Lyrics Born – “Callin Out”
Lyrics Born – AKA Asia Born, originally Tom Shimura of Berkeley, CA by way of Tokyo, Japan – is part of a wave of innovation in hip-hop which defies clichés and embraces creativity and entertainment over materialism, violent imagery and ridiculous egos. The joyfully defiant “Callin’ Out” couldn’t be more East Bay on a bet, featuring a jazzy disco-funk bed, soaring female vocal choruses, and Borns’ own distinctive street narrative. This is gr8 party music that you can also you can get your think on to. Enjoy.
Lyrics Born
“Callin’ Out” (mp3)
from “Callin’ Out 12″”
(Quannum Projects)
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Venus Gang – “Love to Fly”
Tight, groovy, and funky as the day is long, this 1978 number by Venus Gang is pure fun. No politics or controversy here, just a phat, raw beat, and sexy female vocals about stars making love and loving to fly. Imagination takes care of the rest. Disco keyboard and rhythm section work a’la Quincy Jones, meets a dubby clubby vibe that anticipates more contemporary nightclub music, and gives some of today’s producers a bit of schooling, I’d have to say. Delicious track.
Venus Gang
“Love to Fly” (mp3)
from “Galactic Soul”
(Mucho Gusto Records)
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Eddie Floyd – “Ninety Nine and a Half”
Soul music legend Eddie Floyd has been singing, recording and touring for something like five decades, and the man shows no sign of letting up today. This classic recording of “Ninety-Nine and a Half” is pure molten gold – just puts a lot of more contemporary records flat to shame, I’m afraid. Probably best known for “Knock On Wood” – a song he co-wrote with Steve Cropper which was a hit in 1966 and subsequently covered by like a hundred major artists, some of whom also charted with it – Eddie Floyd is a real as real gets. Listen to his voice on this, and then tell me how you feel about the auto-tuned piffle that’s so prevalent these days. This is a gr8 record you should have at the ready, to heat up those cold winter nights.
Eddie Floyd
“Ninety-Nine and a Half” (mp3)
from “Sweet Soul”
(LocoBop)
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Barkays – “Holy Ghost”
Boo! Ok, one of the gr8est rhythm sections in the history of recorded music, rockin’ it heavy. Trick or treat? The answer is: both. Bust this and watch your ghouly guests go completely mad.
The Barkays
“Holy Ghost” (mp3)
from “Greatest Hits”
(LocoBop)
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MAVRIK – “Lets Live”
Oakland, CA’s dynamic duo of Loren “Tallswest” Tolman and Yohannes Skoda, collectively known as MAVRIK, have become a respected force in the exceedingly cre8ive San Francisco Bay Area hip-hop scene. Drawing heavily from their roots in the East Coast, Kenya and India, MAVRIK’s music is refreshingly original, with as much care put into the instrumental arrangements as to the beats and vocals. The lyrics are worldly and conscious, touching on some of the heavy issues that plague humanity, but opting for a courageous and positive tone rather than the apocalyptic resignation often favored when this sort of subject matter is tackled. This particular song is more of a party track than some of their more topical material, but it is shot through with their uplifting message of personal liberation and community solidarity. Oh, and it totally f’ing rocks the dancehall.
MAVRIK
“Let’s Live” (mp3)
from “About Face”
(SKOMAN Productions LLC)
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