Funky Daggers

Double the posts of 2006!

2009-12-23T11:52:00.004-05:00

Hello Internet! First of all, I'd like to sincerely thank "rap music" for your comments because ain't no one else doing it. Second of all, I'd like to prove that I still know how to type, because productivity has been at a recent low in ye olde write-game. Third, I guess I didn't try very hard to login to my original Photobucket account last time, as I got it on the 3rd guess this time. The "funkyd15" account is back, so most of the pictures are now active again on this blog! And likely elsewhere on the web(bie...weeeebie).

Eighteenth, you, my loyal 1.025 readers (the 1 assumes that rap music is still out there, pretty low if not), may be wondering about the future of this little spot on the grand internetzzzz as it nears its 6th birthday. Well, that's a good question. Obviously (???) writing on here is easier to do than writing up in the big leagues of donewaiting.com, so maybe I can use this again to "practice up" for the big stuff. That reminds me, I'm currently racked with doubt about whether I'm even going to write an Albums of the Year post for that site this year. I've been so disorganized this year (especially the 2nd half of the year) that it's hard to sort through things and order them arbitrarily, much less write some beautiful prose about said things. As usual, encouragement in the way of comments always helps. Feel free to tell me your favorite albums of the year, and maybe I'll steal them. HAHAHA!

Anyhoo, happy belated 30th to me, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you!

More Internet Fun

2009-09-09T16:17:00.001-04:00

Bathe in the afterglow. The growing (?) number of indie rock bands comprised of wrestling fans (whatup Lutzko?) is encouraging to yours truly.

Happy Labor Day, eh!

2009-09-04T11:26:00.002-04:00

Off to PA! I'm also in a band now!

Video is gone. Thanks alot rap music.

RIP Koko Taylor, 1928-2009

2009-06-04T11:53:00.002-04:00

http://www.kokotaylor.com/news.html

As alluded to here for the last 7 months, my dad and I drove to Mansfield on September 27th to see Koko Taylor, "The Queen of the Blues," live in concert. It was the day before her 80th birthday, but she still sang and danced up a storm for a lengthy set. I wish I had written up my full recollection of the show when I had it. Unfortunately, my dad called me this morning to tell me that news of Koko's death was on the front page of the Dispatch. I'm glad I got to see her live twice before she passed. Rest in peace, Queen Koko.

Fuck it.

2008-09-26T17:20:00.000-04:00

But no, I'm not late for work, nor was I late this morning. But I digress. I need to blog. I let this blog die. I still want to RVG all over the place, but without writing much, that's kinda hard (might rupture my internals with too many Grachan Moncur III anecdotes coursing through my veins). So I'm back. Like cooked crack. My only promise is to not write about not writing. To quote Nick Swardson's criminally overlooked 2007 masterpiece, Party, "Shit's weak!!! Shiiiiitt's Weeeeaaakk!!!" And I ain't about no weak shit. Play with your playstation or something.

Anyway, last night's show at ye newe Summit, you know, the bigger Cafe Bourbon Street next to Cafe Bourbon Street, was pretty goddamn baller (EDITOR'S NOTE: SPELL CHECK DOESN'T LIKE BALLER?!?!? SEE SWARDSON QUOTE ABOVE!) if I do say so myself. First up was The Lindsay, who were celebrating the birthdays of members Gretchen and John. Man, this was my favorite Lindsay set in a boxful of grips. I have had my doubts about their new material in the past, but I think last night erased them. They're definitely louder and more rugged than the past, but their sound has been sharpened to a point, even when they slop around a bit. Which will happen on a birthday show. Watching Crow and "Dancing Suited Dude" shake and shimmy next to each other was funny.

Next up was the Guinea Worms. I really haven't focused on many Guinea Worms shows in my days, but this was another strong set for the evening. Will Foster has an intense stare and goofy/weird dance moves, which lead to some sweet, alternate universe stage presence. He also referenced the HOBOKEN CHICKEN EMERGENCY! I can never convince anyone of its existence, so Mr. Foster's efforts were greatly appreciated. (EDITOR'S NOTE: It turns out my childhood memories stem from a TV movie based on a children's book of some cult popularity, which is probably what Will was actually talking about. But the movie featured Dick Van Patten, Gabe Kaplan, and Peter FUCKING Billingsley, so that'll do JUST FINE!) Anyhoo, the rest of the band joined him in some surprisingly tight heavy rock jams. By the end of the set, the bass/drum sound was reminding me of "Bulls on Parade," which was really weird. Overall great stuff, though they threw out their "Free Pass To Sell $5-$6 of Merch To Andrew Patton Because We Mentioned the Hoboken Chicken Emergency" by not bringing any merch. Next time, fells!

Finally, headliners and pleasant Detroiters Tyvek came on to close the evening, and not a moment too soon, as they started at 1 AM and finished their sprawling, "no dudes, let's play some more songs" set around 1:50. It was a workmanlike effort, but it would have been better a bit earlier, which was not their fault. Anyway, I've recently been thinking about whether Tyvek works as the interracial "shitgaze" version of Cheap Trick. There's two nerdy-looking white guys, a cool-looking white guy, and two cool-looking black guys. OK, that sentence was kind of a joke, but kind of serious. The jams were plenty ramshackle, but still rocked pretty hard. I guess three guitars will help with that. The audience highlight of this set and the night (well, other than the running theme of Crow sticking his head in the woofer on the rockinest parts, ROFL) was "the human rock 'n roll spasm." This young lady apparently really liked Tyvek, and showed it by freaking the fuck out. Flailing arms, kicking/two-stepping legs, really weird one-shoulder dance (one shoulder moved forward and backward very haphazardly while the other one stayed relatively still), big hair head-roll (metal headbangin' style), and just general convulsions. Shit was ridiculous. I think I overheard her friends talking about escaping outside for a smoke because they couldn't stand to watch the carnage. I hope she controls herself to keep her friends, ROFL.

All said, a fine evening and hopefully a foretaste of the Rocktober to come. More writing ensuing!

LIVE.ON.STAGE.

2008-08-13T13:58:00.000-04:00

Whatevz

2008-07-15T17:51:00.004-04:00

Yeah, I've lost the inspiration to write here, so I think this blog is about done. Maybe a new blog soon, about one particular topic so completely nerdy that no one will care about it (oh, I have one in mind) (EDIT: IT ALREADY HAPPENED!!!). That way I won't worry about how dead the blog is. I know, my severe gaps in content killed it, not you. My problem.

You know the drill. If this little sliver of cyberspace is somehow important to you, holler back in the comments, or tell me in real life, or something. Of course, a few people did that in '06, and that didn't have much lasting effect on me, so this time probably doesn't matter either. Sorry. I won't ever delete this blog, so long as I have control over that, so that's not a worry. Dinner time, so I'll weep my way to Grandma's. Later on.

B(l)ogging Down

2008-07-09T13:33:00.005-04:00

TFD FTW!!! Anyhoo, what up? I hope you, my .435 of a reader, are having a great summer, or at least 43.5% of one. I'm doing pretty damn well, and definitely better than the home PC (little lunch break here). As previously chronicled, the amount of music stored on ol' Compy reached dangerously high levels in early June. The backup drive seems to be pretty solid so far, but the memory backup sync software (or my skills in using such software?) leaves something to be desired. So, it had previously backed up decent-sized files that I had since deleted. When it did not find those files on the computer, it decided to restore them! So, I came home one day to the message (to paraphrase), "You have 0 MB of memory left. Delete files now." @*$%&!!!!! So, I managed to get the computer back from that cliff and am now working on getting all the shitty or unlistened-to music off the computer and onto the hard drive (or recycle bin) EXCLUSIVELY. Compy is gradually getting less grumpy, so hopefully a large-scale purge will give me a sleek computing machine once again.

I am starting to have some ideas for new content, so begin holding your breath...now. You can stop holding it for those MP3 mixes I shiftily referred to last time.

