will have another conversation about these albums on a later date!!!

OK NOW to the Nitty Gritty…

25. Femi Kuti – Fight to Win (2001)

It took me a long minute to decide which Femi Kuti LP to include in this list… ‘Shoki Shoki’ or Fight to Win because let’s face it, the man made two CLASSIC albums this century (He seats comfortably in the same box as Radiohead? Jay-Z? M.I.A? Kanye West? in that respect)… Some will argue that without a ‘Shoki Shoki’, there would never have been a ‘Fight to Win’ so ‘Shoki Shoki’ should make the list BUT ‘Fight to Win’ is a near-perfect record! John Armstrong (BBC) calls it an excellent showcase of 21st Century Afrobeat & we cannot argue with that.

24. The White Stripes – White Blood Cells (2001)

I will come out and say it NOW! I’ve cheated by putting this album so far down this list… It’s Rock & Roll music at its very purest form & at its best! Even if you’re NOT into that kinda garage rock music, this album gets you. its 40 odd minutes and I dare you to want to skip any of the 16 songs on this… I just DARE you!

23. Jamie Lidell – Multiply (2005)

And now for some controversy…

Otis Redding? Stevie Wonder? Sam Cooke? Al Green? Willie Mitchell? Prince? You hear them ALL on this album & you have to ask, how does an Electronica producer all of a sudden turn into this rarity of a Soul Singer creating these amazing soul records. Never mind that he’s White, that just makes it more unreal… This album is Amazing & that is putting it very lightly.

22. Dizzee Rascal – Boy in Da Corner (2003)

GRIME never & possibly will never sound this GOOD & you can quote me on that one! Dizzee’s 2003 debut is still the only grime LP that I can play from start to finish without wanting to skip a track… Say what you will about the Londoner BUT at 18, he made one of the best records to come out of the UK period! It Certainly isn’t NO ‘Sgt. Pepper’ but it is Iconic in its own right! & for the last time, it’s NOT hip-hop, its GRIME & its GRIME at its very BEST, heights of which the genre will not reach again.

21. Flying Lotus – Los Angeles (2008)

Experimental Hip-Hop? Electronica? Indie Hip-Hop? Psychedelic? Whatever you wanna call it, FlyLo has got it mastered to a tee on ‘Los Angeles’! Now many people will question this inclusion to the list BUT if you’ve heard this LP, if you’ve actually listened to it, you’d understand that the (somewhat premature) comparisons to such greats as Cannibal Ox & El-P stem from this one album & you’d understand why… Just listen to ‘Golden Diva’ & come back to talk to me!!!

20. Erykah Badu – Mama’s Gun (2000)

On this one, I really couldn’t decide between this album & last year’s ‘New Amerykah Part One: 4th World War’, I’m sorry! I’m more leaning towards Mama’s Gun to be honest, it’s been with me for longer & it hasn’t LOST it’s GOODNESS… Who know what ‘New Amerykah’ will sound like in 2017 so based off of that longevity and impact continuously over 9 years, ‘Mama’s Gun’ takes the cake. Its beautiful music that’s effortless & what else would you expect from Ms. Badu working with such minds as Questlove, D’Angelo, Jay Dilla & Common… certainly nothing less!

19. Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)

One of the all-time BEST Emcees at his all-time BEST is what ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’ is. It’s nothing short of an epic work of art. Mr. Mather’s lyrical genuis & explicit narratives on this album match up with the best that Hip-Hop has ever had to offer & Dr. Dre is on hand to offer the musical back-drop for the lyrical onslaught… It’s a match made in heaven and the ‘Marshall Mathers LP’ is the miracle baby! SNM!!!

18. The Avalanches – Since I left You (2000)

I kinda have a feeling… let’s call it a theory… that any conversation about the best albums of this decade will be grossly incomplete without mentioning this Album & please quote me on that! It is what DJ Shadow’s ‘Endtroducing’ was to the 90’s and a STRAIGHT MASTERCLASS in the art of sampling. If you’re a producer & you sample (which is everybody lol) & you don’t own this record (actually if you don’t own this record & DJ Shadow’s ‘ENDtroducing’)… & you haven’t studied this record THEN you’re for all intents & purposes, well & truly LOST! It’s a travesty in itself that I’ve placed it so low as Number 18!!!

