Friday, October 16, 2009
LiFE iS FiNE
For some reason the video of the drunk that I mashed up with this so cleverly was removed from youtube. Enjoy Mr. Ptacek alone.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
TERRY CALLiER

"People everywhere are searching,
searching for a spiritual base to stand on,
reach out from and react to.
The way I understand it,
I’m supposed to put the message out there
as clearly as I can.
The rest has to take care of itself."
—Terry Callier
And I Love Her MP3
People Get Ready/Brotherly Love MP3
Live With Me (non-Massive Attack version) MP3
Terry Callier's Bio via WiKiPEDiA:
Terry Callier, a childhood friend of Curtis Mayfield, began recording in 1963 but never reached stardom despite a series of regional hits in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1983, he gained custody of his 12-year-old daughter Sundiata and decided to retire from music to look for a steadier income. He took classes in computer programming and landed a job at the University of Chicago in 1984.He reemerged from obscurity when British DJs discovered his old recordings and began to play his songs in clubs in the late 1980s. Acid Jazz Records head Eddie Piller brought Callier to play clubs in Britain beginning in 1991 and he began to make regular trips to play gigs during his vacation time from work. In the late 90s Callier began his comeback to recorded music, contributing to Beth Orton's Best Bit EP in 1997 and releasing the album Timepeace in 1998, which won the United Nations' Time For Peace award for outstanding artistic achievement contributing to world peace. Curiously, his colleagues at the University of Chicago never learned of Callier's life as a musician, but after the award the news of his secret life became widely known and subsequently led to his firing.[1]
Callier today is continuing his recording career having currently released five albums since Timepeace. May 2009 saw his album Hidden Conversations featuring Massive Attack released on Mr Bongo records.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
BAND OF SKULLS - COLD FAME
Band of Skulls- Cold Flame is available at Amazon now.
MySpace - Band of Skulls
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
If I Should Die Tonight

Marvin Gaye's If I Should Die Tonight from his gorgeous album I Want You has always ranked high in my fave songs of all time. Interestingly enough the same woman who turned me onto this album also inspired my love of this song. Here's the demo version of If I Should Die Tonight: MP3
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Live muthas for ya.
Both these tracks in their original studio forms were incredibly important to my awakening and understanding of musical possibilities.Chicago - Live in Japan - I'm a Man MP3
Buddy Miles - Live- Down By The River - MP3
Sunday, June 21, 2009
It Amazes Me.

Here's a song for all my friends on Father's day.
Yr all a bunch of bad muthas.
Tony Bennett- It amazes me - MP3
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
DOUG AND THE SLUGS

It's such a damn shame that Doug and The Slugs were never bigger in the states. And everywhere else. Started in 1977 in Vancouver, Canada by newspaper editor/cartoonist Doug Bennett. Their first album, titled Cognac and Bologna, was released in 1980. They continued to record work that, in my apartment in those days and in spite of my deep abiding love for Costello in those days, rivaled Costello and Joe Jackson lyrically and musically. Hell they could have kicked the ass of Huey Lewis not to mention The News! The Slugs songs were hooky as hell, clever, witty, sharp and often quite poignant but for some reason in spite of a top twenty album that sold over 100,000 albums in Canada their mix of R & B and smart pop barely crossed over here. But that's nothing new for Canadian bands. Perhaps the songs were a little too witty for yanks. Like Canadian Bacon. So other than comedian and fellow frost back Norm MacDonald using the Slugs song Too Bad for his short lived TV shows theme song Doug and The Slugs never made any real dent stateside. For me Doug and The Slugs has always been my happy little secret. Nobody knows about 'em and nobody knows I like 'em. Except me. And now you. The Slugs released six albums (not including a hits package and Doug's solo stuff) and all are long out of print in the U.S. You can find the first couple online if you look a little. Doug Bennett passed on in 2004, the victim of a bad heart, at age fifty-three.
Chinatown Calculation - MP3
Soldier of Fortune - MP3
Too Bad - Mp3
Drifting Away - MP3
Tropical Rainstorm - MP3
Alibi - MP3
Forget About Me - MP3
River - MP3
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
LADY DOTTiE & the DiAMONDS!