We Are The Champions

2008-06-09T00:10:00.002-04:00

40069 items, 107:09:20:19 total time, 200.59 GB. Mission(s) accomplished (see below for help understanding). I think this is the current e-Mount Everest for my digital music collection (Though you know, if I got this computer a terabyte, I could add a fifth number to that time total...). For the sake of Compy's speed and general well-being, it's time to retreat from the peak. Also, for the record, the iTunes "Show Duplicates" function brings up 3069 tracks, so there's likely 1500+ songs that could be trimmed right there, random blogger's mixes be damned! But look out for some treats as I try to spread the wealth (well, mostly to Jason, but I'm sure you commoners will get some love too). Have a good week.

100 Days, 100 Nights

2008-05-28T23:05:00.005-04:00

What does this post title mean? Is it drawing your attention to more praise and adoration being poured upon Miss Sharon Jones (especially in light of the video above)? No. Is it a reference to the extremely long period in between posts here at Funky Daggers? No. I've been meaning to write a post with this title for a month or so now because I passed 100 days worth of music on the ol' iTunes. It's actually close to 105 now. Pretty disgusting, huh? I scooped a 500 GB backup drive for $90 a couple weeks ago, so I guess I should start moving the lesser music off the PC (or delete it????), but there's something mysteriously appealing about the gluttony of piling as many hours of music as possible into this thing. At least its backed-up now, in preparation for the pending explosion, so when I'm wiping the molten MP3 bits off my face, I can laugh, somewhat. I do have some other music library milestones coming up (200 gigs, 40K songs) soon, so maybe I'll steer the other direction after those. Ha!

Life Is Expensive (or just plain weird)

Saturday May 3rd was a big day for underground hip-hop shows in Columbus. Bottom Brick had a successful (from all first-person accounts I've heard) release party for The Groundbreaking (as reviewed by yours truly here), complete with appearances by Illogic and Blueprint. At Skully's, the My Best Friend's Party hipster dance party crew provided a show headlined by Time Machine (and it was free due to a cancellation from actual hipster rappers Plastic Little). (Andy and) I have wanted to see Time Machine for a long time, mostly because of the magic of "Night Lights." We were supposed to see them on tour with People Under The Stairs at the Grog Shop in 2006, but another bill shuffling (this time caused by a cancellation by the soon-to-be-more-famous Gym Class Heroes) put the boys on stage before we got to town. Here in 2008, the first weekend of May was a reunion of my old frat buddies here in town, so I was not there to welcome the boys in support of their new long-player, Life Is Expensive. Of course, Abele and I dipped from the bro gathering semi-early, so we talked of hitting the Bottom Brick show, but Abele passed out on the couch as soon as he finished his Big Buford. So I went to bed, and slept in pretty late. Throughout the next day, I found out two things:

1. My roommates saw Time Machine perform and said that it was great. Damn.
2. Abele thought he met my roommate's boyfriend as he met a fellow leaving our place Sunday morning. But Katie does not have a boyfriend! It was Jaysonic (white rapper from Time Machine and video above)! He spent the night at my house and I didn't even manage to meet him. Hilarious.

Well, pray for more blogging. And, as always, tell your friends and loved ones that you love and appreciate them while they're still here. RIP Camu Tao.

Classic shit

2008-04-09T18:19:00.000-04:00

Takin' it back! Dave, you won't miss the audio too much on this one. What's new, caribou? Spring has sprung, which is pretty dope. Warmth is always appreciated. Oh, and my home computer has no internet, ROFL. Guess I gotta make another 578-hour phone call to Bangalore (or is it Bucharest now?), whooppeeeee!

Claws of Paradise

Out-of-the-blue rock awakenings don't happen enough for me anymore, but I did receive one Saturday night at El Bobo. Brooklyn's Claws of Paradise, on tour with Guitar Bomb (they must have played first), stopped through to unleash a varied rock 'n roll onslaught. A fair portion of the tunes sounded like 1971-era Grand Funk Railroad with a kickin' horn section (tenor sax player, alto/bari sax (!!!) player, one of the singers also player trumpet)! As noted by doorguy extraordinaire Booziak, however, the music was also inflected with probably too many other reference points, like metal and punk, that were a bit much at points. However, overall it was a horny wonder and a good cap to a serious rock 'n roll weekend (Evil Queens and Detroit's Hard Lessons killed Ravari on Friday)!!!

Forthcoming

These Weightless trailers of late are pretty tight, and this album should be dope. Bleep bloop blop.

One Long Rick Roll

2008-03-28T18:07:00.002-04:00

I was hoping for Masheter to make more funny at my lack-of-bloggins' expense, but I couldn't stay away forever. And when I have great graphics (like the above) waiting to be GRASP'D, how could I? Let's see, other fun stuff we could talk about...

BEWARE OF THE CRYPTKEEPER

Yeah, Andy Samberg's funny or something, I too love the Beastie Boys, blah blah blah SWEET JESUS LOOK AT THAT OLD MAN!!! I'm sorry, I love me some Mike D (NO HOMO), but damn, I think Doris (Jay Sherman's makeup artist) set him up for the fall or something. Probably just outrageous because of how old he's making ME feel.

RECORD-BREAKING FEBROCKUARY (Febrock fer short)
Not nearly enough talk of FEATS OF ROCK these days. Let it be knownst that in February 2008, yours truly saw three different shows featuring musical artists that took place OUT OF STATE! For the record, that was:

Friday, Feb 1st: Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings at Headliners, Louisville, KY, with Chops
Saturday, Feb 16th: The Dirtbombs & Tyvek at the Magic Stick, Detroit, MI, with Adam, Lucas, Rolo, Brett, and Dann
Friday, Feb 29th: The Diplomats of Solid Sound w/JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound at Reggie's, Chicago, IL with Katie (my sister) and her peeps

Ha! Take that, Leap Year! It was a good month. Best of the 3? Hard to say, but probably the Sharon Jones jumpoff. This is primarily due to Cochemea Gastellum's mind-blowing bari sax performance of "It's A Shame," which was phantasmagorical.

Alright chumly, hope for a good April and have a good weekend! Maybe I'll write again before March leaves us!

Will Wonders Never Cease?

2008-02-26T23:01:00.004-05:00

New Hussein Fatal, "Pop Like Me," from a supposedly upcoming album, Born Legendary!!! Dave?

Such is my life...

2008-02-19T22:48:00.000-05:00

You know, ups, downs, some laughs. Funniest laugh recently being the COLOSSAL FAIL (rofl, it's that very derivative new new, peep game) that last week's "Grand Relaunch" has been so far. Staying in line with this blog's trends over the last 2-3 years (well, the parts where I was sorta trying), a proclamation was followed by...nothing. And of course, I don't have much for you now either. Want some empty promises? I meeean, I do have a...

JAM OF THE DAY

Kashal-Tee: "Blood, Sweat & Beers"

Ten year-old Swedish raps? Got 'em! This guy was an old HHI (RIP) superstar that seems to be slowly getting some more material out there. I enjoyed this tune back in college, and thought of it the other day. Of course, it was only on a couple compilation 12-inches, one of which is trying to fetch 80 euros (currently about $118 US) on discogs right now! Since I can't think of any song that I have $118 (plus shipping from Germany) -worth of love for, I turned the hunt in a different direction. After using last.fm to find the three people they know that have EVER listened to the song, the kind Australian I contacted pointed me to Down To Erf, where the track was on a comp for Christmas. Hallelujah! Download and enjoy!

Rallying cry

2008-02-13T18:00:00.000-05:00

From the god himself:

"Andrew's blog is a mystery. It's like it's too academic for people to muck up with comments or something. ANDREW PATTON IS A REGULAR JOE, PEOPLE. His blog feels real desolation and cries real tears as a result. And no, they are not the easy tears of love, but the fiery, bitter tears of neglect! We live in a country where Matthew McConaughey can star in one hit movie after another despite never displaying any kind of competence at his craft. A country where Chyna is still on television on a weekly basis. A country where Kanye West is winning Grammys and not Ghostface. So does it shock me that this same country would heap comments on less deserving blogs? No. But it does sadden me. Andrew Patton has something to say about music, and the way he appreciates it. In fact, for those who know him well, I'd be positively gobsmacked if one of you could say that he hasn't affected your appreciation of music in some way. I owe much to this man, including thirty-three dollars, but most of all, my ever-expanding understanding of, and love for, music."

