Songs from Home

[Beware: Flying Objects at 3am]

The Great Beyond
REM
Man on the Moon ST
Warner Bros Records : 2000
[Listen] [Buy]

I Wish
Skee-Lo
I Wish
Scotti Bros Records : 1995
[Listen] [Buy]

Seven Days
Sting
Ten Summoner's Tales
A & M Records : 1993
[Listen] [Buy]

Strawberry Fields Forever
The Beatles
Magical Mystery Tour
Parlophone : 1967
[Listen] [Buy]

Virtual Insanity
Jamiroquai
Travelling Without Moving
Sony Soho Square : 2004
[Listen] [Buy]

This half of FmGT took a trip out of town, to visit several old friends and the like in our old haunts. We threw down like we would back in the day, mugs full of beer and the floor full of foes defeated at the dartboard. Not to mention the music. God. The music.

State College, PA is a weird town. Full of piss and vinegar and yet seemingly confused about its true identity, it serves that gigantic monolith on the hill, Penn State University. The downtown is chock-full of what you'd expect, including some of the very bars in which my days were well and truly notched.

Music is generally on the thin end, too. With a modicum of fly-by-night cover bands and aggro punk, this world is populated by the living jukebox, the four-piece hit regurgitator, sing-along kings, mimicry and emulation, the whole deal. This weekend, several songs re-hit my ears, piped through tinny PAs or over-loud speaker sets while beer and whiskey found a home in my tired veins.

They're not songs that require much explanation, because we all know them. They're not all that great or terrible either, but instead, they're part of that general consciousness, and I'd bet that if ya heard them anew, you'd be singing along in no time, their lyrics indelibly tattoo'd on our consciousness. It is almost foolish to say that it was fun as fuck, and I'd do it all again in a heartbeat.

Also, post notice of the fact that some exciting experiments are brewing behind FmGT's solid steel doors, deep in the chamber of sake consumption and cartoon repeats. Not only that, but some bumper posts are in the pipeline, including an REM retrospective [let's face it, their most recent album was as good as a funeral], the long-awaited [by precisely four people] appearance of Feed me Good Zappa week, and much, much more. We live in exciting times. Stay frosty, people.

[Note: I realize this may have sounded a little negative, and I apologize. Just to clarify, I spent a superb four years there, but amidst the drunkenness, it was a little weird at times considering I hadn't been living there for 2 years. Places change over time, but there was still more than enough for me to sink my teeth into. One word: Zeno's. Apologies for any offense caused. And for something to be full of "piss and vinegar" is not such a bad thing. Just means rowdy, boisterous, you know, full of youth and energy.]

25 minutes and 45 seconds for immediate mass consumption

[JT the Pharaoh circa 2002]

Buck 80
C Rayz Walz
Ravipops
Definitive Jux : 2003
[Listen] [Buy]

Takin' It Back [feat. KutMasta Kurt]
Kool Keith
Diesel Truckers
Dmaft Records : 2004
[Listen] [Buy]

Sidewinders
Sixtoo
Chewing on Glass & Other Miracle Cures
2004
[Listen] [Buy]

Revolution
Declaime a.k.a. Dudley Perkins & J. Rawls [of Lone Catalysts]
It's the Dark and Jammy Show
2005
[Listen] [Buy it from Japan? I dare you!]

How I Got Over
Darondo
Let My People Go
Luv N' Haight : 2006
[Listen] [Buy]

Win or Lose
Mobb Deep
Amerikaz Nightmare
Jive Records : 2004
[Listen] [Buy]

Win or Lose
DJ J. Period & CL Smooth
CL Smooth: Man on Fire [The Freestyle Sessions]
Truelements : 2006
[Listen]

The Torch [prod. by 9th Wonder]
Edgar Allen Floe
Floe Almighty
Shaman Work Recordings : 2006
[Listen] [Buy]

I like to think of myself as the Tabasco or Sriracha to Silent K's bottomless bowl of gumbo. We've tried to play music in tandem before, with minor success [my ineptitude on the 'tables is the obstacle, although man do I try], and I was thinking of ways to circumvent this issue. I have about a million mixtapes lying amongst the waste and everyday garbage, their sparkling analog poking out from the bottle caps, take-out wrappers and digital detritus. These tapes aren't much, but I imagine that one day, when I'm long gone, aural archaeologists might find something good in them.