17. The Streets – A Grand Don’t Come for Free (2004)

Would it be so BOLD for me to say that this album is the best urban UK album… YES it’s NOT technically Hip-Hop or Grime & it’s NOT Garage-infused like Mike Skinner’s debut LP ‘Original Pirate Material’, it’s JUST an amazingly put-together body of work… Where ‘O.P.M’ was daring & groundbreaking & revolutionary (dare I say), ‘A Grand Don’t Come for Free’ is just simply better… It was a concept album before concept albums became ‘cool’ again in Hip-Hop & it’s 11 tracks of pure genius, witty vivid lyrics, near perfect narratives & an amazing musical backdrop that takes you right into the scene of this ‘movie’… #NuffSaid

16. The Roots – Game Theory (2006)

We always knew that The Roots were somewhat of a phenomena (well to the back-packers they are near enough gods!)… I mean, what else would you get by mixing Questlove, who in my opinion, is one of the greatest musical minds there are & Black Thought, the most slept-on & underrated emcee in the game & arguably one of the greatest all-time emcees… But The Roots had never quite delivered on any of their previous LPs (except for ‘Illadelph Halflife’ & marginally on 1999’s ‘Things Fall Apart’) in my humble opinion… ‘Game Theory’ was the album for me when The Roots became all they could be… It was dark, it was gritty, but it oozed life… it swayed from angry to depressing quite effortlessly & it was The Roots at their most cohesive. Simply put… Amazing music.

**AND BREATHE**

Alright Ladies & Gentlemen, that’s all you get from me for this week… Join me next week and we’ll go through the top 15 albums of this decade!!! OH P.S LET the RIOTING begin…

Until the Next Time

Triple A

I’m not capable of listening to music I love without playing it for other people.  Rather than forcing you to ride with me in my Escort with the busted out sound system or taking up your lunch break with homemade mixtapes, I thought I’d just leave the songs I love the most each weekend here for you to soak up at your leisure.  Here’s the first installment.  Be sure to stay tuned through the end, since this set ends with my FAVORITE SONG OF THE YEAR.

1.  Brand Nubian – “Step To The Rear”

Grand Puba is a monster.  A monster, friends.

2.  Black Sheep – “Similak Child”

We’re keeping it Native for the first chunk of this post.  Like a lot of whiteboys, ATCQ was my first hip hop obsession, which later spilled over into the entire Native Tongues clique.  I figured it might be a safe place to start for people who say they like every kind of music except from rap and country.  Things might get a little rougher later.

3.  Poor Righteous Teachers – “Word Is Bond”

More “conscious” rap from New Jersey’s finest.  Check that 808.

4.  K.M.D. – “Humrush”

A little Daisy Age DOOM.

5.  Bill Evans – “Theme From Spartacus”

Bill Evans is one of the two pianists on the jazz album that nearly everyone has, Miles Davis’s “Kind of Blue.”  He’s also my favorite pianist, and this is from “Conversations With Myself,” where he overdubs take after take, yielding the cascading sound you hear here.  It works on the entire album, but this one grabbed me from the first time I heard it.

6.  Gonzales – “Gogol”

Gonzales is Chilly Gonzales, who is apparently a rapper, though I’ve never heard him do that.  He plays piano on both of Leslie Feist’s albums.  His playing and compositional style reminds me of Vince Guaraldi (the guy from the Peanuts cartoons).

7.  Feist – “Limit To Your Love”

Speaking of Leslie Feist.  This is what a great record sounds like after the hype has left it alone.  See also: Fleet Foxes, Vampire Weekend, The Strokes, The Police, et al.

8.  Benjy Ferree – “Private Honeymoon”

Such a weird, lovely song.

9.  David Amram – “Theme From Manchurian Candidate (Jazz Version)”

Keeping the weird and lovely thing going.  This is from the Sinatra version of the movie.  Oddly, the only way you can get this now is if you buy a package album with the music from the Denzel Washington version of the movie, which is all bland “suspense strings.”  I don’t know why they’d choose to cast the modern recording in such an unflattering light.

10.  Dusty Springfield – “No Easy Way Down”

Sigh.