Wow. All I can say is this:

War is on for you biting fools...er, I mean...I'm ready for war. Andy's kind words have reminded me that I have a mission here. It's motherfuckin' music time. Certain folks have wanted more of the third aspect of Beats, Rhymes, and Life around these parts, but fuck it. I want this to be a music blog, by Jove! So a music blog it is! Prepare for me to pound my superior tastes into your weak skulls! Shit, I mean, it is time to refocus my aim on the jams. Suggestions are always welcome, but at this point I'm planning on putting EFFORT into some almost-regular music-writin', both here and at Donewaiting. Cuz I'm DONE WAITING!

Also, I was told that a certain DW review of mine has been read by Rick Rubin. That is all.

Andy's new favorite magazine

2008-02-13T13:58:00.001-05:00

More at 11.

Another day, another Ghostface video

2008-02-06T17:42:00.000-05:00

Pointed out to me by The Smoking Section, cuz you know, TSS IS MAJOR!!! His smile in the beginning is priceless, especially after seeing the Ghost video below.

Damn. Anybody got any new hot topics?

God bless the internet!

2008-01-25T17:40:00.000-05:00

Hey Ghost, don't look at me. I copped both of those jawns (raprapraprap) in stores, so I'll be looking to pow-wow when you come through Bustown. ROFL at youtube.

So what's good? I dunno why the blog is struggling these days. It just seems to be difficult for me to focus on cranking shit out. Yeah, if I had a half hour (or even 15 mins) of every day reserved for blogging, it would probably help me to get all the random semi-blogworthy thoughts onto the digital page, but don't hold your breath on that plan. I'll just keep fighting the good fight to bring the jams to the blog.

That's What Friends Are For

A goodly portion of the readers here should know that I had my fourth (and final, as far as I'm concerned!) round of gum surgery on Tuesday. I've been sticking with soup, yogurt, and applesauce, but today at work Victor and I wanted to go out to lunch. So we went to "The Holler" (Chinese place with good lunch special; it was formerly $3.99, leading to the nickname "4 dollar holler;" it is now $4.29, leading to a lack of catchy new nickname options and causing us just to use the old one). Anyway, I usually get the General Tso's, but the chicken is crunchy and therefore bad for the healing mouth. Somehow I reasoned that the Sesame chicken would feature soft chicken so I ordered that. Unfortunately, I was wrong and the Sesame had the same chicken as the Tso's. So, I was about to brave it and hope for the best. But Victor, being the kind soul that he is, offered to trade me his "Lo Mein Medley" (a plate brimming with noodles and fried rice, nothing else) for my chicken! Huzzah! He is a nice guy, and it felt like we were back in the elementary school cafeteria. Thanks again, pal.

Stooping to the kind of personal stories like the one you just read is one of the billion factors keeping this blog from being the grand music information depository that I've always envisioned, but it probably keeps the most vocal reader of the blog happy, so WHY NOT?!? Have a good weekend!

Some hip-hop reading for your week

2008-01-13T20:49:00.000-05:00

Yo, I'm still working on some sweet new content for you, my beloved reader. I guess I've been pretty busy lately, or something. I apologize. In a weak attempt to keep your attention, here are some other folks writing about (and sharing some) hip-hop a great deal better than I can:

Fat Lace: "Underrated/Underhated #1." "Well, Meth, the astral plane doesn’t exist and the place where the bitches is at does, so Mannie wins that one." Pure hilarious genius. I think my life has improved greatly since these British dudes made their reappearance via the blogosphere.

From Da Bricks: "Pete Rock Dream Collaborations List." Dan Love of From Da Bricks and J. Ben Leonard of Floodwatch Music drop some serious knowledge on full-length album collaborations between 10 MCs and Pete Rock that never happened, and why they should have. Rap nerd wet dream-type shit.

Well, I will return soon with more, but these two articles have mystified me enough to believe that you will enjoy them too. Peaces.

Noooooo!!!

2008-01-04T01:24:00.000-05:00

Bad news, sports fans. Nate Dogg supposedly had a stroke. On my birthday. I'm sorry Nate Dogg, what did I do?

(P.S. My computer's back on the innernutz. ROFL.)

The End of Another Year!

2007-12-31T16:23:00.000-05:00

Yes indeed, 2008 is mere hours away. 2007 was a real mixed bag for me, so hopefully 2008 is an unabashed success. I'm sorry that things were slow on the posting front around here this year. Hopefully I can turn that around in 08, especially since I still need to compete with the Joneses. 173 is a helluva thing Andy, good job! Despite (and maybe because of) quietness here, I did manage to write up my favorite albums of 2007 for ol' DW here. I think it's a pretty good list, so hopefully others find some new (well, aging new) shit to listen to. That's all I got. Happy 2008! See you soon!

It's A Christmas Miracle!

2007-12-25T15:57:00.000-05:00

Look at all the cash you have saved by visiting this blog!

Merry Christmas! I have emerged victorious (unlike my Brownies) from my 28th birthday and a Yuletide illness to blog on Jesus' (and Rickey Henderson's) birthday! Well shit, Christmas dinner is being prepared and they need MY help! So, instead of being a greedy internetter, I better tend to Holiday Happiness at hand. Merry Christmas, the blog's not dead, see you soon!

Alright, Williams...

2007-12-12T18:10:00.000-05:00

Despite your FALSE claims that I hate Christmas and Jesus, we're still cool (well fuck, you commented on my blog, you're on the list of my two favorite people). I'm even mulling over your H(oliday)MM invite on my birthday eve. Let's face it, Bro Ho Ho (while fun) was not the same without you. So, I present a little trip down memory lane to about 10 years ago (jacked from a REAL "trip down memory lane" email forwarded by my dad, only useful thing to come out of his forwards ever), NOW WITH GRAPHICS!!!

I never remember what this actually was, just our two-man nickname from Mr. Fawcett. Ah, those were the days.

NOW FOR SERIOUS IMPORTANT BUSINESS
ROFL. What's up? Don't worry, despite my recent lack of DW writins, I am still producing a 2007 Best Of list (and other projects are in the works!). You can peruse the early-bird entries from my boss Rob Duffy here and from Population: Doug's own Doug Elliott here. I have no idea what records these gents are talking about, but I'm sure they're great.

Did somebody say JENT?!?

Ha. Anyhoo, it's another year where my year-end review is complicated by important-ish hip-hop releases (and no, Lupe, not gonna wait for yours, sorry). So I'm trying to make heads or tails of a bunch of records that I should have listened to months ago and hope to emerge at (OR BEFORE) the end of the year with a list I can stand behind. That'll be the day. Of course, my sturdy and reliable home internet access is currently neither, so that could complicate matters. It has also stopped me from a great deal of e-reading and downloading (I see you, RIAA!), so there's probably other good shit dropping right now that I do not have enough time to review. Best-of lists should be posted in March or something, nawmean?

RIP Ike Turner, 1931-2007

Full story here. It's sad that his (rightfully deserved) bad reputation will sully the public's view of his death, as he did give the world a bounty of groundbreaking music.

Sorry to end on a downer. Thanks for reading!

Friday Funtime!

2007-11-30T17:17:00.000-05:00

All this talk of counting blog posts reminds me that I at least need my November count up to a mighty 3 posts!!! So, here are two rap items worthy of your time:

J Dilla & Busta Rhymes!

Cleveland's own Mick Boogie has graced the internet with a free mixtape (in a long line of free mixtapes) of exclusive unreleased Busta Rhymes tracks over J Dilla beats! The downloading fervor has died down in the few days it's been out, so you should be able to visit mickboogie.com and check the jams. No, I haven't listened to it yet, but soon!