Today is no exception. Silent K, to you I present 25 minutes and 45 seconds of dementia sounds that you might want to listen to while running around a circular room. Perhaps an insane asylum, perhaps the tricked-out plush leather interior of an ivory white Denali, perhaps the sun-speckled slopes of Appalachian country. I don't give a fuck where, but it's a sonic slap in the face, without doubt. For that matter, these stretch wider than our beat-up CD sleeves -- all of you out there, do nothing for the next 25 minutes and 45 seconds. Download each track, and listen to them. There ain't much to connect them [I was only runner-up in my HS yearbook category, "Most likely to create cerebral mixes" to that jerk-off with the velcro sneakers and RZA collection] but they throw down a good beat. I'm drinking some beers with the Bose cans on my ears, and there's nothing I'd rather be doing, getting back to the hip-hop that I love and the sounds that I embrace.

---
C Rayz Walz is flat-out bananas with a dictionary. Given time, this man could conquer any speechwriter with his sharp tongue and unchecked energy. A bouncy childish sample dances over and under C's powerful delivery, juggling and rattling the brain as you struggle to keep up. From his first full-length, this cat deserves more recognition. Way, way, way too slept on. Yet another seriously high-quality Def Jux dish.
-
From C to K. Kool Keith is busier than Bush's press secretary right now, struggling to alert the world of all his devious doings. With not one but three albums flushing into the general consciousness this calendar year, he has always flirted with the outskirts of hip-hop. There are few like him, whether it's the concept albums or bizarre personas. This is one of his "easier" albums to enjoy, not entirely free of weirdness but not smothered in it either, and his partnership with KutMasta Kurt finds him trying to keep the energy high. Undercut with K's groovy beats, Keith does what he does best.
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Consider this the foot off the pedal, temporarily, as we swerve round the corner onto the next part of the chase. Sixtoo explores the well-worn paths of ambient/jazz/electronica but with somewhat fresh treads, and it's a nice sprig of mint on this musical mojito.
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Dudley Perkins is rapidly becoming the biggest force on my winamp. His new LP on Stones Throw is quite the delight, and this collaboration with J. Rawls [mastermind of the Lone Catalysts, known for that LP with Fat Jon of 5 Deez] is also a tour de force. Rawls puts a solid, dark beat underneath Perkins' unique voice. There are moments of humour, especially the patriotic flute tease during the chorus around 0:57, which, considering the subject matter [and J. Rawls' experience with war : the man is a full-time 5th grade teacher, who also put out an interesting LP History's Greatest Battles, Campaigns & Topics that has some reflective civics samples in the mix] is no fluke.
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Darondo Pulliam, as his press bio on Ubiquity states, is "spoken about in hushed-tones by other Bay Area musicians." His records are big targets for serious crate-diggers, as he pushed "low-rider soul with blues and r'n'b" to great effect. In the mid-70s, Darondo was a fixture in the Bay, until he disappeared from music for reasons best left undiscussed. Until now. This rerelease of some more memorable tracks is worth the investment, and this song just has summer pasted all over its heavy soul. His gentle voice soars high above a seriously funky beat, one that's slapped about by a perfect dose of horns and loud bass. Perfect. If G-d spoke to me in my dreams and gave me sheet music, this is what the H-ly Sp-r-t would bestow upon his lowly subjects.
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The next two are just a little fun. I first heard the sample on CL Smooth's freestyle mixtape, and after doing a little homework, behold, the original. There's just something about this simple sample and beat, that woman's voice, that makes it addictive. The rhymes, I could give or take, but it's that score that's cooking. Enjoy it served in two forms, its "original" [which definitely channels that Jay-Z brand of slick production and "luxury" rap, as I call it] and its shorter, milder offering.
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And for dessert, to close this long-ass rambling post that has been long overdue on my part, a sweet portion of the superbly-named Edgar Allen Floe [which ranks up there with Haiku D'Etat in my book of damn good clever names]. With 9th Wonder at the production helm, who could go wrong? E.A.F. does his beats justice, with smooth delivery and thoughtful lyrics. It's a call to arms, a loud request for action in the face of inactivity and indifference. It's also mildly addictive, bordering on criminal.

