"This never happened to the other fellow."

007
The John Barry Orchestra
James Bond 30th Anniversary Collection [1992]
[Listen] [Buy]

Hercules Takes Off
The John Barry Orchestra
The Living Daylights Original Motion Picture Soundtrack DX [1998]
[Listen] [Buy]

On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Main Theme
The John Barry Orchestra
On Her Majesty's Secret Service Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [1969, 2003]
[Listen] [Buy]

Over & Out
The John Barry Orchestra
On Her Majesty's Secret Service Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [1969, 2003]
[Listen] [Buy]

James Bond is an incredible series and franchise. It has been born, broken, fixed and re-born the world over on multiple occasions. We've seen six different portrayals of Bond thus far, but, I'd say that only a few of those are worth mentioning. Like James in a slick suit, Bond films have always been coated in a lush soundtrack - of course, some are better than others by leaps and bounds. On occasion, popular musicians of the times have been called in to write the theme for the hero in black - and while those come and go, some being memorable and some not - John Barry and his Orchestra have always been the back bone of the series, laying down majestic soundscapes good enough to enjoy even without the Bond.

For me, Timothy Dalton is the true James Bond, mostly due to the fact that my first James Bond experience was when my father and I went to the movie premier of The Living Daylights back in 1987. Dalton brought a cold stern front with a genuine attitude and an extremely low level of humour - though, it's still in there. Sean Connery is great, he defined the character and set the standard by which all other Bonds re-create. He had humour, realism and of course scenes that were poorly written were quickly corrected by his skills as an actor. George Lazenby, who only starred in one Bond film, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, performed the role better than Connery, but not as good as Dalton. Lazenby was unknown to the world of acting, but well known to the world of modelling in the UK. Though Dalton seemed genuine, Lazenby has a sense of being cool and natural that no one else could provide. He was Bond through and through, and this unfortunately is the main reason that the producers of the series refused to work with him again after the film was completed. Roger Moore is not a terrible actor. However, he simply brought too much humour to the role, and as much as I love Grace Jones & Christopher Walken, I find it hard to put any of Moore's films into my top 3 Bond flicks. Pierce Brosnan as well, is a great actor and I credit the poorness of his Bond films simply to poor writing, too bad. There was a rumour for a while that there was going to be a remake of Thunderball starring Timothy Dalton, too bad that never happened.

The four songs of the day are my favorite Bond themes. John Barry continues to produce themes that surely fit the man. The music definitely carries the movie when done right. 007 is the classic Sean Connery fight theme. Hercules Takes Off is one of the better themes from the Dalton days and features the theme melody from A-Ha's The Living Daylights theme to the movie by the same name. The On Her Majesty's Secret Service Main Theme as well as Over & Out have an aesthetic that no other Bond film carries - I like it because it's very psychedelic & retro-electronic. These are excellent action songs - but if you drive to them, don't blame FmGT for your speeding tickets.

Enjoy.

Herbie Day

Death Wish (Main Theme)
Herbie Hancock
Death Wish OST [1974]
[Listen] [Buy]

Oliloqui Valley
Herbie Hancock
Empyrean Isles [1964]
[Listen] [Buy]

Oh! Oh! Here He Comes
Herbie Hancock
Fat Albert Rotunda [1969]
[Listen] [Buy]

Succotash
Herbie Hancock
Inventions & Dimensions [1963]
[Listen] [Buy]



On an otherwise ordinary Brooklyn day, what better than a little Herbie Hancock to keep the cold out? I picked out four choice cuts from some of his more under-the-radar LPs out there, just to keep things interesting. Herbie's catalog is unrivalled, to a point; the man has taken his music and his craft in so many different directions over the course of his career, and there are fewer dull moments than you might expect from a man constantly searching and experimenting across genres.

He's done it all, and this is just a teensy taste.