Friends and frienemies introducing:
Lady Dottie & the Diamonds
I Ain't Mad at Ya MP3
WangDangDoodle MP3
BUY iT!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
j DiLLA - SUiTE FOR MA DUKES
This month marked the 3 year anniversary passing of the great James Yancey aka J-Dilla. To go along with the many number of tribute projects, the creative minds of Carlos Nino and Miguel Atwood Ferguson put together an orchestral interpretation entitled A Suite for Ma Dukes.
A four Song EP has been released via iTunes while the full album drops in April. All proceeds will go to Jay Dee’s mom Ma Dukes.
Rehearsal for the Suite:
Exerpt from the live performance:
You can purchase Suite for Ma Dukes at iTUNES
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
The History of The World

When I was in my mother's womb
Social structure seemed a simple thing
After birth I cursed my luck
Then went down to breakfast
What I know fills me up
It is an everlasting cup
What I believe will never change
My consolation for the night
Mother had for me an egg
I understood the relations of production
She always provided for me
That's where I lost my naivet? br>
Stability is in my mind
I associate with my kind
Charity, it fills my heart
To help the poor in africa
Good, yes, you've done well
Here is a small prize
The history of the world
Good, yes, you've done well
Here is a small prize
The history of the world
Good, yes, you've done well
Here is a small prize
The history of the world
Good, yes, you've done well
Here is a small prize
The history of the world
Good, yes, you've done well
Here is a small prize
The history of the world
Good, yes, you've done well
Here is a small prize
The history of the world
Gang Of Four - The History Of The World - mp3
Monday, April 13, 2009
Lester Bowie - Rios Negroes
If I only had a dollar for every time i've listened to this piece. I found Lester Bowie's album The Great Pretender at a sale at my home town library and several years later found a 12" single of Rios Negroes. Play it loud, of course.Lester Bowie - Rios Negroes - MP3
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
TALK TALK - THE RAiNBOW
Talk Talk - The Rainbow MP3 (buy)
Talk Talk's Mark Hollis sings I Believe In You from Spirit of Eden
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
SUPERSTAR!

I had always thought Superstar was a Carpenters original until reading an obit on Delaney Bramlett that mentioned the song titled "Groupie (superstar)". The Carpenters version is, of course, the classic. They all but own it...but I love Luther's version the best. The new version by Dallas band Shock of Pleasure certainly rivals Sonic Youth's version for coolness. Either way the song is pure pop perfection. Listen:
Delaney and Bonnie- Groupie (Superstar) MP3
Carpenters- Superstar MP3
Luther Vandross- Superstar MP3
Shock of Pleasure- Superstar MP3
Sonic Youth- Superstar MP3
Thursday, February 19, 2009
GRUPO FANTASMA!

I first heard Grupo Fantasma on Austin City Limits a couple weeks ago and was completely knocked out. If it's snowing where you are this track will melt it. And You. Please play and dance loud.
Bacalao Con Pan MP3 (BUY iT!)
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
A.A. BONDY-American Hearts

Remember how much you loved Whiskeytown's Stranger's Almanac? And/or Ryan Adam's first solo album? Remember how you wished the rest of his stuff was that personal but rarely turned out to be? That wish and more is the place that A.A. Bondy's album American Hearts lives in. It's dark and personal with Dylan-esque smarts and blues. That's not to say Bondy is the NEW INSERTNAMEHERE. He's got his own thing and while flavors of those that came before are inescapable Bondy's country folk picking alt-blues guitar and harmonica sound is made fresh and minimal modern through his tasteful use of open atmospheres and simple textures like hand claps, organ, fuzz guitar buried in the mix or single marching snare drum for accompaniment. Ex of 1990's Alabama rock stars Verbena, A.A. Bondy is brought to you by Fat Possum Records , and that's about the best way I know how to spell Quality. This ain't yr mom and daddy's folk rock. This is your'n.
Fat Possum sez it's ok if you steal these MP3s if you go buy the album!
How Will You Meet Your End MP3
Vice Rag MP3