---
Well, if I take much more of your time I might have to pay you for it. Enjoy these 25 minutes and 45 seconds, and hopefully you'll have finished reading my nonsensical thoughts by the time the last note rings out. More tomorrow.

7 Cuts to Accompany your Coffee

Stranz kickin' it with borrowed rest-stop propaganda property.

Hills of Honalulu
Alden Tyrell
Times Like These
Clone Records : 2006
[Listen] [Buy]

Hollablack Tambourine Girl [Kojiro's Mashmix]
Beck & Gwen Stefani
Hollablack Tambourine Girl
FeedmeGoodTunes Laboratories : 2005
[Listen]

The Garden
Cut Chemist
The Audience's Listening
Warner Bros Records : 2006
[Listen] [Buy the Single]

Human After All [Sebastian's Remix]
Daft Punk
Human After All Remixes [Japan]
Virgin : 2006
[Listen] [Buy]

Superpositions
Nathan Fake
Drowning in a Sea of Love
Border Community : 2005
[Listen] [Buy]

C'mon Happy Chickens
Reggie & The Full Effect
Greatest Hits 84-87
Vagrant Records : 2004
[Listen] [Buy]

Live & Let Die
Wings
James Bond 30th Anniversary
Capitol Records : 1992
[Listen] [Buy]

Am I succumbing to Jack's Ikea nesting instinct? Or am I simply looking for stylishly named furniture to fit my mid-twenties, hipster lifestyle? Do you care? Do I care? No dude [dudette] - you came here for a tune up.

-------

M. Hoogendijk, like many artists, goes by a few assumed names; these include A Stranger from Another Meaning, Ardathbey & Partisan Midi. In this particular instance, he bears the name Alden Tyrell, a striking similarity to Elden Tyrell of the Tyrell Corporation from Ridley Scott's [awesome] film, Blade Runner. Tyrell's track, like Tyrell's Nexus 6, burns twice as bright if used for half as long - it's a solid track, but it gets a little repetitive [listen to it half as much and it will sound twice as good]. Still, good beats.

"Uh, huh, this my shit" - No, actually this really isn't my "shit" sweetheart. But wait, let's rewind and flip it. Normally, I wouldn't pay much mind to Gwen Stefani's recent work - that is, until the elusive Kojiro returned from Japan and pasted together this bitchin' mashmix of Beck's 'Black Tambourine' & Gwen's 'Hollaback Girl.' 'Hollablack Tambourine Girl is a Tribal Pop-Rock gem. Last year, I placed this track on a few satellite radio play lists. And it seems that since then, some of you have been trying to track this one down. Search no further, FmGT Labs has got the exclusive.

The Cut [Chemist] recently dropped two new singles from his forthcoming effort, The Audience's Listening. These tracks have been noted and generally spoken well of by other sweet music-blogs. I figure that FmGT fans will know about 'The Garden' already, and because of this I thought to perhaps not post this. I'm only doing so because it's so damn good and I don't want to risk the possibility of anyone missing out. What starts off as a dreamy organic, almost bluegrass loop scratches it's way into a sweet-sweet-sweet Bossa Nova Hip-hop funk. Be prepared to fall utterly in love when the beat drops at 2:45 - I only wish I knew what she was singing about.

