XMAS COMES EARLY - THE ARETHA TRIBUTE SOULCAST posted by O.W.

As promised, my Aretha Tribute Mix is now up for download. DJ Phatrick's link already hit its limit so I just decided to host it as a podcast instead.

Here's the tracklist.

Enjoy!

To listen:

Option 1: Direct link/download
Option 2: Soulcast Feed (click here, then click on "Subscribe With iTunes" or just copy and paste this link into iTunes --> Advanced --> Subscribe to Podcast)

LISTENER REQUEST SOUL-CAST! posted by O.W.

You asked for it - here it is:

The Listener Request Soulcast
Funk instrumental edition (11/25/09).

1. Intro
2. B.W. Souls: Marvin's Groove (from 7")
3. Little Royal: Razor Blade (from 7")
4. Toussaint McCall: Shimmy (from 7"). Also here.
5. Host
6. Brer Soul + Earth, Wind and Fire: Sweetback's Theme (from Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song)
7. Los Holys: Reunion Sicodelica (Cissy Strut) (from 7")
8. Andy Loore: Drummer Bells (from Ambiance Rhythmes Vol. 5)
9. Host
10. Ricardo Marrero: Babalonia (from 7"). Also here.
11. Afrosound: Tiro Al Blanco (from Tiro Al Blanco)
12. The Latin Breed: Marantha (from 7")
13. Host
14. Certain Lions and Tigers: El Soul Condor (from Soul Condor). Also here.
15. Artist n/a: Aquarius (from LP)
16. Host
17. Mary Lou Williams: Credo (from Mary Lou's Mass and 7")


To listen:

Option 1: Direct download (ctrl/right-click) (Note: This won't work with the automated, streaming Yahoo Media Player)
Option 2: Soulcast Feed (click here, then click on "Subscribe With iTunes" or just copy and paste this into iTunes --> Advanced --> Subscribe to Podcast)

HOUSEKEEPING + A PODCAST PROPOSAL posted by O.W.

First of all, thanks to everyone for supporting the site by buying copies of my recent mixes. I have exactly four sets left. If you're interested, email me soon; I don't plan on repressing these unless demand suddenly skyrockets.

(All gone, thanks again!)

For everyone else - I mailed out your CDs today so you should get them before week's end (except for those overseas). Hope you enjoy 'em!

As for the proposal...one of the podcasts I admire is Coverville. I don't always share their taste in music but I like the concept and more importantly, I like that they sometimes build their show around listener requests.

It's almost been a year since my last "request lines" post but that was for a physical post and I want to try putting together a podcast instead, built around 8-10 songs.

So yes, I'm asking for people to throw their ideas in the comments below and I'll try to pluck one out that meets my fancy and spend the next week or so assembling it. Remember, this should be an idea that easily lends itself to a 8-10 song playlist. Otherwise, I'm looking forward to working on this!

SOLO SA-RA posted by Eric Luecking

Shafiq Husayn: Podcast (Mixed by Garth Trinidad)
From Unreleased (Promotional mix/podcast for “En A-Free-Ka” - Plug Research, 2009)

Here's a promotional mix/podcast of Sa-Ra Creative Partners member Shafiq Husayn's upcoming project “En A-Free-Ka,” available starting October 6. It follows his career from his own work, including tracks from his upcoming album, to work he's done for others such as Jurassic 5, King Tee, and Ms. Badu. 60 minutes of goodness that is highly recommended!! (Click the link above to be taken to another page to listen to the podcast.)

Tracklist:

Sa-Ra - Fantastic Vampyre (OG version) - Non Album - prod by Sa-Ra
Sa-Ra exclusive - EXCLUSIVE - Non Album - prod by Sa-Ra
Shafiq Husayn w/ Fatima - Lil' Girl - Shafiq En' A-Free Kah - Plug Research - prod by Shafiq Husayn
Shafiq Husayn - Nirvana - Shafiq En' A-Free Kah - Plug Research - prod by Shafiq Husayn
Jill Scott - Breathe - The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3 - Hidden Beach - prod by Sa-Ra
John Legend - Maxine - Once Again - Sony Music - prod by Sa-Ra
Sa-Ra exclusive - EXCLUSIVE - Non Album - prod by Sa-Ra
King Tee - Trifflin Nigga - The Triflin' Album - Capitol Records - prod by Shafiq Husayn
Jurassic 5 - Twelve - Quality Control - Interscope Records - prod by Sa-Ra
Sa-Ra - we are Ra - EXCLUSIVE - Non Album - prod by Sa-Ra
Shafiq Husayn w/ Bilal - Cheeba - Shafiq En' A-Free Kah - Plug Research - prod by Shafiq Husayn
Sa-Ra - Drug Traffika - Nuclear Evolution: The Age of Love - Ubiquity Records - prod by Sa-Ra
Sa-Ra exclusive - EXCLUSIVE - Non Album - prod by Sa-Ra
Erykah Badu - Me - New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) - Universal Motown/Control Freaq - prod by Shafiq Husayn
Erykah Badu - Master Teacher - New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) - Universal Motown/Control Freaq - co prod by Shafiq Husayn
Sa-Ra - Bitch Baby- Nuclear Evolution: The Age of Love - Ubiquity Records - prod by Sa-Ra
Sa-Ra w/ Pharoahe Monch - Glorious - Non Album - prod by Sa-Ra
Sa-Ra - Master Teazer (Ken's revenge edit) - Non Album - prod by Sa-Ra