11.  O.V. Wright – “I’m Going Home (To Live With God)

From O.V.’s years with the Hi Records band – the same one you can hear on every Al Green and Ann Peebles record.

12.  Aretha Franklin – “You’re All I Need To Get By”

This is my favorite Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell song, written by Ashford and Simpson.  Tammi sung it in a wheelchair because a brain tumor had immobilized her.  Marvin loved Tammi and Tammi loved Marvin.  I’m convinced of it.  But, obviously, this is Aretha’s version of it.  It’s irritating to me how she tries to cram in the R.E.S.P.E.C.T. reference, but I love the way she sings and plays it.

13.  Jamie Lidell – “Another Day”

Jamie Lidell is my modern-day hero.  I wasn’t sure it was possible to make soul music nowadays without sounding derivative and unoriginal, but Jamie proves that you can always find new space to express yourself within an existing idiom.  Innovation is great, but it’s not the only valid form of self-expression.

14.  Wale ft. Bun B – “Mirrors”

From Wale’s underwhelming but occasionally great full length album.  Bun B is a legend, and he just gobbles up poor Wale here.  I thought of this one because Jamie Lidell and Mark Ronson (the producer) seem to be among a handful of white English folks who’ve been listening to a lot of Motown and Atlantic records lately.

15.  G-Side – “So Wonderful”

There’s gonna be more of this Southern stuff later on.  The beats on this (free!) album are absolutely unlike anything else I’m hearing in hip-hop right now, and G-Side are passionate rappers who don’t just rap about rapping (I’m looking at you, Royce).

16.  Robyn/Royksopp – “The Girl and the Robot”

Royksopp don’t deserve Robyn.  Robyn is, hands-down, the best melody writer/pop lyricist going right now.  I would throw down a few bucks just to hear what she sings in the shower each morning.  Don’t get me wrong, Royksopp have created a sturdy ladder for her to climb, but I’ve heard the rest of their album, and they don’t reach heights anything like this anywhere else on it.  Robyn could take over the world and her sheer soul power would remain intact, which I honestly can’t say about anyone else right now.  Even Kelly Clarkson, who appears to be bulletproof.

beck.com
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone again
Skip Spence
“Cripple Creek” lyrics, by Skip Spense

ETA: My God, I love this cover. I can’t stop playing it.

Sean AKA Nordic Soul is the Decibel Festival Curator and Director, he is my good friend and one of the greatest contributors to Seattle’s thriving underground music community. This is a very insightful summary of electronic music in 2009 with his Top 15 list at the bottom as well:

From Sean:

Every year it’s part of my job at PlayNetwork to come up with a list of top albums and overall assessment of music trends for the year. Below is my brief review of what I felt was a pretty landmark year for electronic music in the US and in general. Barring any incredible releases over the next month, these are my picks for the year. Keep in mind this list is strictly made up of albums; not EPs, 12’s or remixes (i.e 95% of the electronic music I purchased this year).

2009 in Review : Binary Pop, Warp’s Legacy, Dub Mutations and the Return of Sexy Dance Music

2009 has been an incredibly innovative year in relation to music production. Artists like Animal Collective, Fever Ray, Royksopp and Moderat have proven once and for all that digital beats and electronic sound design can appeal to a pop audience that otherwise wouldn’t find themselves listening to “electronic music”.

This year also marks the 20 year anniversary of the greatest electronic music label (arguably greatest label) of all time, Warp Records, which has had an exceptional year across the board with strong indie releases from Grizzly Bear and Maximo Park as well as strong releases from their more obscure electronic artists like Tim Exile and Clark. Warp’s 20th anniversary box set is not only one of the best reviewed collections of they year, it’s also a brilliant testament to the label’s vast catalog of ground breaking artists (i.e. Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, Jamie Lidell, Nightmares on Wax, Prefuse 73, Autechre, Broadcast, Plaid, Battles, Squarepusher, etc).