It was nice to see Daft Punk again when they returned last year with Human After All. In an almost funny event when the album was leaked on the net - so many people said "Oh jeez, I hope this is fake." When it turned out to be the real thing, many gravitated to only a few songs including the classic Daft sounding 'Human After All;' the overused, over marketed and over copied 'Technologic;' and my favorite dank slow jam 'Television Rules the Nation.' A small little Human After All remix collection was dropped in Japan, featuring today's Daft track remixed by Sebastian. I like to cut this one down and loop it starting with the smooth keys breakdown that begins at 3:22.

The proud-not-to-be-a-DJ, Nathan Fake, is the twenty-two year old producer/musician from Norfolk, England and is the mind behind today's track, 'Superpositions.' With a nice electronic flow and a healthy serving of cymbals [not used enough in electronic tunes], Nathan's got no problem passing my QA on production. But at the same time 'Superpositions' reminds me of the Foo Fighter's track 'Everlong' - [sing the lyrics of 'Everlong' on top of this one and you'll know what I mean]. What's more, and a little bit stranger, is that this sounds like what would be the soundtrack to a futuristic remake of Top Gun. I hated Top Gun.

And here's some comic relief, courtesy of Reggie & The Full Effect, a band that some of my college buddies introduced me to back during my days at Syracuse. Fun Fact: Silent K once had a serious freak out when this track was put on repeat one night. I screamed the "Bock-Bock!" part of the song repeatedly for over an hour. Maybe, you just had to be there.

Finally, I'm filling an anonymous request by posting a Paul McCartney [Wings] track. I went into my favorite Bond themes earlier this year. This one is pretty decent too. I have a tough time getting over Roger Moore's overly comedic Bond though. Oh, and the Guns N Roses remake of this was complete crap. That's why Hilfiger slapped you Axl!

Enjoy.

Cerebration

Prince Osula on the drums at Harlem 125th Street - Doin' it for the people.

Data.Microhelix
Ryoji Ikeda
Dataplex
Touch Music : 2005
[Listen] [Buy]

Hoe Cakes [FmGT Edit]
MF Doom
Mm..Food?
Rhymesayers : 2004
[Listen] [Buy]

Today we be schoolin' all the fools with JT-style hip-hop & Ryoji Ikeda's subtle, bottom heavy brand of data-packed IDM. Unfortunately, I got no time for love, Dr. Jones.

Enjoy.

Slipped on stock footage only to take root

Music for 18 Musicians [Coldcut Remix]
Steve Reich
Reich Remixed
Nonesuch : 1999
[Listen] [Buy]

Delucid
Pest
All Out Fall Out
Ninja Tune : 2005
[Listen] [Buy]

I am being swarmed right now with stuff to do, but a quick 5 minute slab of time affords me the simple pleasure of tending to my little sound shack on the internet.

Steve Reich is an absolute god of that avant-garde dimension within minimalist and modal music. Composing intricate "process music" since the 1960s, he's hardly the obvious candidate for a remix album. However, Nonesuch did put forth a valiant attempt to do just that, and while it falls short on most efforts, this track is reasonable enough. Unfortunately, it's more a example of Coldcut fitting Reich to their style of music as opposed to Coldcut fitting themselves to Reich's original composition [and intentions], but it still works well as a driving, spacious ambient piece. [I also intend to do a short series of Steve Reich posts in the near future, maybe a couple of weeks? Not only Reich, but some other heavy hitters within that family -- Glass, LM Young, Riley etc]

It doesn't really grasp Reich or show a great understanding for his sound, but like I said, it does the job. Coldcut find the pulse of the original and infuse their own electronic colour.

As for Pest, they're yet another jack-of-all-trades outfit slumming about in the Ninja Tune stables. It's a wacky mess of jazz, fractured funk, techno and British garage that is easy on the ears and hell on the hips [gettit? It makes you dahhnce, my lovelies]. Opening with a quirky nylon-string guitar riff, it quickly whips up into a grooving little track, complete with horns and the occasional wah-wah blast.

