Spinnable Treats

The Coup

ShoYoAss
The Coup
Pick a Bigger Weapon
Rhymesayers Entertainment : 2006
[Listen] [Buy]

Golden Lady
Ronnie Foster
On the Avenue
Blue Note : 1974
[Listen] Out of Print right now, I believe

Devotion
Charizma and PB Wolf
Big Shots
Stones Throw : 2003
[Listen] [Buy]

Another day, another post, another trio of tracks I've been spinning a lot lately. They work so damn well, any way you slice it, and so I lavish them upon you below.

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First up, The Coup, a band I love a lot. Socially-aware, funky hip-hop from the west coast [pick up Steal This Album and work forward from there]. This track from their latest offering is almost a no-brainer; deep, deep groove from the get-go that doesn't relent. It's booty-shaking funk that could have easily come out of Prince's or P-Funk's catalog, full of synth, swagger, and crisp production.

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Next: the fantastic Ronnie Foster. The keyboardist/organist put out several albums in the early 70s that didn't gain him a huge following at the time, but for those of us raised in the acid-jazz era, going back and discovering him is like Christmas all over again. Up-tempo, tight grooves presented at break-neck, speaker-breaking speed.

This track, Foster's interpretation of the Stevie Wonder song, works great thrown in the middle of a live mix; its energy catches you unawares at first, and then you run with it. The shuffle beat, the skittish bass line, and the sweet brass lines thrown in around Foster's organ playing all add up to a perfect break. His solo is perfect, and his backing band doesn't let him down. Throw this on whenever you think the party is tiring, and they should soon perk back up. It might be too "smooth jazz" for some of you, but trust me -- it's worth the pick-up.

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Finally, to wrap it up; a lazy, funky cut from Charizma and PB Wolf. I think I've probably posted this track in the past, but having dusted it off a couple of weeks ago at our big FmGT housewarming, it has shot right back to the top of my playlist again. Charizma's [nee Charles Hicks] life and career were cut woefully short when he was killed during a mugging back in 1993, but we must be thankful for what we have, which in this case is a great, neat, jazzy album collaboration between him and PB Wolf.

Charizma's rapping is sweet, and Wolf's samples and breaks are as good as ever. This track has the deep beat to throw it in anywhere on a mix, not to mention that friendly tempo. Well worth getting to know and love as much as I do.

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More tomorrow, I hope, including finally getting into that Midnight Snacks series, with a deeper look into Sly and the Family Stone.

JT.

Back from the wild.

Ruby Lee
Bill Withers
+'Justments
Sussex : 1974
[Listen] [Buy -- out of print right now]

Southern Freeez [12" mix]
Freeez
Southern Freeez 12"
Beggars Banquet : 1981
[Listen]

Strobelite Honey
Black Sheep
A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
Mercury: 1991
[Listen] [Buy]


Well folks, after 6 weeks of white noise and interference, we're back. No way to really explain it, except the combined brilliance of summertime, living as a collective and in a new space led to a whole lot of not being on the internet taking care of business. Apologies. Everyone needs a hiatus from time to time, a chance to put down the world and leave it behind. We just took ours, and we're happy to be back. Thanks for being patient with us.

So, what marks my return? A trio of tracks I've been spinning a lot lately, and messing with as I create various mixes and get my turntable fingers back up to speed.

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First up, the throaty, silky Bill Withers. Once that sultry bass line and steady, tick-tock hi-hat beat kick in, it's hard to resist. Give in to the vibe being thrown around and let his voice do the rest. He sings of the love he found and lost, wishing for his girl to be back by his side. As a guy with his ladyfriend living in another state at the moment, I share Bill's sentiment: there's just no substitute for that one and the shape they take next to you when you sleep.

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Next up, Freeez. Heard of them? That's a shame if you haven't, because more than a few of their tracks are worthy of your praise. This UK dance-funk quartet made some quality up-tempo, energetic tunes, charting many times on both sides of the Atlantic with cuts like "I.O.U" [a track that made it into the Beat Street soundtrack], "Pop Goes my Love" and "One to One"... but for me, it begins and ends with "Southern Freeez". Led by some female guest vocals, the troop pound through 5 1/2 groove-packed minutes that will make you sweaty.

Listen to it several times, and don't be afraid to bop around yr house [especially the three synth- and bass-packed bridge sections, where the percussion rides high and the band cruises through some neat chord changes into a thick wall of electronic sound]. Make Freeez a part of yr playlist, grab their LPs if you can find 'em, and let the slap bass replace your heartbeat.

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Last but not least, a solid slab of Black Sheep. We should all be music-ified enough to know these rap legends well, so we'll spare the pre-amble.

I love spinning this track because of its deep beat, and the bass line that kinda steals more than one note [sampled in here: The S.O.S. Band, Change, Roger Troutman, Young and Company, and Mason Vaughn and Crew]. As a whole, it's punchy, full of their trademark attitude, and it showed as this track charted to #1 on the Billboard Dance Charts in '92. The rhymes aren't as classic or memorable as other Black Sheep classics, but it easily punches its weight in terms of bounce per ounce.

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This should be an easy segue back into this blogging business. Sure, it's a little phoned-in, but I'm approaching with caution. Believe me, I've got a mass of quality tunes queued up around the corner, and my writing will slowly get back to where it once was. In the meantime, enjoy Freeez, Bill Withers and Black Sheep, and enjoy returning to FmGT on a regular basis.

Posting

There will be a resumption to posting tomorrow. I have a lot of posts that are almost finished, and they'll begin publishing tomorrow. Apologies for the prolonged hiatus; we're ready to get back into the thick of things and feed you good tunes.



JT.