In addition, 2009 witnessed the rise of Dubstep as a respected genre in the US through acclaimed UK labels like Hyperdub (Burial, Kode9, Joker, Zomby, Flying Lotus) and Tectonic (2562, Martyn, DJ Pinch, Benga) both of whom continue to blur the boundaries between Grime, Dub, West Coast Hip Hop and Detroit Techno. With the avid support of tastemakers like BBC Radio 1’s Mary Anne Hobbs and Low End Theory’s Daddy Kev (Alpha Pup Records) UK Dubstep and West Coast Glitch Hop / Hip Hop have both become quintessential styles on the electronic music frontline in the US. From Burning Man to this year’s Movement festival in Detroit, Dubstep and Glitch Hop have fully emerged in 2009 as a staple sound in North America.

Another emerging trend has been the Deep House and Tech House revival, which has been experiencing a resurgence the past few years as club-goers have tired of the heady, sterility of Minimal Techno and the frenetic, over the top sound of Electro House. Artists like Gui Boratto, Voodeux, Pezzner, Milton Jackson, Stimming, Mode D, Catz n Dogz, DJ T and Dixon have all helped in keeping underground dance music both sexy and musical.

Overall 2009 has been a phenomenal year for technologically driven music, proving that creativity is truly catching up with the tools used for musical expression in the digital age.

Here are my Top 15 albums of the year:

1. Animal Collective “Merriweather Post Pavilion” Domino Records

2. Various “Warp 20” (Box Set) Warp Records

3. Moderat (aka Apparat & Modeselektor) “Moderat” Bpitch Control Records

4. Fever Ray “Fever Ray” Rabid Records

5. Phil Kieran “Shh” Cocoon Recordings

6. Nosaj Thing “Drift” Alpha Pup Records

7. Jon Hopkins “Insides” Domino Records

8. Various “5 : Five Years of Hyperdub” Hyperdub Records

9. Lusine “A Certain Distance” Ghostly International

10. Grizzly Bear “Veckatimest” Warp Records

11. Gui Boratto “Take My Breath Away” Kompakt Records

12. 2562 “Unbalance” Tectonic Records

13. Modeselektor “Body Language Vol. 8” Get Physical Music

14. Tim Hecker “An Imaginary Country” Kranky Records

15. Voodeux “The Paranormal” Mothership Records

Mr. Oizo is definitely an Apes With Barrels favorite, ¡yay experimental french electro-house! , and I recently happened upon a remix he did of Doctor L back in 2000 titled ‘Strange Shit Happens (Mr. Oizo Remix)’ which was missing from my essentially complete collection of his music (His remix of Ark’s Punkadelic was only released on Vinyl, and is relatively rare, unfortunately it will probably never surface, and the tracks ‘Pig’, ‘Tnust’, and ‘Half A Square‘ continue to elude internet exposure) I apologize to those of you who have most of these, but I think all of this crazy surrealist Frenchmans remixes deserve to be posted regardless, so here goes, voici, la musique de l’ordinateur>>>

Wilco’s much-anticipated contribution to Beck’s Record Club is now available. The project, available through Beck’s site, which had previously included covers of The Velvet Underground & Nico and Songs of Leonard Cohen by Beck and special guest artists, now turns its attention to 1969’s Oar, the sole solo release from the late Skip Spence, Jefferson Airplane’s original drummer and a member of Moby Grape. First up is the album’s opening track, “Little Hands,” with Wilco, Leslie Feist, and Jamie Lidell performing.

the always fearless beck and his record club have previously taken on the velvet underground, leonard cohen and now they bring to light, former jefferson airplane/moby grape frontman skip spence’s “little hands” from his one and only 1969 album oar.

the record club have had its slew of beck buddies, from actor giovani ribisi and nigel “6th man” godrich, to mgmt and devendra banhart, oddball hippies in their own rights. for this record club, beck enlists the help of, wait for it… wilco (the band), leslie feist and jamie lidell. impressive. most impressive. i hear he’s going to have the queen of england and muhammad ali on his next endeavour.

the record club on beck’s official page.

- sunbear

Press play:

“Island IS” – Volcano Choir – My favorite part comes at 2:45 …. If you love Bon Iver, you’ll love Volcano Choir. Why? Because it’s the saaaaaaaaame guy, dude: Justin Vernon. His voice is undeniable.

“Poison Lips” – Vitalic – You can’t go wrong with anything by Vitalic, but I happen to really really like this track just a wittle more than some of the others. There’s a streamlined motion to this song that makes it soooo good … seamless transitions. Gotta love that kinda steady groovery. Yeah. I just made up that word.