First up, soundtrack work. The bane of some musicians, but the lifeblood of a few. Guys like Mark Mothersbaugh have made a much more lucrative career in the soundtrack world than with their main act, and Herbie was commissioned for some interesting work that still came out well. Here, he lends a jazzy, threatening hand to the movie Death Wish, that classy Charles Bronson vehicle of revenge, guns and bloodshed. If only all action heroes had access to Hancock's innovative style instead of the latest headache-provoking brash rock that peppers all action movies. Forget that shit here. Hancock's score is dreamy and expansive, keeping a sense of darkness and menace amongst the funky arrangements. The title track, the movie's theme [even though it wasn't actually the theme in the movie itself, just named that way], is moody; a deep bassline is punctuated with strings and sharp horn blasts. Spacious and yet still rich.


The early album "Empyrean Isles" is much more conventional, rooted in be-bop and complimented by a stellar supporting cast [Freddie Hubbard on cornet, Tony Williams on drums, Ron Carter on bass]. Released on Blue Note the year before his hit LP "Maiden Voyage" hit the scene, Isles was always shadowed in comparison, despite being excellent in its own right. This track is breezy, underscored by Carter's smoking bass lines and Williams forceful jazz beat. The quartet structure works well, and all four contribute evocative solos. Hubbard is awesome on the cornet instead of the usual trumpet, an instrument that adds warmth to the overall sound. This is definitely more straight-up jazz than the other tracks I picked out, but their inventiveness takes it to new levels.


Next up, some rib-rattling funk. This is Hancock's first foray into funk, a genre that brings him a lot of attention in the decades to come. Composed for Bill Cosby's cartoon show, "Fat Albert Rotunda" is flat-out fun from beginning to end, and although amid the funk there are more tender moments, for the most part funk is the king. Hancock plays support to his sextet, letting guys like Joe Henderson get buckwild with the brass instead. It's fun, it's upbeat, it's full of swagger.


To close, something more experimental. This album didn't entirely come out as well as the quartet might have hoped; a series of loose, on-the-spot improvs helmed by Hancock might sound mouth-watering at first glance, but the bulk of it comes off as rather disorganized and uninterested. The powerful vibe that Hancock found with many top musicians in his career didn't fire up to full effect on this album, but it's still worth a listen to get a feel of Hancock in that ad-lib atmosphere that proved so successful later on. Succotash is the pick of the bunch, for Hancock's ideas are sharp, but the rest of the band doesn't entirely grasp the feel enough to push it too hard. Regardless, still worth a listen, if for nothing more than hearing Willie Bobo and Chihuahua Martinez teamed up on percussion. It's clear who wears the pants in this quartet.



That should do it for today. I'm feeling well enough to cook up a storm this weekend -- friends, look out.

Sweet Jesus -- 14 Minutes of Good 'uns

Waitin' for the Rain
Fantastic Johnny C
[Listen]

En Melody
Serge Gainsbourg
Histoire de Melody Nelson [1971]
[Listen] [Buy]

Burning Spear
Jimmy Smith
Roots of Acid Jazz [1963]
[Listen] [Buy]

[How do I Say] I Don't Love You Anymore
Lou Rawls
I Can't Make it Alone: The David Axelrod Years [2004]
[Listen] [Buy]



ALERT : Sports may or may not be discussed. Also in the mix: shameless self-promotion.

--

Sweet Jesus, baseball is here again! After a turgid football season (for almost all of us), baseball hath come to soothe our hoops-hatin' souls. (note: I don't hate bball, I just cannot stand to watch it).

So yeah, I will be writing a lot over at my other blog, the team-effort, Chicago Cubs-loving Lingering Bursitis, home of many an angry, drunken rant aimed at Dusty Baker, and also home to a strong odor, a passionate discontent, and above all, daily flip-flopping on every opinion imaginable. So stop by if you feel so inclined, and as baseball begins to gather momentum, so will LB once more.

--

And now back to our regularly-scheduled programming: los tunes.

Philadelphia Soul! Not the Bon Jovi-owned Arena Football team, but some dusty tracks from a comp I found on the very topic. Fantastic Johnny C had a string of hits in the late 1960s with "Boogaloo Down Broadway" [#5 on the R&B charts, #7 on the pop charts], "Hitch it to the Horse" [broke into the Top 40 in 1968], and "Got what you need", and this cover of a popular R&B song is another solid track. The vocals are silky smooth, and there's nothing better than the jazzy horn-driven vamp that pops in and out of the chorus.