Snoop-Pain laying it down!

Mega-ROFL. This came on the real tube Wednesday night and Andy and I were NOT prepared!

Sorry this is short. If you're diggin this shit, let me know, huh? It's been quite quiet 'round these parts. Holler!

We Keeps It Hood!

2007-11-21T16:24:00.000-05:00

Yeah, so fuck DJ Khaled. Is he even a DJ? Not sure. Anyway, I'm sure you're pleased to see me back with the quickness. Not as quick as the recently e-revived Davekwon, who has already written 85 blogs this week and it's only Wednesday! Nor as quick as Andy, who is slaving away under not-so-ideal conditions. But you can't stop the bumrush, word to Len. My art show gig went well, props to Ashley (Brook) for her fine art and somehow making art into a party! Shouts also go to Ashley (Wassmuth) for leaving in style, hopefully we see her again soon. Thanksgiving is so close that I can almost taste it. Before that, however, there is the aforementioned 1-year anniversary of So What Wednesdays tonight at Bourbon Street, featuring a DJ set from J. Rawls and a rappin' set from The Catalyst, so that will be dopealope.

Mark Your Calendars!

As I have a FunkDefy! gig on Saturday night, the previously discussed Dirtbombs Thanksgiving Beachland show is a no-go. However, plans are in development for attending the release party for We Have You Surrounded, which will be held February 16th at the Magic Stick in Detroit. I have tentative yesses from Andy, Uncle Adam, and my cousin Nate, so let's do this!

REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEMIXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX!!!!!

As you are well aware, "Little Duffel Bag Boy," while no "Hay," is a tremendous jam worthy of all urban airplay and your undying affection. However, it may have been topped by this, a cover/"NYC Version" by the mighty Joell Ortiz. I can't use this "Novel" dude singing the first verse an' shit, so the crooning is definitely better in the original, but Joell rips it apart (and those Playaz Circle dudes are not exactly lyrical miracles).

Black Kids - Wizard of Ahhhs EP

I don't know what it is about The Black Kids, but these Jacksonvillains have concocted (at least!) four great songs. I think I've overcome my addiction, but it's still day-to-day at this point. Awkwardly funny new wave jams that you could maybe dance to. If you go to their (still in development) website, you can download the whole thing for free, so hop to it!

As always, more to come! Happy Turkey!

Live From Fort Nightly

2007-11-14T07:52:00.000-05:00

...where I post like it's my job! Of course, with all the funk-fakin' that's been going on around here lately, I need to pay heed to the important findings of a new scientific study:

So, assuming my existence hasn't been nullified, life is good. I went to Chicago with the homie DJ Ginsu, which was fun. His mysterious gig turned out to be an Ohmega Watts show, so that was rather ballin'. I'm DJing an art show Saturday night, so that should be interesting (and worthy of your attendance). Someday soon I will manage to write some sweet shit for ye olde donewaiting.com, but you might not want to hold your breath.

It has come to my attention that I have been caught unawares by some gaps in my all-encompassing knowledge of the music bubble in which I choose to live. So, I present to you:

Evidence That My Radar Might Be Broken
(or that the boys in research are asleep at the wheel)

1. The Luchagors played the High Five Sunday night!

Yes indeed folks, the revelrous tone of last night's Broin' Down 6: BROvember Rain at Ruby Tuesday was blindsided by a wave of incredulity when a young Mr. Jackson revealed that he had received an inside scoop: Lita (of WWE fame) and her Luchagors were playing in Columbus.......two nights earlier. Weak. The weekly High Five update probably went right into my spam, or I will receive it today, or some other helpful occurrence. Whatever though, because ALL IS NOT LOST!!! The Luchagors will swing back through Ohio in early December and are playing lovely Heath, OH on Monday, December 4th! A 45-minute drive? The night after Hall & Oates? I'm down, ballers! What up?

2. There's a new Rustic Overtones album?!?!?

So yeah, the only worthwhile band that Maine ever issued forth (I'm kidding, though I have no real evidence to the contrary) decided to reunite and record a new album! WITHOUT TELLING ME!!! A week ago, however, when perusing the myspace of one of their offshoots, I found mention of the Rustic Overtones triumphant return and finally scooped Light At The End off of iTunes on Monday night. And you know what? After about 1.3 listens, it's rather durn good! A pretty anti-war song? Check. A reinterpretation of a previous Overtones jam? Check. Horns? Check. Yeah, this WILL (by gum!) see a proper review at your favorite local music writin' post, so keep an eye out! And you know, if you get a hankerin' for a New England road trip to catch some RO action, holla atcha boy!

Well, I guess neither of these items are real tragedies, so maybe the radar is just a little rusty. The boys in research aren't great mechanics, so some outside consultation is likely in order. Have a nice Wednesday and pray that I write more soon.

I HAVE AN ADDENDUM

(this would have been a new post but I can't just leapfrog over the salutations of the Rustic Overtones nation!) Around midnight tonight (Weds into Thurs) at So What Wednesdays, I was about to go home. Then I told Detox about hearing "Hay" by Crucial Conflict in a Chicago bar and he told me that he was getting more requests for it and that he would play it for me. So I stayed ALL NIGHT. To no avail. Blueprint was DJing up a blue streak and held court until the end of the night. So Detox got him to play "Little Duffle Bag Boy" as a substitute. Really? Andy knows I enjoy that song, but it is NOT "Hay!" Disappointment. Next week is the one year anniversary of So What Wednesdays, so if he doesn't play it then, there will be hell toupee! Gotdamn homie! My mind's playing tricks on me.

Grain Belt Beer

2007-10-31T21:51:00.000-04:00

The title of this post refers to a song on the new Thes One solo instrumental jumpoff Lifestyle Marketing, where he crafts the commercial jingles of Herb Pilhofer into jammy jams. Good shit, especially the song in question. Also, ROFL with glee at what I found when hunting down Thes-related links:

Happy Halloween! I hope you've enjoyed yours. As all relevant readers of this blog know, I had a bomby Halloween party early in the season (1.5 weeks ago), so I've coasted through the rest of it. Taco John-io! You can read about that party here.

Dayton's Oasis

Davekwon kindly drove Nappy and I to Dayton last night so the three of us could take part in what looks like the end of the weekly hip-hop night at The Oasis. The Oasis sits across from Wright State and is much like a BW3. However, DJ Possum has spent two years building up a hip-hop night and the evidence last night points to his success. Of course, the offer of $3 80 ounce pitchers of beer and 35 cent wings doesn't hurt. Unfortunately, the owner of the bar recently had a stroke and has lost the mental capacity to run the place. The employees kept it open for a few weeks, but eventually ran out of time. The aforementioned deals were unavailable last night (only draft beer was Guinness), but they were selling all bottled beers for $1 each, so that worked. Possum laid down some illness (heavy on Columbus raps and West Coast classics, but when you're dealing with quality, who cares?) and his group The Extraterrestrials, with MC Aboriginal, also performed. Ab was cool on the mic, even if he was a bit nerdy (like I have any room to talk). Near the end of the set, it had reached a late hour, so we decided to jet and unfortunately missed DJ sets by Columbus' DJ Inform and Cincinnati's DJ Rare Groove (Blueprint's tour DJ). Oh well, I'll see those dudes again. It was a good time and hopefully Possum can get something else popping off. Davekwon, our "designated pimp," drove us home and another successful hip-hop venture was in the books.

R.I.P. Robert Goulet, 1933-2007

Full story here. Of course, I'm a big fan of Will Ferrell's SNL portrayals, but the man himself was also the bomb. Those ESPN commercials were sweet. He will be missed.

R.I.P. Stylus Magazine, 2002-2007
Another loss being remembered today is Stylus, a fine music review website which has been part of my daily routine for a few years at this point. I didn't always agree with what they had to say, but they had so much unique content that there was a bounty of new items to read at all times. Since today was their last day, they posted their favorite albums, singles, and movies of the year a bit early, so go check them out.