“Heart Skipped A Beat” – The XX – Since I’ve heard them, they have not disappointed me. Their adolescent melancholy is haunting and attractive at the same time. This song in particular is in my special category.

“A Hundred Hearts” – The Swimmers – There’s a mature naïveté to this song that I can’t get enough of. That’s the best way for me to describe it.

“Service Bell” – Grizzly Bear feat. Feist – I can’t remember if I already posted this song, but then again, I don’t really care because it’s so damn good. The progressive intensity of the song and the calm at the end is the key to it’s effectiveness.

“Another Day” – Jamie Lidell – You know I have a weak little soft spot for that Motown goodie goodness sounding stuff. You KNOW this. So, of course I’m gonna post this. DUH. It’s happy with that soul flava that I love so much. And you will too … c’mon,  just press play.

“Decatur” – Sufjan Stevens – Who doesn’t like a song about hating on your stepmom, but really liking her in the end? Oh, Sufjan, I love you and your banjo music that tells me cool, random stories. 

“I’ll Believe In Anything” – Wolf Parade – Besides the vocals being unquestionably unique, what’s not to like about Wolf Parade? You like how the instruments are moreso the emotion of the song? Kinda strange being that his voice is so aggressive, but it works. It’s almost too much, but an acceptable amount of too much. Oh, and you gota love the lyric: “Nobody knows you and nobody gives a damn.”

“Be Set Free” – Langhorne Slim – When an artist can sit on the ground, in the dirt, wearing light colored pants, at night with untied dusty black boots and wrinkly shirt with a single light shining on their face and make music with nothing but the sound of their voice and a guitar … I’m so in. Langhorne Slim, man, you got soul, brotha.

“Volts” – Screaming Lights – bass, guitars, drums, redic. love this one.

“Gax” – Boys Noize – One of the hottest tracks on the album fo sho. Totally solid stuff right here. Enough venturing out to make it an “out-of-the-box” track but with enough musical smarts to make it equal parts stellar.

“Face To Face On High Places” – School of Seven Bells – This is a band that is so fantastically unique, I’m going to post two songs by them just so you can hear the array of instruments and melodies used. They’re pretty genius. I appreciate bands that use their resources and make a solid something out of too many everythings. Different is what counts. That’s talent.

“iamunderdisguise” – School of Seven Bells – this song rocks. period.

Soms zijn er zo van die platenlabels, die baanbrekend zijn als het om vernieuwende muziek gaat. Zo was Motown vroeger bv. het begin voor Michael Jackson & Jackson 5, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations en Marvin Gaye. Als het over recentere muziek gaat, mogen we zeker ook Warp in datzelfde rijtje plaatsen.

Om het wat overzichtelijk te houden gewoon een aantal namen van artiesten van het Warp-label die ik zelf ooit aan het werk zag. Het enige wat hen bindt is meestal het feit dat ze het experiment niet schuwen. Warp heeft zich nooit blindgestaard op één enkel genre muziek, wellicht ook de reden waarom ze al zo lang meegaan. Aphex Twin, Battles, Jamie Lidell, Black Dog, !!!, Grizzly Bear, Clark en Jimmy Edgar maakten mee het mooie weer.

Om dit alles te vieren gooide Warp vorige maand twee albums op de markt: Warp20(Recreated) en Warp20(Chosen). Voor fans sowieso een verplichte aanschaf, voor al de rest een mooie gelegenheid om een mooie staalkaart te krijgen van de afgelopen twee decennia. Zelf hou ik wellicht het meest van Plaid, maar ook de veelzijdigheid van Jamie Lidell of de meesterlijke samenzangen van Grizzly Bear zijn de moeite.