Serge Gainsbourg is about as well-known a French misogynist as there is. I mean, there are a lot of pessimistic, hopelessly romantic yet bitter Gallic musicians about, but Gainsbourg's undoubtedly the kingpin. [I don't condone that aspect of his music, but at the same time, he wrote a hell of a lot of silky smooth tunes.] Regardless, this is his best album in my opinion. You see where guys like Beck and Air get their spacious ambient vibe from; it's all right here, a little under a half-hour tale of one Melody Nelson and their relationship.

Imagine that: moody frenchman crashes vintage Rolls Royce into hot young Melody's bicycle, the two fuck, and voila! Concept album! It's dreamy, there's tinges of funk and bucketloads of luscious string arrangements, almost enough to make you plough yr vehicle into some lady's Vespa. Note: I said almost. This track falls on the funkier side, with fuzzed-up bass and street-smart rasping guitars over a thick beat. Watch for the quirky, Jean-Luc Ponty-esque trippy violins entering the fray at [2:07]. If I had to guess, this song represents them doing it, or possibly having a post-coital fight over something minuscule, but I could be wrong. Jane Birkin's odd, piglet-like laugh track might suggest some foreplay going on, but listen and imagine for yourself.


Jimmy Smith was to the Hammond B-3 what John Holmes was to 70s porn. The man's ubiquity and singular genius with his instrument [I'm back to talkin' 'bout Smith, not Holmes now] echoed forth in his music. Class to the end, the man put out a ton of good music, and this is just the tiniest tidbit from that catalog. I love this album, despite the lack of general "acid jazz" as the title implies, but there's a healthy mix of slow soulful grooves and more up-tempo funk rockers to keep you interested. This track stands out to me, as it carries a little more attitude and swagger than the rest of the LP. The staccato string arrangement bubbles nicely underneath a kinda Afro-beat rhythm, allowing Smith's organ to shine on center stage. It's a simple groove, but a powerful one nonetheless.


The late, the great Lou Rawls. His death is fresh in the memory and the soul, and this is just a little something in commemoration of that fact. Taken from a recent collection, this album is a great overview of Rawls' work with David Axelrod [I am obsessed w. Axelrod at the moment] from 1967-1970, a period that really brought out his soulful side. Rich arrangements heavy with a studio orchestra, Rawls' gorgeous voice reigns supreme.

---

That's it for another day. I'm off to wait for the postman to bring me some books I've been waiting ages for. More tomorrow.

Bolton be Damned [Happy Heart Day]

Girl Boy
Aphex Twin
Girl/Boy [EP] [1996]
[DL] [Buy]

Lovers Of Loving Love
The Aquabats!
VS. The Floating Eye Of Death! [1999]
[DL] [Buy]

Something About Us
Daft Punk
Discovery [2001]
[DL] [Buy]

Miss You Less, See You More
Faithless
No Roots [2004]
[DL] [Buy]

As
Stevie Wonder
Songs In The Key Of Life [1976]
[DL] [Buy It, Because It's Amazing]

Together
William Shatner
Has Been [2004]
[DL] [Buy]

Call Me Call Me
Yoko Kanno & The Seatbelts
Blue [1999]
[DL] [Buy]

Sure, valentines day is the bane of all consumers and the joy of all card manufacturers. But, it can still be fun. Taking advantage of a themed day for one of the first times, here's a few choice picks from my personal collection - something that, as you've guessed, doesn't feature too many love ballads: Michael Bolton be damned - but I've managed to dig up a few appropriate gems none the less.