It's been fun, but I gotta run. I'll leave you with a link to Wes Flexner's post about DJ Pos2's first look into his Columbus hip-hop archives. I'm downloading now, so reviews and (hopefully) links to future Pos2 articles to come. Peace.

Fall Into Action!

2007-10-22T23:21:00.000-04:00

So. It's been 27 days since I had an actual post, with ORIGINAL images NEVER SEEN BEFORE (well, never seen before on Andy's blog)!!! I was starting to wonder if it would ever happen again, you know, the writins, but NEWS~! has burst forth today. Wallow in the glow, fallows!

The Dirtbombs Return To Cleveland!

Yes indeed, everyone's favorite live band has decided to schedule one show, resuscitating their Turkey Day weekend jam at the Beachland. They are playing the Tavern (?!?!?) on Saturday, November 24th. I'm assuming tickets will go damn fast in the Tavern, so holla at a playa post-haste if you're down for the trip. The Dirtbombs' myspace fan-site also says that the new album, We Have You Surrounded, is slated for a February 2008 release and a "full" tour is supposed to follow. The unmastered new tracks on that fine page sound tasty, so it should be great! Huzzah!

The Rockies can suck a cock.

Yeah, that's right. Yes, it's wonderful that they're the first team to win 21 out of 22 games after September 1st (of course, I do want them to wreck the fucking Red Sox). However, when these mile high douchebags start trying to TRADEMARK ROCKTOBER is when I GET PISSED OFF! Rocktober is the rockingest month of the year for all, not for your stupid baseball team and its stupid fans. Goddamnit.

Revisited
Two things dawned on me last week. For one, Envelope's Insignificant Anthems is an OK, not great, album. Would have been better as an EP (maybe even a 8 song "long EP"), as it loses a great deal of steam in the second half. More importantly, however, I also realized that listening to music with Andy (and getting his reaction on it) seems to spur a more realistic view on music within me (pretty gay, huh). I have a tendency to "like" a ton of music, thinking it's great and all, but then having to sit in a car listening to it with other ears is a tough test to pass. I should perform that test more often, I suppose, but this lil blurb is gay enough.

Well, hopefully I have more to say soon. There might also be some donewritings soon, so look out for those too! Peace out, brotherhams.

No. Seriously.

2007-10-08T11:02:00.000-04:00

This blog is not dead. Neither am I. Well, it's possible that these thoughts did not pass through any minds of my faithful readers, but the reliable ticker to the right seems to think people are still coming here, so I would like to encourage that behavior. I will have new content for you shortly. I love you baby, just keep lovin' me.

Why? Why not?

2007-09-25T22:35:00.000-04:00

Thanks, toothpastefordinner.com, for the lovely start to this entry. ROFL at Cincinnati. (EDIT: Fuck, I might need to buy this. Feel free to vote yes or no in the comments section!) Anyhoo, sorry for more slow posting and thank you for reading this. Goddamn MP3s chirpin in my earpiece! Thanks for nothing, "Kites!" As I was saying, beautiful topics for my loyal reader.5s' consumption have been hard to come by. I've had some musical ideas, but I've not been super inspired by them. And let's face facts, I don't want to write about my life and you probably don't want to read about it. You really don't. So, let's soldier on, shall we? Today's entry will be some quick musical observations on recent listenings and, believe it or not, a rock show or two! And the fact that today's PTW jams sure beat the pants off yesterday's. Just a bunch of chirping and humming and parakeets. Ehhh.

Rockstarrrrrrr!

First of all, I'm debuting with a new band (well, it's their second show technically) on Friday night at Cafe Bourbon Street. It's called Sir Real & The Drag and features Jim and Dave of Night of Pleasure fame and Jesse of Dolby Fuckers fame. There's guitars, a bass, and a bunch of keyboards and drum machines. And my sturdy bari sax on a few choice numbers. The music is pretty noisy, but there's a little structure to latch onto. We're playing with This Moment In Black History, The Deathers (a new project from Bim of This Moment), and Necropolis, so I'm pretty excited. C'mon out, Andy and Jason will be drinking with me and you!

Bauchklang!

I stumbled upon this lovely album on my computer in some late-night listening recently. Actually, I was hunting through my MP3s looking for stuff that was begging to be deleted. You know, like bad raps or songs with made-up genres or other whatnottery. This album has the genre label "A Cappella," which sounded like bullshit to me, so it was on the chopping block, but I decided to give it a listen. Good call by this guy! Bauchklang is a group of Austrian dudes that compose entire songs (and albums) simply with beatboxin'. I can't make up my mind how groundbreaking this is, but the results are pretty awesome, so that's the important thing, right? They sign in English well, but mostly lay down some sick beats and cool sound effects. This album is not even available here in the States, so dudes, find an affordable way for me to own this legally and I'll make it happen, but only then, OK? Thanks.

Bob Log III in Cleveland

Yes indeed folks, Renkes and I went to see the immortal Bob Log III in Cleveland last Thursday night. It had been 3 years since my last visit with the Log (4 for Renkes), so it was a refreshing dip in the rock 'n roll pool. Yes, it was a pain to drive to Cleveland on a Thursday night (and work Friday, unlike Renkes). However, I realized that our neighbors to the north are much better-suited to throw a proper Bob Log party. Mostly because of the higher greaser population and lower collective morals. Perfect! After two Columbus shows where a total of 3 women "may" have placed their boobs in the scotch under the guard of their faithful shirts, we were honored to see five (5!) bare breasts lovingly placed into their icy friend. Now, no boob scotch was actually passed around this party (damn low morals), but those breasts were comfort enough. He did all the classics (he had a diatribe about people asking for new material and him responding that his set was perfect, how could he change it?!) and his old friend Shirley (his new pet name for Cleveland) got him drunk. Best Bob Log show I may ever see. Local burlesque troupe The Pussyfoot Girls (proud owners of 4 of the 5 boobs in question) and local devil-rapin' hillbilly duo Uncle Scratch's Gospel Revival were fine openers. And it was all over at 12:30! Hallelujah!

OK, that's about all I got. I'll have thoughts on more albums soon. And yes, even Friday's Iron & Wine song whooped that gobbledygook that PTW called songs on Monday. Excelsior!

A Mix For Daymon

2007-09-12T21:00:00.000-04:00

(Note: When I first started this post a month ago, I found the above picture here. The thumbnail image of the pic looked cool, but imagine my surprise to find myself looking on in the background! I didn't know that a picture of Daymon and I together existed, so this is great to see!)

For those of you don't know, my friend Daymon Dodson passed away on August 16, 2006. His many friends still seek to keep his memory (and the memory of lost friends and family of others, like DJ PRZM (RIP)) in the forefront, so the second annual Daymon Day Parade will start at 7 PM at Tuttle Park here in Columbus on Saturday and will proceed to a tribute show to Daymon and PRZM at Skullys later that evening. Please come out!

Though it's hard sometimes, I remember Daymon as a hero and an inspiration in how to view life. As we were fellow music fans, there are certain songs that will remind me of Daymon forever. So I put together a mix of all of the ones I could remember, with commentary. Props to Wes Flexner for his inspiring words that encouraged me to complete this labor of love. I hope you enjoy.