Joy Orbison -  In the Mix on Mary Anne Hobbs 09-24-2009
Home Park – ‘Beatdown’ [Joy Orbison's Narcissismix] (White)
Joy Orbison – ‘GR Etiquette’ (White)
Joy Orbison – ‘BRKLN CLLN’ (Doldrums)
Joy Orbison – ‘The Shrew Would Have Cushioned The Blow’ (Aus)
Joy Orbison – ‘Ode To The Brudio’ (White)
Joy Orbison – ‘J. Doe’ (Doldrums)
Joy Orbison – ‘Hyph Mngo’ (Hotflush)

Joy Orbison Mix on the Greenmoney show from Brooklyn Radio (zshare)

Dark Star – Aidy’s Girls A Computer – Hyperdub

Zomby – Rumours and Revelations – Ramp

Guido – Beautiful Complication – Punch Drunk

Geeneus – Get Low – Dubplate

—Leo Greenmoney “Blast From The Past”—

Ms Dynamite – Dynamitee – Osunlade Remix – P Records

—Guest Mix: Joy Orbison—

Intro

1. Shed – Warped Mind // Ostgut Ton
2. DJ T – Dis // Get Physical
3. Stush & Hard House Banton – We Nah Run (Sirens Riddim) // Unreleased
4. Greena – Maracay // Forthcoming Applepips
5. Ghosts On Tape – Predator Mode (Roska Remix) // Forthcoming Wireblock
6. Joy Orbison – BRKLN CLLN // Forthcoming Doldrums
7. Pearson Sound – Wad // Hessle Audio
8. Shortstuff – A Rustling // Ramp
9. Joy Orbison – The Shrew Would Have Cushioned The Blow // Unreleased
10. Mount Kimbie – Sketch On Glass // Hotflush
11. Strickly Dubz – Realise // Urban Dubz
12. Joy Orbison – Tentative Bidding // Unreleased
13. Joy Orbison – Wet Look // Hotflush
14. –One For The Money “Single Of The Week”—
15. Jack Beats – U.F.O – CDR

Joy Orbison – NPIP Mix (zshare)

01. Jamie Lidell – Another Day (Rustie Remix)
02. Martyn – Vancouver
03. Quantec – Ray Of Hope (A Made Up Sound Remix)
04. Headhunter – In Motion
05. Telepathe – Devil’s Trident
06. Joker – Grimey Princess
07. Headhunter – Your Say
08. Howie B Vs Casino Royale – Royale Sound (Ramadanman Refix)
09. Horsepower Productions – Gorgon Sound
10. Pangaea – Router
11. LV Ft. Dandelion – CCTV
12. Joker – 80’s
13. Gemmy – Back 2 The Future
14. Darkstar – Thugged Out 9

Joy Orbison – DLDRMS001 (zshare)

01. Pearson Sound – Indelible // Aus
02. Karizma – Drumz Nightmare // R2
03. Nu-Birth – Anytime // Locked On
04. Tonya Renee – About You (Karizma Boucha Remix) // Home Recordings
05. Altered Natives – Rass Out // Fresh Minute Music
06. Joy Orbison – Smother // DOLDRUMS
07. Efdemin – Acid Bells (Martyn Remix) // Curle
08. Shed – Selection One // Soloaction
09. Ultramarine – Hooter (Carl Craig Remix/JORb EdiT) // Real Soon
10. Joy Orbison – Tentative Bidding // DOLDRUMS
11. Martyn – Hear Me // 3024
12. Joy Orbison – J. Doe // DOLDRUMS
13. Joy Orbison – Hyph Mngo // Hotflush// <![CDATA[//

Joy Orbison – BSRkR01 mix (zShare)

Thriller – Genie
Floating Points – Love Me Like This
C.O.M.B.I. – It A Late
Eddie C – Make It Better
The Revenge – Night Flight
B.W.H. – Stop
James Pants – We’re Through
Alicia Meyers – I Want To Thank You
Fudge Fingas – DinsDins4Dada
Bumblebee Unlimited – Lovebug (DK Edit)
Arthur Russell – Hop On Down
Nite Jewel – Weak For Me
The Samps – Traincummings…..
C.B. Funk – Subway To Cologne
Kate Bush – Cloudbusting

This weekend, Alex and I had some visitors. Chris and Katrina drove down to Brooklyn from Boston on Friday night, and we welcomed them quickly to our apartment before sweeping them off again to the midnight Gonzales show at Joe’s Pub.