I wish I could stay longer, but commitment pulls me away. More tomorrow, I swear.

Feed me Game Tunes

Pitt of Kid Icarus fame in Nintendo's upcoming Wii game Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Kid Icarus Famicom Medley
Sanabu Santaruru Namiki
Famicom 30th Anniv. OST
Nintendo : 200x
[Listen]

I make no effort to hide the fact that I'm a big videogame fan. In fact, you can check out my personal collection list here. I try not to discriminate too much, but the root of it all is my mainline love of all things Nintendo. Equally, the guys over at Infendo - a Nintendo related news blog - are also serious gamers. Aside from solid many-times-a-day Nintendo coverage, they've got a weekly podcast that skips the fluff that's all too common amongst gaming podcasts. This past week was a big one, considering that e3 [the megaton videogame tradeshow of the year] took place. And so this week's Infendo podcast reflects an overload of game information.

FeedmeGoodTunes has, on occasion, supplied a few Tunes for music beds and such used in the Infendo podcast. The most recent track tacked onto the end of today's Infendo-cast is hosted above.

Enjoy.

Between the Lines

Original image courtesy of AWS

--Sound--

WMD
Jel
Soft Money
Anticon : 2006
[Listen] [Buy]

Let's Impeach the President
Neil Young
Living With War
Reprise / Wea : 2006
[Listen] [Buy]

It's Up To You
Steinski & Mass Media
The Herbaliser's Herbal Blend
Ninja Tune : 2003
[Listen] [Buy]

Kill The President
The Offspring
The Offspring
Epitaph / ADA : 1991
[Listen] [Buy]

Die for the Government
Anti-Flag
Die for the Goverment
New Red Archives : 1997
[Listen] [Buy]

--Motion--

Loose Change [2nd Edition]
Korey Rowe, Dylan Avery & Jason Bermas
Louder Than Words : 2005
[Watch] [Support / Buy]

Today we present a few good tracks and an interesting documentary that takes a view of nine-eleven by presenting a stark contrast from most anything else I've seen on the topic.

I've posted this material to balance out the continued onslaught of our senses by [our administration's] propaganda. Everything from the recent feature film about Flight 93 [which will hit DVD just in time to combat Oliver Stone's, surely left-leaning, upcoming nine-eleven film] to our own currency. Has anyone noticed this? Take a look the recently distributed, redesigned, Ten dollar bill. Notice anything new? On the right side, you can clearly see the statement "We The People." Thomas Jefferson said "We the People," not his opposite, Hamilton - who is depicted on the bill. Are they trying to re-write history too? I'm not a geo-political guru, but I know foul play when I see it. The text might as well read "We are The People who are in control."

Sampling the kool-aid is okay every once in a while kids. But please, don't drink it daily.

A quick one before I'm gone

Move!
Ohmega Watts
The Find
Ubiquity : 2005
[Listen] [Buy]

Dolphins
Fred Neil
Everybody's Talking
Capitol : 1966
[Listen]

Not nearly enough minutes in the day sometimes, so a quick duo will have to suffice. I'm really into this Ohmega Watts album, and with good reason -- a mellifluous, energetic blend of soul, hip-hop and funk that'll keep the mondays at bay.

What might not keep them at bay is this moody, atmospheric Fred Neil track, yes, which was featured on last night's "Sopranos" episode. I know Stereogum beat me to the punch on posting this one, but I couldn't resist -- it was one of the better music placements I've seen in TV for a while, and so it goes. After all, it doesn't hurt to have songs in more than one place. Back tomorrow with more song-heavy sustenance.