THE SOUL SIDES KITCHEN-CAST W/ ANN POWERS posted by O.W.

This is (probably) going to be the last post I'm going to do on M-J-5 for the time being, bringing to a close a rather crazy 5 day period where it was all MJ, all the time.

1) I just recorded this in the morning: The Soul Sides Kitchen-Cast w/ Ann Powers. Besides being a good friend, Ann also happens to be chief pop critic at the L.A. Times and I invited her over to talk about MJ's musical and cultural legacy in my kitchen (for the record, my green room provides Orangina and mixed nuts).

Here's the podcast in streaming form or you can download it here.



2) Wil and I recorded our Boogaloo[la] set from last Thursday which includes a 2 hour opening set that includes a good deal of lesser known J5 and MJ covers/remixes/songs. Then there was our 2 hour MJ5 set which slammed down all the "best ofs" into a party-smashing mix. You can download both:

Pre-Tribute set

Tribute set
(Just remember this was recorded live!)

P.S.: I've been trying to figure out why I've been so compelled to stay on story over the last five days and it's certainly not out of the tabloid fascination that will only grow (and get uglier) in the weeks to come. It's the music, always the music, that keeps drawing me back in and it finally dawned on me this morning that while MJ certainly wasn't the first pop artist I heard in my lifetime, he was so utterly everywhere at my entry into the pop world that everything I love about music, about its emotional power and reach - MJ was a foremost influence. In other words, his music was one of the most important ways through which I learned to love music. And so, in paying tribute to that musical legacy, I'm really just trying to find a way to express an appreciation for a gift that, 30 years after I first shook my tush to "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough," has continued to enrich my life on a daily basis. For that gift, I will remain forever thankful for MJ's music, regardless of what I may think of the man behind them.

WHAT COMES NATURALLY posted by O.W.

Soul Sides Podcast #5 - Sharon Jones Special
Selections from Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings: Naturally (Daptones, 2005).

Bonus track: DJ Greyboy with Quantic feat. Sharon Jones: Got To Be Love (Paul Nice Remix)
From 12" (Ubiquity, 2004). Original version on Soul Mosaic (Ubiquity, 2004)

I'm such a fan of this new album by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. I sing more thorough praises on the Podcast but the gist of it is this: this band makes incredible soul and funk music and this is, by far, not only the best thing I've heard from Daptone Records, but probably one of the best "retro-soul" albums I've heard from any group or artist. Her high-powered funk blasts are great but the ballads and mid-tempo groovers are even better.

As a bonus, I'm including the sold out, 12"-only Paul Nice remix of "Got To Be Love," a song by Greyboy and Quantic, featuring Jones. Nice does a great job with the remix here - super-snappy, soulful and funky to the bone.

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ELSEWHERE

Diddy Wah brings the rock n' funk on a new audioblog.

EARLY ARETHA posted by O.W.

Soul Sides Podcast #4: January 3, 2005
Assorted Aretha Franklin songs from Jazz to Soul and Queen In Waiting.

Aretha Franklin: One Step Ahead
From 7" (Columbia, 1964)

Aretha Franklin's early career - on Columbia Records - is highlighted in the first Soul Sides Podcast for 2005. The voice quality is a little worse than normal (sorry, technical limitations and all) but lots of good songs here, including a full version of the elusive "One Step Ahead."

If people don't mind dropping some feedback in the comments section: let me know if the Podcast site feed function is working properly. Thanks - O.W.

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By the way, Home of the Groove has one of the best songs ever up right now: "A Lover and a Friend" by Eddie Bo and Inez Cheatham.