I think it’s safe to say that this performance is on my short list of “BEST LIVE SHOWS EVER.” Gonzales put on a fantastic show by himself, but to top it off, he had a guest appearance by Jamie Lidell, singing “What Is It This Time?” (video here, WordPress doesn’t seem to want me to put a Vimeo video on my blog). It was phenomenal. I was a little sad that Jamie only stayed for one song, but Gonzales would only top it off, even more amazingly, with a piano battle vs. Andrew WK * I AM NOT JOKING * It was epic. The first video that follows is the gauntlet being thrown, and the following two videos (after the jump) detail most of the battle, in its glory (19 minutes total… get ready or just skim, you’ll get the idea):

What an incredible and hilarious event. Needless to say, we were all so happy to have seen it. It was a late night, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the rest of the weekend to the max. On Saturday, we walked the High Line and visited Shake Shack.

We enjoyed grilled fajitas and Brooklyn Blast out of our Grab growler at home. We visited the newly opened Double Windsor, which has already become our neighborhood hangout. I love it in so many ways. It’s a simple, tasteful bar with a diverse clientele and fantastic beer list. What could be better? On Sunday, we enjoyed some football at Angry Wade’s before Chris and Katrina departed. It was so nice to have visitors. Now I’m relishing a day off before it’s back to the grind.

Here are two videos, of Jamie Lidell and Andrew WK, respectively, that I was reminded of after Friday night’s momentous event. I think they are both excellent, and wanted to share:

Mmmmm yeah i’ll say

for those for which this is an introduction to Jamie’s world, he is a brilliant soul funk musician extraordinaire based in Berlin. look up his website. He is probably my main reason to go to Berlin, alongside a girl guitarist i know who used to work in a vegan cafe there

After a bit of a break, it’s time again for The Fashion Office Recommends. This week, it’s all about songs that inject a little sunshine into our lives.  From those that make you jump around in your bedroom like a crazed fool, to tracks that simply bring a smile to your face; here’s something to make your day one filled with happiness…

Sostylistic selects DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince, Summertime.

Sartoriology chose Oasis, She’s Electric.

New Favourite Thing opts for Steve Winwood, Higher Love.

Frankie’s choice: The Waterboys, The Whole Of The Moon.

Ellie recommends: Lady Ga Ga’s interpretation of David Bowie’s Let’s Dance: Just Dance.

Emily elects: Creedance Clearwater and Sweet Home Alabama. However as their version would appear to be rather elusive on the worldwide web, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s live cover makes second best.

Soldiersailor: my soundtrack to summer ’08, Jamie Lidell and Another Day.

Due to a very well earnt (and completely awesome) holiday, we missed out on last weeks The Fashion Office Recommends.  However, don’t despair! Check out the previous edition featuring our essential tracks to chill out to.

So I get a chance to take a pic with Jamie Lidell as he’s leaving Le Poisson Rouge and after so many years of practice, my self-photography failed me right at that moment. Of all the times for my aim to be off… sadness.

He was clearly trying to skedaddle, but was so gracious when I asked for a picture. Heart!

NOT the dude from Powder

So last night, like all of Twitter, I was watching the live stream and tweeting part of the Jay-Z September 11 tribute concert at Madison Square Garden. I’ll save that for another post, but as I was looking over my Twitter feed this morning, I noticed that my last concert-centric tweet was about Mr. Hudson who guests on the The Blueprint 3’s Alphaville-sampling “Young Forever.” Over the past year or so, we’ve become familiar with Hudson (Mr. Hudson’s front man) as the latest addition to Kanye’s coterie of artists and collaborators. On 808s & Heartbreaks he co-wrote the Death-Cab-ish “Street Lights” and featured on one of my favourite tracks, “Paranoid” (which incidentally was also one of my favourite video singles too: the combination of gratuitous Rihanna shots at that time in her life was a weirdly semi-genius move to me). Kanye has even claimed Hudson has the potential to be a bigger artist than him (an uncharacteristically bold comment for ‘Ye). At the very least, with guest spots on two major hip-hop albums, he could qualify as the new Chris Martin when it comes to British-singing-sidekicks for big-name rappers.

I like Hudson because he reminds me of Jamie Lidell: big, emotive voice, good sense of rhythm, interesting production. He has the ability to make what he’s singing sound really epic. I’d love to hear a collabo between him and Kid Cudi. Mr. Hudson’s solo Straight No Chaser is executive produced by Kanye and drops mid-October. Check out “White Lies” after the jump

Barbie Loves Stila Smudge Pots are three new shades that are part of Stila’s fall collection, Barbie Loves Stila.