You Paid for It

Hamoa Beach
Gomez
How We Operate
Ato Records : 2006
[Listen] [Buy]

A Dix de Mes Disciples
MC Solaar
Prose Combat
Cohiba : 1994
[Listen] [Buy]

A Temps Partiel
MC Solaar
Qui Seme le Vent Recolte le Tempo
Musicarama : 1991
[Listen] [Buy]

La Belle et Le Bad Boy
MC Solaar
Cinquieme As
WEA International : 2001
[Listen] [Buy]

Again, I'm pushed for time, but I did promise some people some MC Solaar to brighten up that segue into the weekend. If I was clever, I would probably have some good samba or whatnot given that it's Cinco de Mayo, but I think drinking some Negra Modelo or Pacifico might appease the appropriateness gods.

Up top, a tip-top track from Gomez's new album. They need no introduction, so I won't fake it. Nice breezy guitars, signature multi-layered vocal harmonies - it's got the Gomez stamp front and center.

As for MC Solaar, a guy I've been a huge fan of for at least a decade, I hastily pulled three tracks from different "eras" to perhaps act as a nice little showcase. A n MC Solaar aficionado bigger than myself might disagree, but I feel that this trio is a solid represenation of the Senegal-born rapper and his skills. He's flirted with success stateside, largely thanks to MTV airplay [waaaay back in the day, Prose Combat-era] of his music video for "Nouveau Western" [a track that makes great use of a Serge Gainsbourg "Bonnie & Clyde" sample], his work with Guru's Jazzmatazz project, a guest rap slot on a Missy Elliot track, and, perhaps most unsettling, his rather bizarre appearance in the music of Sex and the City's final episode.

His style never gets old to me : smooth, jazzy production serves as the perfect conduit for his philosophical, lightning-fast lyrical delivery. For MC Solaar, rap becomes poetry instead of merely pretending or play-acting [I don't count Jay-Z's drug talk as particularly poetic, but I imagine some would disagree]. His wordplay and lyricism weave in-and-out of smoky grooves, and the album "Prose Combat" shows that off more than perhaps any other MC Solaar album. There's even a guest appearance by the Roots on the album, providing their live instrumentation to his vocal styles.

I'm not sure which US rapper I could compare him to, but I'd love to field suggestions as to whose image he conjures up after a few listens. Either way, enjoy yrselves as the weekend slides into home plate, and we'll rendez-vous when the dust settles.

Nothing Revolutionary

WORK IN PROGRESS
Kev Brown
I Do What I Do
Up Above Records : 2005
[Listen] [Buy]

DARK DAYS
Fat Freddys Drop
Based on a True Story
The Drop : 2005
[Listen]

THE GREEN & THE RED
Mathias Aguayo
Are You Really Lost?
Kompakt Germany : 2005
[Listen] [Buy]

ASTRONAUT
Quasimoto
The Astronaut EP
Stones Throw : 2002
[Listen]

Not a whole lot of time available today, but time enough to slap four tracks on you faster than a restraining order. With Kev Brown, what you see is what you get - slick, smooth production, chunky bass-heavy beats and laid-back vocals. It's good enough to get the job done, although I much prefer him behind the tables than front and center at the microphone.

Fat Freddys Drop are a New Zealand septet with a fondness for reggae, soul, dub, and just about every destination in-between. This album was voted as "Album of the Year" on the influential DJ Gilles Peterson's BBC Worldwide show, demonstrating just what sort of chops this outfit has in store. This is a slow-burning, smoothed-out track, filled with a lush melody and a beautiful low-tempo, atmospheric sensation.

I'm not hugely keen on Matias Aguayo; while great as part of euro-electro tag-team Closer Musik, his solo work is missing a lot of the huge hooks that populated CM's work. This track ain't bad though - his subtle "vocals" simmer under a chilled-out samba guitar loop and typical boom-bap effects.

Finally, a touch of Madlib is almost predictable by this point. The genius, the hot pepper flakes on a greasy New York pizza slice, the sambuca to round off the meal, the title page to any college essay. Superb 70s-era jazzy cop show samples populate his world, and we are all merely living in it.