Starting it off with one of the best songs that we could have chosen for today - 'Girl Boy' by Richard D. James, one of the most revered contemporary Intelligent Dance Music composers, going under the moniker Aphex Twin - and you should know him by now. His work is comprised prominently of Drum n' Bass beats that are as heavy as they are graceful like so many sumo wrestlers on figure skates with perfect scores. 'Girl Boy' is somehow different from the rest in that it incorporates his signature high BPM with a set of strings to a soulful effect that often borders on bringing me to tears. This production is deep, beautiful and awesome.

Flipping the coin in an entirely different direction, hell it's a different kind of currency for that matter, are California super heroes of Nerdcore: The Aquabats! I'll take any chance that I can to spread the word on how good these guys are - on the rare occasions that I see someone wearing an Aquabats shirt, without any hesitation whatsoever, I will approach that person and shake their hand - because they've earned it like Egon earned his Snickers bar ["you...you've earned it."]. This song was written when the 'Bats still had a solid horn section. The guitars and vocals are happy and silly in signature Aquabats style - but they're completely serious in their ridiculous antics. On top of not taking a damn thing seriously, they are incredibly talented musicians [and acrobats]. Easily, the best line in this song is "It's so great to give you a kiss and taste cherry chap stick!" See them live if you can, propose to your someone special while The Bat Commander and Crash McGlarson fight the evil Toilet Paper Cyclops on stage in the background - it's the perfect setting for a cherry-chap stick kiss.

When the Robots finally returned [well, actually, when they showed up for the first time] with Daft Punk's second album, Discovery, Guy and Thomas really had outdone themselves by reinventing their sound, their identities and creating a Daft Punk exclusive napster-like service to boot [that was the Daft Club, if you remember, with their silly proprietary music file formats and extremely restrictive media player]. In addition to the artistry that is their music, they teamed up with Japanese animation master, Leiji Matsumoto, to turn Discovery into an animated feature ['Interstella 5555: The Story of the Secret Star System'] to follow in the stylistic footsteps of the Space Ship Yamatos and Voltrons before it. 'Something About Us' is a slow, groovy track also known as 'The Love Theme to Interstella 5555.' I will admit, this track does walk the edge between very-fine downtempo-chill and a porn soundtrack - but that never stopped me from appreciating it. It's definitely a track to listen to at night and it would work well served to a solitary listener just as well as it would to listeners in pairs. It's romantic and smooth while never entering that feared area known as cheese. This is the version from the Discovery album, as opposed to the version from the Daft Club CD [a compilation disk of tracks that were originally released periodically via the Daft's online exclusive download service] - talk about instant gratification - go get yours.

'Miss You Less, See You More' is easily the 'dancey' track du the jour. Sister Bliss sets the beats and Maxi Jazz tears off his shirt as he breaks into a rhyme. This track is from the album No Roots, a far cry from when Faithless originally hit it big around 1997 with their single 'Insomniac'. The keyboard has a bounce that gets me where it counts, causing my feet to shift and do that dance that DJs do when their really digging their relationship with the ones and twos. Maybe I'll dedicate this track to them...because I've learned that platonic love can exist between a man and a turntable.

Next on the play list is Stevie Wonder's 'As,' perhaps one of the most soulful love songs ever. Stevie's voice and skills on the keys are virtually unsurpassed and the backup singers are so spot on. There's not a bone in my physical structure that can resist moving to this one. The solo section that comes up at 3:45 [elapsed] is incredible. It's a challenge to explain this track with mere words - listen to it now!

Had it not been for Ben Folds' Fear of Pop, Vol. 1, I can't say that I would be expressing so much interest in William Shatner outside of the comedic value of Star Trek. Shatner returned with his first album in a while in 2004, entitled Has Been [his incredible duet with Henry Rollins can be found in a previous post here]. The list of collaborations is impressive, and with Ben Folds on the production side, there was little cause for concern, it's an incredible album. 'Together' is a slightly electronic, relaxed guitar-and-beat track with a very positive feel to it, sort of like riding off into a sunrise. Electronic duo, Lemon Jelly lays down the beats and Bill - with the guest appearance of his wife, Elizabeth - sets the whispered vocals. It's light hearted without being shallow - a nice companion to a hot lover or maybe just a hot cup of coffee.