A Mix For Daymon

1. Jaylib - "Champion Sound"
The first of 8 J Dilla-related selections on this compilation (9 if you count Black Milk), which makes sense to me because Daymon loved Dilla's music. This song, one of the standouts from the J Dilla/Madlib collabo, bangs in an otherworldly fashion.
2. Kool & The Gang - "Fruitman"
When J Dilla's Donuts came out in February 2006, Daymon was excited by finding a collection of songs sampled for that album and played his favorites often in the great white van. This track (sampled for "The Diff'rence") has to be the weirdest Kool & The Gang song I've ever heard, but it's a fun tune, so who cares?
3. J Dilla - "Workinonit"
It was hard to pick one track from Donuts, but I think this one is pretty strong.
4. Kanye West feat. Consequence & John Legend - "Grammy Family"
I remember Daymon being hyped when he tracked this one down and was bumpin' it in the van. I had some difficulty finding this and I'm not 100% sure it's the same version he had, but it still bumps.
5. Beaten Awake - "Goin' Nowhere"
It's not very representative that there are only two rock songs here, but I had difficulty tying memories to most specific songs/bands. It's hard to forget these Akron boys though, as I saw them with Daymon a time or two and the song is still on his Myspace page. Beaten Awake dedicated the song to Daymon at their Bourbon Street show in August, which was a little emotional but worked out fine.
6. Edan feat. Insight - "Funky Voltron"
Great song from great album. I remember seeing Edan and Insight at Scribble Jam 2005 (with Daymon standing nearby, we weren't close at the time) and seeing Edan with Daymon at Wexner Center last May.
7. J Dilla feat. Guilty Simpson & Madlib- "Baby"
A standout track from The Shining, J Dilla's posthumous opus that came out last summer. This track seemed to get Daymon (and many other people) excited about Guilty's arrival on the scene.
8. Black Milk feat. Guilty Simpson - "Sound The Alarm"
Yes, this track had not come out at the time of Daymon's death, but he probably had it anyway. Daymon, Detox and I went to Detroit last Memorial Day for the J Dilla tribute show at the Detroit Electronic Music Festival. That was a great trip, with hilarious miscues (Manville!) and many good performances once we got there. Black Milk ripped it especially hard that night and keeps the light burning for one of his inspirations.
9. D.I.T.C. - "Day One"
I've been a D.I.T.C. fan for a long time, but I don't remember ever talking to Daymon about them. However, when I was in St. Louis for a friend's bachelor party last July, he left the meat of Diamond D's verse ("Son I'm sick, and you can put that on my mama, exclamation point, quotation, comma") on my voicemail, which was dope. I tried to save that message, but it eventually expired or I accidentally deleted it.
10. Jay Dee (aka J Dilla) - "Fuck The Police"
A classic J Dilla party-starter. "1, 2, 3, Fuck The Police!"
11. Slum Village - "The Look Of Love"
I bought the reissue of the Slum Village debut album last summer, as Daymon's influence had inspired me to investigate more of Dilla's back catalog. When Daymon died, I listened to the album (and this song especially) very often.
12. The Lindsay - "Like The Back Of My Hand"
Like my Beaten Awake commentary above, it doesn't seem right that I only managed to squeeze one Columbus rock song into this mix. If it has to be one, however, this is the one. I remember Daymon telling me at his 29th birthday party last summer that this was the best song in Columbus rock at the time. Can't argue that one.
13. The Pharcyde - "Runnin'"
Another timeless J Dilla production. This track still gets all sorts of spin, and the DJ nights dedicated to Dilla last year were no exception.
14. Smif-N-Wessun - "Bucktown"
A mainstay jam at Columbus hip-hop shows (just say "Bustown" instead). Hip-hop shows here aren't the same.
15. The UN - "Golden Grail"
Daymon spread the word about this NYC crew to anyone who would listen. Vicious beats and rhymes. Another album that got many spins from me upon his passing.
16. The Sylvers - "Only One Can Win"
This song was more sample fodder for Donuts ("Only Two Can Win") and another quirky soul jam in the van.
17. Nas - "N.Y. State of Mind"
One bar from this song best sums up my initial reaction to Daymon's death (and a great deal of my thoughts on the topic now): "It's like the game ain't the same." Rough song from a rough time.
18. Camu Tao - "Hold The Floor"
I couldn't think of a better way to end this mix. A fundamental portion of Daymon's eternal legacy is his six-year term as the host of Columbus hip-hop's breakout party. When I hear this song, I remember the Fonosluts rippin' up the turntables on those Sundays in dank ol' Bernie's. On the Fonosluts' last night, my shins got bloody from all the dudes breakin' bottles (I was wearing shorts, whoops) and Daymon got "banned" from Bernie's for ripping a large power cord out of the wall. This is the craziness of Columbus hip-hop. Mash out!

Download Here

Time To Randomize

2007-09-09T12:30:00.000-04:00

Well, maybe these weeks won't be postful if I can't think of anything to write. So, while we wait for the wave of brainpower and creativity to crest upon us, I figured I'd at least give you another random MP3 review post. Party time! And Go Browns!!!

Sonic Youth - "Do You Believe In Rapture?"

2006's Rather Ripped is the only Sonic Youth album I've listened to completely. If this is their old-man material, then maybe I should finally get my act together and hit the back catalog. Good startup tune.

Antibalas - "Filibuster XXX"

Wow, two non-raps in a row? Crazy! And, for the record, I can't fathom tapping away at the keyboard for all 12 minutes of this, so I might be hitting ye olde skip button at some point. I'm sure there have to be plenty of 2007 political jams out there that I haven't heard, but this has to be on the list of the best. Of course, we don't get vocals until about 7 minutes in, but the boys gotta warm up, you know? Man, they sure warmed up the Wexner Center back in the spring. Woof. In case you missed it, here is my interview with Stuart Bogie, tenor sax player for the Brooklyn juggernaut. Excelsior!

Ghostface Killah - "All That I Got Is You"

That's more like it. Of course, this song is pretty sad, but I'll keep going. This comes from a Ghostface comp called Wonderful World of Wallabees, which, upon reading the title, sounded like something magical. But no, it appears to be an earlier Ghostface greatest hits collection with a wacky name. This song sure ain't different. So, I should probably delete the overlapping compilation to regain some space, but what fun is that? I'll just buy more memory, ROFL.

Brand Nubian - "Right Here"

Smooth jam with some ill muted trumpet. "More accurate than an Acura?" Uh, Puba, really? Anyhoo, this comes from a 2007's Time's Runnin' Out, a collection of Brand Nubian material that was recorded in 1997 and mostly didn't surface on Foundation, I guess. Good song.

CNN - "Neva Die Alone"

"Rip shit like Wrestlemania!" Not my favorite track on The War Report, but still a hard beat and our favorite Lefrak gangsters rip it well. When I first heard this album, it had a menacing, paranoid tone that is still intact today. Too bad they couldn't keep it hot, fuck jail.

J. Bully (I think) - "Get Rite"

Yeah, this is off a random shitty mixtape that's been on the computer for six months at this point. Why? DELTETED!!! Deltaco?

Aesop Rock - "Bring Back Pluto"

Oh Aesop, keep us up on current topics. Pluto should still be a planet, I agree. This new album is pretty hot. I thought I was done buying Aesop albums, but then I heard it and said, "Sure!" Also, the Def Jux tactic of recording the name of the person that they gave the promo copy to on the front and back of each track is good fun.

Just-Ice - "Lyric Licking"

"I didn't know what to write, I just sat down and wrote it." Wow, simple wisdom from Just-Ice. Shoulda started with this track. Nice dancehall-inflected rap party. I should listen to more Just-Ice.

Down South - "Open Sesame"

Yeah, there's not nearly enough obscure '90s raps on this computer. ROFL. Anyway, I got this from Jaz's Back to 1994 Volume 1 Mix. Ill Beatnuts production on this one.

Supreme NTM - "Qui paiera les degats"

Speaking of obscure early 90s raps with Beatnuts production! Well, there was actually a 45 second 2003 Headhunters song in there, but life is...too short. Anyway, the difference with this track is that these dudes are French. No idea what they're saying, but I think I understood those gunshots. Sounds about as menacing as possible for some Frogs, so good job guys!

Gotta run. Keep your eyes open for new jams!