This is the first time I’ve been interested in Stila’s Smudge Pots. The colors looked so vibrant, but I didn’t want to shell out 20 bucks each without seeing them in real life. Off to Sephora I went. I played with them in the store, but still wasn’t convinced about the staying power, so I took home samples of all three shades. FYI, you can get up to three samples per visit from Sephora. Awesome. Who doesn’t love free samples?!

• Cobalt Clutch is a hella vibrant blue. I’m talkin’ ultra vivid, bright, shimmery gorgeousness.
• Little Black Dress is a deep black with fine pink shimmer. Pink shimmer in black liner? I’m not much of pink person, but this is to die for, pretty peeps. Believe it or not, this would be safe for work when used as a liner, since the shimmer is so fine.
• Purple Pumps is a bright purple with pinkish-purple shimmer.

All three shades are pretty opaque and don’t require much building, which I love. These make great liners, but can also be used as eye shadows. They can be smudged and smoked, and won’t budge once they dry. Check the swatches.

Swatches in the shade. Super gorg.

Swatches in the sun. Hello, shimmery awesomeness!

I really love all three shades, but doubt I’d use much of Cobalt Clutch and Purple Pumps. They’d be great for anyone who loves wearing bright colors on a regular basis. Little Black Dress is my must-have, high price be damned. The pink shimmer laced inside the black liner just makes it so unique. What a wonderful intro to Stila Smudge Pots for me. Seriously, loves it!

Check out the whole Barbie Loves Stila Collection here (totally lusting after the All Doll’d Up Palette). Use the code BARBIE and get free shipping.

What do you think of these or Stila’s Smudge Pots, in general? Got any favs?

Lovin’ Jamie Lidell

I discovered this British singer while surfing the interwebs awhile back. Just thought I’d share some good music with ya today. His music is a throwback the good ol’ days of soul while still sounding modern. Check him out in this live, acoustic performance.  There’s no denying that he’s got soul, even while wearing funny purple shorts and flip flops. Loves it!

Happy Friday, my pretty peoples. Paaarty!

Photo (the very first one): stilacosmetics.com

Jamie Lidell, embora tenha nascido em Cambridgeshire, na Inglaterra, é um cantor baseado em Berlim. Com uma musicalidade semelhante à do soul, é impossível imaginar sua verdadeira figura ouvindo apenas a sua voz: cantando com uma reminiscência de Stevie Wonder, Lidell está aí para provar para o mundo que um gênero musical não é exclusivo de uma nascionalidade ou raça (embora Amyzinha já tenha provado isso alguns anos antes, não é?).

 

 
Vencedor de um Independent Music Awards e com três álbuns lançados (além de um ao vivo e de remixes), é o tipo de música que pode te fazer relaxar ou animar-se, dependendo da situação. Vale a pena ouvir!

 

“The Velvet Underground & Nico” é o primeiro disco escolhido pelo projeto Record Club formado por Beck, Devendra Banhart, o duo MGMT, Jamie Lidell e Nigel Godrich (produtor musical e tido como “sexto membro” do quinteto Radiohead). O lance dos caras é gravar um album de cover em um dia e ponto final. Aguardamos os próximos álbuns.”
Hum, alguns acham uma idéia ótima… já outros, oportunismo barato.

e ai?

You can find a link to the playlist about halfway down the page in the middle on the left. It has his face on the click! Or you could click this link here. http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewMix?id=328203136 They are some pretty good picks.
The line up is
1. Bridge Over Troubled Water by Aretha Franklin
2. Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa by Vampire Weekend
3. Gone by Cam’ron, Consequence, and Kanye West
4. Multiply by Jamie Lidell
5. Mercy Mercy Mercy (live) by Cannonball Adderley Quartet
6. Trouble by Harry Connick, Jr.
7. Season’s of Love by Original Broadway Cast of Rent
8. Coming Home by The 88
9. Love’s in Need Of Love Today by Stevie Wonder
10. Raspberry Baret by Prince
11. Here Comes The Sun by Nina Simone
12. Here Today by Paul Mc Cartney

What do you think of his picks? Any of your favorites?