Yoko Kanno and The Seatbelts provided the entire musical catalogue for the phenomenal anime series, Cowboy Bebop, directed by Shinichiru Watanabe. They've produced myriad soundtrack CDs and each one is very much worth the price of importing - much of it muddled in the areas of Jazz, Rock, Folk, Electronic and some experimentalism. 'Call Me Call Me' has a very low key, rustic folk aesthetic. The vocals definitely lead the song, the keys and strings are a nice addition, especially at the points where they are played in reverse. This is only a sample of the impeccable production quality that is the effort of Yoko Kanno. The song ends in a beautiful smash of sound as if a glass hit the floor and its pieces slowly faded out of existence.

Enjoy these tracks and your evening of romance [or a solitary night eating fried rice and loving a good set of headphones.]

Love,
FeedMeGoodTunes

I owe you the world

Picard - Commander Worf's head looks like a fanny!
Worf - You can both suck my ridges!

SONG OF INNOCENCE
David Axelrod
Songs of Innocence [1968]
[Listen] [Buy]

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
Quantic
Apricot Morning [2002]
[Listen] [Buy]

COME TO ME
Roy Ayers
Virgin Ubiquity II: Unreleased Recordings 1976-1981 [2005]
[Listen] [Buy]

YOU’VE GOTTA HAVE FREEDOM
Pharoah Sanders
Journey to the One [1980]
[Listen] [Buy]


Man, so first up, cheers to my man Silent K for keeping the ship afloat. To be honest, I’ve been feeling absolutely wretched for the best part of 3 weeks as chemo has kicked into a higher, previously unknown gear, one that has absolutely knocked me out. The last thing I felt like doing was convening with technology in any way, except for the machines that kept me from falling into bad health, oh and the television too, and the mp3 player. That’s been about the level of functionality until about this weekend, when I’ve somehow managed to scramble myself together into the shape of a coherent human being. The phone has been off or on silent, screened like the dickens. Let’s be honest, who wants to hear the voice of a man on the edge? I know I don’t.

Moving away from hyperbole for a hot minute, the chemo feels like it’s been working. I guess up to a point 2 weeks ago, the general wellness and lack of the nasty, scary side effects made me feel like this wasn’t doing what it was supposed to. Now, I keep my mouth shut. This treatment is potent, powerful and effective, and my confidence has been restored. I feel a lot better at this present moment, and I have one more cycle to go (beginning next Monday, oh joy). After that, who the fuck knows. More tests, and hopefully good news. Best not to think it until I’m there.

Moving on…

And so, to toot my own horn back into the realm of the living (and blogging), a quartet of pretty damn cheery songs. David Axelrod is ubiquitous; love that orchestra full of strings that you locked in yr studios, you wonderful bastard you. Quantic is full of nothing but love, and Roy Ayers is the passion child incarnate. There are none sexier in the R&B world than that cat, and his silky smooth work on the vibes shouts it from the loftiest rooftop.

To close, a song from the sax guru Pharoah Sanders, from his first album to veer out of the serious, explosive work he did on the Impulse! Imprint. Here, Sanders kicks off his time on the Theresa label with a celebratory, happy, upbeat, joyful rhythmic exploration. It’s perhaps the best album of that period in Sanders’ work, and it’s so damn happy.

Happy is the word of the day in my house, and why not. I’m back amongst you all, you humans, you healthy, you happy-go-lucky street wanderers, you foot tappers, you concert dancers, you moshpit mashers, you vodka slammers, you playground rappers, you school goers, you work harders, you chefs, you writers, you scholars of life.

FMGT will return tomorrow to hug the blues away. Not even 26.9 inches of snow can frost this man who is determined to beat whatever he’s got and move on to the next big thing.

RIP J-Dilla

RIP Jay Dee/J-Dilla
1974-2006

James Yancey, aka Jay Dee/J-Dilla, passed away on Friday morning from kidney failure. He was a legend in the hip-hop world, lending his substantial talent to scores of important rap and hip-hop records over the last 10 years. His hands were always moving, and, along with his encyclopedic knowledge of music, J-Dilla provided the world with some superb sounds.