#150

2007-08-30T23:30:00.000-04:00

Yes indeed, ladies and germs, this is my 150th post. It only took me 3 and a half years, aren't you proud of me??? OK, as a math dude, I have to mention that this only works out to an average of about 3.5 posts a month. Womp womp. I'll work on bringing that up in the sure-to-be-"postful" weeks upcoming. I mean, I am on an upswing as I posted 11 times in August, my third-most posts in any one month ever (behind the first two months of the blog)!!! Look out 200! Anyway, I'm doing alright, the usual ups and downs. Frankfort, KY was a good time last weekend. Mmm, Old Style (Sorry, Naps, that's all I got). This weekend, it's off to the bustling metropolis of Wind Ridge, PA. Yeah, it's a camp lodge in the middle of the country, but it's the home of WOOSTOCK. Mmm, Yuengling, and old college friends. Hopefully I'll get settled into my new place (and posting regularly) next week when all this traveling has ended. We'll see what happens!

Now, since I downloaded it about six months ago, I've been impressed with the Last.fm application. You know, that deal that keeps track (or, "scrobbles") all the songs you play on iTunes, sharing your playlist on the web (like that display on the upper right of this page) and putting you out there with other like-minded citizens (come visit me here). Now, come to find out, it also fails to reveal how crazy you are when you listen to the same song umpteen times in a row (that's funny, the spellchecker doesn't like iTunes, or spellchecker for that matter, but it has no problem with umpteen). You see, this week has been weird. I have had serious difficulty sleeping. This reached a peak Tuesday night when I didn't fall asleep until after 5. Sucked. So, at one point, definitely not in my best mindstate, I fell upon the mellow tones of "Go Places," from the new New Pornographers album, Challengers. I listened to it ten times in a row. Probably not obsessive or anything (?!) but still much different from my normal listening pattern. Helluva song though, so it deserved it. So anyway, though I played it ten times, my good chum last.fm scrobbled it twice. ROFL. I haven't really decided if that's a good or bad thing, but like I said, my profile doesn't reveal that I was going crazy, so I guess that's good. Also, the whole album is pretty damn nice. Peeps don't seem to dig it as much as previous works, but I'm into it. Where Twin Cinema is a tuneful kick in the ass, this one is a(n even more) tuneful bubble bath (if the bath has an internal boot that kicks your ass every once in a while). Wow. Read an actual well-written review from my DW colleague Han Q. Duong here.

Something else I got into during my sleepless night was Pandora.com. I had read about it on da tubes, and Andy was biggin it up recently, so I finally checked it out. Pretty dope. It makes internet radio based on a band (or bands) you like, and seems to do it pretty well. I gave them Sabu Martinez and they cranked out a good Cuban station. I gave them Television and they gave me a post-punk station that I've carved into something else by adding more bands. Good times. Of course, being the advanced internetter that I am, I had also heard of this site, which is based on the ingenious concept of combining Last.fm and Pandora! So you can scrobble all your Pandora joints! And here I thought you had to be downloading to enjoy music on the internet! I mean, not me.

So yeah, I guess my sleepless night was good writing fodder, so that's helpful. It even gave me time to check out Tha Bomb Shelter, a cool Columbus-based music blog where Harry has reviewed the new Aesop Rock joint quite glowingly (though comparing it to Deltron is risky business in these parts). Cold check it. I gotta go to bed. Have a good weekend.

ROFLz

2007-08-23T17:20:00.000-04:00

So yeah. Sorry about the downtime. My first attempt at my major content (~!) was thwarted by lack of planning and overabundance of doubt (which, to some extent, was calmed by the reassuring words of one Wes Flexner). It will still happen (because I have a SERIOUS pic to accompany it), and will be posted on or before September 15th. So the thwarting and reassuring was last Wednesday. Thursday was the most triumphant Columbus debut of the Budos Band at the Ravari Room. Damn, it was sweaty-amazing. On Friday, I went to DC for Yuengling and brodown-ing. Monday I had gum surgery. Yes, this was my third surgery out of 4. Fucking fun stuff! You should try it. So anyway, that's what I've been up to. More weekend traveling awaits, so hopefully weekday posting will happen, which is definitely possible now with...

Teh Internetz!

One major factor in my lack of posting has been defeated! My home (SUPER)computer has returned to the internet! Look out innertubes! This will also aid me in the preparation of the secret major content referenced above.

More sweet content will flood your PC or other computing device shortly. In the meantime, here is a list of dope albums I have listened to recently:

Challengers, New Pornographers
Marquee Moon, Television
Keep Reachin' Up, Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators

Here is a list of long-awaited triple-albums that I only made it through one disc (well, just about one disc) of before having to overcome the urge to throw said disc out the car window (I think I'll try again when I'm more ready for it, but Andy will probably enjoy this anyway):

Live at Tonic, Marco Benevento

Short list. Oh well. Toodles!

Ugghhh

2007-08-13T20:23:00.000-04:00

(Me, 3AM Sunday Morning)

So, about that continued (D)onslaught of funky material...not looking good. Rather tired. Lotsa work to do this week. Mental state - shaky. So, in a move that seems very unnecessary based on the long and varied history of this blog, I'm taking a "break" until Thursday. By hook or by crook, the plan for Thursday's content will be successful. YES IT WILL, DAMMIT! So, loving reader, please come see me on 8/16 for important content. DO IT!

Ironman

2007-08-12T23:50:00.000-04:00

Now, one may think that severe technical problems (aka Internet/Cable non-functional for most of the day) and a MYSTERIOUS ILLNESS~! would add up to the end of this miraculous streak of continuous content here at Funky Daggers. FALSE!!! I'm alive and on the internet. Now, I don't have anything superfunky to say, unfortunately. I did play some funky jazz (at times) tonight at Surly Girl Saloon. True Skills played my favorite track off the aforementioned Whitefield Brothers album and I remain jealous that he has it. The best funky news I've heard lately came my way yesterday...Andy "The Man" Napier will attend the Budos Band show Thursday night! Thanks, Columbus State! I can't wait, can't wait!

So, thank you for letting me off the "MAJOR CONTENT" hook tonight, blogosphere. Funky typins will continue to issue forth through Thursday, so stay tuned!

Poets of Rhythm

2007-08-11T17:23:00.000-04:00

(Part 6 of 10 of Funkstravaganza 2007!)
Much to Napier's dismay, I am a big fan of the Poets of Rhythm. These wacky Germans have released some of my favorite modern funk albums and are always looking to grow in new directions. Following these dudes is trying sometimes, though, because of A) their fondness of recording under different band names and aliases, and B) their oft-sporadic output. Also, the fact that their music is occasionally reissued (because of its underground popularity) in different packages by different labels just makes collecting their tunes more confusing. But music is a labor of love, right? Whatever, if they keep coming with the getdown, I'll be happy.

Their first LP, Practice What You Preach, was originally issued on Soulciety Records in 1993 and was reissued by good ol' Daptone Records in 2006. In this era, they had more of an uptempo James Brown/JBs party groove. There are some great dance numbers here, and some smoky instrumentals. "North Carolina" has never been funkier.

In 2001, after some further evolution and some hip-hop backing work, they released Discern/Define on Quannum Records. This was my introduction to the dudes, as the record was being promoted to me as the music director of WCWS (WOO 91?!?!? NEVER THAT!), the College of Wooster's radio station. This album reveals their interest in African rhythms and hypnotic grooves. Though there are still some occasional party numbers, the sound of this album is more suitable for private late-night sessions (Thanks, Poets of Rhythm!). Groovy shit.

In 2002 (and before I left the graces of college and college radio), the Poets re-emerged as the Whitefield Brothers and released In The Raw on the dearly departed Soul Fire Records. This album represents further investigation into African funk stylings, along with some old-fashioned hammering funk grooves. The opening title track will always be one of my favorites. It's not a dance track: instead, it makes you feel like Godzilla, wanting to punch and kick massive brick walls to the ground (to a funky soundtrack). Brutal stuff. If anyone has a vinyl copy of this, holler at the kid.

