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The Impressions: I’ve Been Trying
From Keep On Pushing (ABC Paramount, 1964)
The Notations: I’ve Been Trying
From 7″ (Twinight, 1971)
The Kaldirons: To Love Someone (That Don’t Love You)
From 7″ (Twinight, 1970). Also available on Twinight’s Lunar Rotation.
J.C. Brooks and the Uptown Sound: To Love Someone (That Don’t Love You)
From 7″ (Addenda, 2010)
Recently got in one old 7″ and one new one and coincidentally, both are covers of some classic Chicago sweet soul tunes. To be sure, I don’t think either cover improves over the original but I [...]
Continue reading CHI-CENTRIC
Laverne and Shirley homage, ftw.
b/w
When my students do their reports on binge drinking amongst college students, this could end up being Exhibit A (doh!)
Son of Bazerk and No Self Control- I SWEAR ON A STACK OF OLD HITS from HWIC Filmworks on Vimeo.
In all seriousness, this is one of the first songs/videos where the relative “oldness” of the artists isn’t a detriment but part of the flavor of it all. Sometimes, 40 isn’t the new 30; sometimes, it’s just the new “grown”.
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Continue reading THEY LIKE BEER b/w BAZERK IS BIZZACK
This is kind of apropos of nothing but I think one thing that holds true about retro-anything (but especially in retro-soul) is an implicit – and in many cases, explicit – hostility towards its equivalent in the contemporary moment. I mean, that’s not some brilliant insight – it should be rather obvious – but one of the things I find most interesting in how retro-minded artists speak about their motivations, whether the Poets of Rhythm back 20 years ago or Aloe Blacc today, is how it’s always framed as a confrontation of sorts.
For the early [...]
Continue reading ONE MORE THOUGHT ON RETRO-MOTIVATIONS
Quite a few people asked if I had read this past weekend’s NY Times piece by Rob Hoerburger on the new(ish) generation of retro-soul artists, “Can a Nerd Have Soul?”
To be honest, I initially avoided it given the godawful headline and while that may not be Hoerburger’s fault, it gets things off to a terrible start, not the least of which is the insinuation that the things we associate with nerdiness – obsessive behavior, social awkwardness, intelligence and whiteness – are somehow mutually exclusive with what we associate with “soul.” And since “soul” is also [...]
Continue reading ON NERDS, RETRO-SOUL, AND THE STICKINESS OF WRITING ABOUT RACE
I sat in for Michael Barnes on KPFK’s Melting Pot today. Included a few tracks I’ve had up here of late but a lot you haven’t heard from me yet. Enjoy!
The Melting Pot, 11-14-10
Quantic: Cumbia De Dilla
The East St. Louis Gospelettes: Have Mercy On Me
Kanye West: Devil in a New Dress
The Whatnauts: I’ll Erase the Pain
Golden Harmonettes: I Do Love You
Syl Johnson: Try Me (LP Version)
Syl Johnson: All I Need Is Someone Like You
Syl Johnson: Soul Heaven (All from The Complete Mythology)
Continue reading GUEST SET: MELTING POT 11/14/10
That is the new package of goodies connected with the release of the Groove Merchant Turns 20 compilation put together by my good friend “Cool” Chris Veltri (with intro essay by yours truly). It’s in celebration of the Groove Merchant’s 20th anniversary as the best damn record store on the planet (at least for me) and I want your help in getting the word out about it.
If you run a site and write a short post about the new comp (link back to this page) and then send me an email confirming you’ve done so, [...]
Continue reading BLOGERATI: CALLING OUT TO YOU
I talk about Syl Johnson’s career, including those parts of it cataloged on the incredible new Complete Mythology for NPR’s All Things Considered.
I may or may not create a future post, going more into Johnson’s career so let me just, once again, urge folks: cop this compilation. It’s the latest in the line of “best things Numero Group has put out.”
Not related to Syl Johnson but on the “things Oliver is writing about” tip…I also discuss what Far East Movement means for the historical trajectory of Asian American music, in the LA Times.
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Continue reading TALKING ABOUT SYL JOHNSON
Harry Stoneham: Move In
From Hammond My Way (Contour, 1971)
Ode to Billie Joe
From Fever (Tepee, 197?)
Coming Home Baby
From Superb (Tepee, 197?)
It’s a bit of understatement to say that London’s Harry Stoneham was prolific. He got his start in the early 1960s and by decade’s end, began churning out album after album of organ-powered, exploitation jazz albums. I can’t remotely do justice to his catalog but I’ve had two of his LPs for a minute and just picked up a third one and that seemed like a good enough [...]
Continue reading HARRY STONEHAM: COLD WITH THE KEYS
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ONE MORE THOUGHT ON RETRO-MOTIVATIONS
This is kind of apropos of nothing but I think one thing that holds true about retro-anything (but especially in retro-soul) is an implicit – and in many cases, explicit – hostility towards its equivalent in the contemporary moment. I mean, that’s not some brilliant insight – it should be rather obvious – but one of the things I find most interesting in how retro-minded artists speak about their motivations, whether the Poets of Rhythm back 20 years ago or Aloe Blacc today, is how it’s always framed as a confrontation of sorts.
For the early [...]
Continue reading ONE MORE THOUGHT ON RETRO-MOTIVATIONS