I can’t think of what J-Dilla songs would be especially apt here in light of his death, so I’ll leave that to the likes of Soul Sides who are preparing such highlight reels. He will be missed, but I will leave you with a selective discography from his massive body of work, just to show how much of an impact he did have on the creation and proliferation of memorable music. This is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, a drop in the hat. J-Dilla was just that special.

AS PRODUCER/MC
Jay Dee - Jay Dee Unreleased 12" [House Shoes Records - 1997]
Slum Village - Fantastic Vol. 2 [Goodvibe - 2000]
Jay Dee - Fuck the Police 12" [Up Above - 2001]
Jay Dee - Vintage [Bling47.com - 2003]
Jaylib (Jay Dee & Madlib) - Champion Sound [Stones Throw - 2003]
J-Dilla - Donuts [Stones Throw - 2006]

PRODUCTION CREDITS ON
A Tribe Called Quest - Beats, Rhymes and Life [Jive Records - 1996]
Tha Pharcyde - Labcabincalifornia [Delicious Vinyl - 1996]
5-Elementz - Yester Years 12" [That Was Entertainment - 1997]
The Roots - Things Fall Apart [MCA - 1999]
Guru - Guru's Jazzmatazz Street Soul [Virgin - 2000]
Bilal - 1st Born Second [Interscope - 2001]
Fourtet - As Serious As Your Life 12" [Domino - 2003]
Amp Fiddler - Waltz of a Ghetto Fly [Genuine - 2004]
Oh No - The Disrupt [Stones Throw - 2004]
Dwele - Some Kinda [Virgin - 2005]
MED - Push Comes to Shove [Stones Throw - 2005]

--

From the Stones Throw website:

It is with great sorrow that the Family and Friends of J Dilla announces his spiritual transition on the morning of February 10th, 2006 in the loving arms of his mother, Maureen Yancey.

J Dilla had suffered for over three years with an incurable blood disease, and had also been diagnosed with lupus.

A public viewing (closed casket) will take place Monday, February 13, 2006, 430PM-900PM at Forest Lawn Memorial Parks and Mortuaries, 1712 South Glendale Avenue, Glendale, CA 91205.

A private funeral will follow.

--

Mrs. Yancey relocated to Los Angeles in order to care for her son J Dilla during his lengthy illness. On behalf of Mrs. Yancey we ask that in lieu of flowers, any heartfelt donations be made payable and sent to a fund which has been established in her name:

Made Payable to Mrs. Maureen Yancey

Donations can be mailed to:

Maureen Yancey
132 N. Sycamore Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Bank Wires can be sent to:

Wells Fargo Bank of Los Angeles, CA
Routing Number: 122000247
Account Number: 6043250676
1-800-869-3557

Please note that donations made to Mrs. Yancey are not considered a charitable deduction. This will be considered a gift of help.

--

He leaves behind a body of work which will be loved and rediscovered for years to come. His most recent album "Donuts" on February 7th, the day of his 32nd birthday. Two other projects, "The Shining" and "Jay Love Japan" are completed. Other production work has been completed for artists Madlib, Busta Rhymes, Ghostface Killah, A.G., Visionaries, Truth Hurts, Phat Kat, MF DOOM, Skillz, and Frank N Dank.

--

There’ll be more from me later, something along the lines of an explanation for my long-ass absence. Oh, and some music too. After all, I think that’s the real reason y’all come here. I know that’s why I do.

EDIT: Check out Joey's superb post on the late Mr. Yancey over at Straight Bangin'. It's the obit and the reflection that I wish my mind could muster.

Subject Seen Heading West On Stuyvesant [Radio Back-Up]

Jolene
Cake
Motorcade of Generosity [1994]
[DL] [Buy]

Memory Loss
Deltron 3030
Deltron 3030 [2000]
[DL] [Buy]

That's When I Reach For My Revolver
Moby
Animal Rights [1997]
[DL] [Buy]

Nadie Te Tira
Ozomatli
Street Signs [2004]
[DL] [Buy]

Cowgirl
Underworld
Dubnobasswithmyheadman [1993]
[DL] [Buy]

I've been up since yesterday [about 26 hours, I don't do this very often] - so the substance [no, not you Snake] in this post is the music and not the words. I hate cake, that is I hate eating cake, I don't understand what all the fuss is about unless it's listening to Cake [yeah I'm really clever]. These guys just have a unique sound. Del the Funkee Homosapian is another favorite of mine. and yeah [wow I'm tired]. I mentioned this Moby track in my last entry, so I thought I would post it. [Oh, how considerate of you. Yes, thanku]. If you haven't heard Ozomatli, then out of any of today's tracks, listen to this one. These guys put on one of the best live shows ever - the last time that I saw them, we thought the show was over - but, instead of ending the show, they jumped off stage while playing and with instruments in tote, marched out the door and walked away down the street. Finally, 'Cowgirl' is by far my favorite Underworld track and it's easily up there in the essential Techno top picks right up there with Orbital's 'Halycon + on + on.'

5 Finger Upload

[Jon Burgerman's Wipeout Pure Omega concept art]

Tomoz Jazz
Baby Mamoth
Octo Muck [2003]
[DL] [Buy]

Beautiful America
Five Iron Frenzy
Upbeats & Beatdowns [1996]
[DL] [Buy]

Inner Citee Color Reprise
Jimmy Edgar
Bounce, Make, Model [2004]
[DL] [Buy]

Blackbird
Mocean Worker
Enter The Mowo! [2004]
[DL] [Buy]

Da Antidote [VIP mix]
Stanton Warriors
(unreleased-free download per the 'Warriors website) [2006]
[DL] [Official Site]

Here's another sampling for your 'pod, car stereo, @work-PC-speakers, or wherever it is that you choose to digest music ['fess up, who's going FmGT style in the shower?].

Baby Mammoth's 'Tomoz Jazz' is a smooth sucker that'll keep you suctioned to your red leather couch. The duo keep a solid yet refined catalogue of instrumental Hip-Hop beats that err on the side of Acid Jazz. If you're into stuff like Mr. Scruff, you'll enjoy Baby Mammoth.

'Beautiful America' is today's comic relief track. When I check out live music, I'll nod my head and enjoy the beats. But, there's nothing like laughing while skankin with all the rudys at a ska show. Five Iron Frenzy's track isn't funny per say - the lyrics are a social commentary of sorts, but I can't help but laugh as I sing a long to their Ska'd out version of West Side Story's 'America' as 'Beautiful America's closing chorus.

Jimmy Edgar, another prodigy from Warp Records, has a cut & paste sound similar to Prefuse 73, but with more of a synth-electronic style. It's still got a Hip-Hop bounce, but it's a little more abrasive than Prefuse 73, setting them apart on a seemingly similar plane of existence.

Mocean Worker's track, 'Blackbird' accomplishes what Moby has tried so many times - to create a subtle melancholy track using audio samples while trying to remain minimal. As Moby's efforts of this sort can sound rather unemotional, Mocean Worker's has done it just right with this one. [Though Moby's 'That's When I Reach For My Revolver' is a damn fine track]. Funny enough, I had dinner with Mocean Worker a few years ago without even knowing it, and that's all I can tell you, we ate Italian Food and I can't recall anything else.

Maybe this last track will be a good means of motivation for you to straighten up your papers and get ready to leave work for the day [once that time finally comes...tic...toc...tic...]. The Stanton Warrior's are breakbeat masters - there are few names that I could bring into the category of 'remix masters' [I would have to mention Hybrid there though]. Aside from their remixes, they have plenty of original tracks as well. To celebrate the launch of their new website, the 'warriors are hosting this track 'Da Antidote' on their site [which is looking halfway decent - I just hope that the forums become populated]. If you're familiar with these guys, then you know exactly what to expect.

hiphopacidjazzskaelectronicdowntempobreakbeat - That's FmGT for today. Enjoy, and stay tuned.