Since then, official output has slowed. The Poets name has appeared on the occasional single and many funky compilations. There are prospects, however, of a new album. As first mentioned below, the Poets have released a new single as the Polyversal Souls. I listened to the samples today...damn! The A-side "Sad Nile" is reminiscent of classic Mulatu material, with the addition of "one pound of fatback drums." There seems to be renewed interest in Ethiopian sounds, which I find exciting. The B-side "Muswell Hill" is a saxy organ groover and is right up my alley. The link to the single above mentions the possibility of a new Whitefield Brothers album on Now Again/Stones Throw, which sounds like a great place for them to release material. Fingers crossed and updates to come!

Funk On The Internet

2007-08-10T15:15:00.000-04:00

(Part 5 of 10 of Funkstravaganza 2007!)

Limited time today, folks, so below is a list of good internet funk spots that I recommend (or remember liking a few years ago). Hunting down the links just reminded me: PRIVATE BLOGS ARE LAME. I understand that random people on the internet are often stupid, but if you can't fortify yourself against that, GIVE IT UP. That is all.

Soul Sides: By most accounts, Oliver "O-Dub" Wang is the OG of this internet funk shit. He even has a "how-to guide" for any aspiring MP3 bloggers out there.

Funky 16 Corners: Larry been doin the obscure single in MP3 format thing for a hot minute. Seriously though, he has lots of knowledge and lots of tunes, so check it out. He also posts mixes these days, both on his site and others, including...

This Is Tomorrow: Just found this site. Luxembourg's DJ Blueprint compiles guest mixes and drops a fair amount of his own. The interludes (and funk) on this Funky 16 Corners mix were killin' me yesterday!

WeFunk Radio: Chops and I have enjoyed the funk and hip-hop provided by these groovy Canadians for years. I need to get back into it. Crazy archives and a stream of random classic shows.

Anybody out there have suggestions for other funky spots? Let me know. Now go have a funky weekend.

Eccentric Soul: The Prix Label

2007-08-09T18:58:00.000-04:00

(Part 4 of 10 of Funkstravaganza 2007!)

Those of you who are in/from Columbus, friends of mine, or aficionados of the funky stuff should remember Eccentric Soul: The Capsoul Label, a compilation of released and unreleased tracks from Bill Moss' Columbus-based Capsoul Records (In case you don't remember, here is something I wrote back then). That compilation is a treasure trove of (mostly) forgotten Columbus soul stompers, and I think it went a long way to open the eyes of many younger (and older) Central Ohio music buffs to Columbus' detailed soul music history. Eccentric Soul: The Capsoul Label was the first release from Chicago's Numero Group, a reissue label that has stood out over the 3 years since through its commitment to create lovingly-detailed reissues of some deserving music that the world as a whole has never heard. They now have 16 full-length compilations under their belts (as well as a handful of singles and t-shirts) that range from funk/soul to international to gospel to folk to rock. I need some more of these. This brings us to present day.

On June 5th, Numero released Eccentric Soul: The Prix Label. I was shocked when I heard about this, the story of another overlooked Columbus soul label. How could there be more? Well friends, there is more, and it's more good stuff. I've had it for a few weeks now (For the record: fellow Wooster Funk Posse founding member Michael "Chops" Oswald got his hands on this before I did) and I've been able to get into most of the tracks. Eddie Ray was the star of this label (five of his tracks are featured here), but there is male soul and a few funk instrumentals from a bevy of unknown singers/bands. Marion Black, who featured prominently on the CapSoul comp, also appears here with the beautifully admonishing "Listen Black Brother." A favorite of mine is OFS Unlimited's "Mr. Kidneys," which sounds like the recording will burst from exhaustion at any moment. Though it's sad that these tracks weren't highly acclaimed upon release (or, in some cases, released at all), it is great that the Numero guys have shifted some attention Prix's way. A great article about the label and compilation (featuring quotes from Marion Black and Eddie Ray) written by Aaron Beck at the Columbus Dispatch is here (as found here).

Upcoming Funk Releases

2007-08-08T18:09:00.000-04:00

(Part 3 of 10 of Funkstravaganza 2007!)

As discussed yesterday, Budos Band II has now hit the streets with "its twenty-two legs, three horns, and hallucinogenic venom" (some of my favorite publicity writing ever). The world funk underground is bubbling over with new albums, which is quite a reassuring sign. Numero Uno on this list (due to a combination of anticipation and the relative certainty of its release) is Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings' 100 Days, 100 Nights, currently scheduled for release on October 2nd on Daptone Records. The three new tracks on her myspace sound like some damn fiery soul to me, so I think that the Queen of the Funky Soul Armada is leading the troops into pleasing waters. Of course, a new release wouldn't be right without a tour. She will be hitting Cleveland's Beachland Ballroom on Tuesday, November 20th, but I think a posse is considering attending the actual release party at THE APOLLO (you know, the one in Harlem) on Saturday, October 6th. MAN UP!

Truth & Soul Records released Let Me Be Your Man by Tyrone Ashley's Funky Music Machine yesterday, which is a collection of previously unreleased Plainfield, NJ (if that town doesn't sound familiar, you ain't funkin it right) gems from the turn of the 1970s. Connie Price & The Keystones are currently planning to drop their new LP on Ubiquity Records on September 25th. Ubiquity, becoming more and more a home of that funky stuff every month, also has the debut LP from Orgone slated for October 23rd.

El Michels Affair (the main force of Truth & Soul) is signed to Fat Beats Records for an album of instrumental covers of Wu-Tang Clan songs, but the only info on that release is "coming soon." Truth & Soul is also hyping the upcoming The Many Moods of Lee Fields LP, which would be a sight for sore eyes. There are blips and blops circulating about the mighty Poets of Rhythm, as they (billed as the Polyversal Souls) have dropped a new single on Fryer Records in the UK.

I'll try to give you (and well, me) periodic updates on these records, as new funk is always good news.

Budos Band II

2007-08-07T18:00:00.000-04:00

(Part 2 of 10 of Funkstravaganza 2007!)

Today, August 7th, 2007, marks the official release of The Budos Band's second album, Budos Band II. Though the first album is quite the funky experience (more to come on that later), this new banger is off the charts. Somehow they've managed to go in a few more directions sonically while producing a sharper sound, which I previously thought was impossible. Though the "afro" and the "funk" are still firmly in place, there are also more Latin and soundtrack bits this time around. And oh yeah, the horn section is still BRUTAL. Opening track and lead single "Chicago Falcon" has been a favorite in the FunkDefy! camp ever since it hit Myspace. The percussion and bass lay down a serious clappin' groove, setting it up for those horns. The rest of the album thumps just as hard, conjuring up images of dancing bongos ("Adeniji"), the Budos singing smoky love songs to Mulatu ("Origins of Man"), and the Wu-Tang Clan solving a mystery in Cairo ("Budos Rising"). Cinematic indeed.

So yes, hit the webstores and iTunes and BUY THIS ALBUM! Or, if you can wait that long, come buy it at the Ravari on August 16th (or at their other dates, for you outta-towners). Early frontrunner for funk album of the year (though there are always contenders in the offing).

Funkstravaganza 2007!

2007-08-06T18:40:00.000-04:00

(Part 1 of 10)

I'm sharpening my HTML skills into a razor-sharp lance with which to run-through the competition. Victory shall be mine! It doesn't take much success in manipulating the internets to make me happy. Nevermind.

In 10 days, Columbus shall host its funkiest concert ever, or at least since 1973. Of course, I DJ for the outfit that is presenting this event (FunkDefy!). However, I can honestly say that for me, as a fan of modern funk (or to use the Dusty Groove term, "Deep Funk") for about 5 years, this is the best (only???) show of that realm to hit town since I've been paying attention. I mean, if you told young Andrew "Funky D" Patton in the summer of 2002 that he would be an opening DJ for a band on Daptone Records, I really don't know what the chap would have done. In the early stages (and sadly, peak) of "The Wooster Funk Posse," I'm pretty sure my mind would have been blown at such news.

So, here's the deal: On Thursday, August 16th, at the Ravari Room, the FunkDefy DJs (featuring sets from Numeric, Ginsu, and yours truly, Funky D) will spin some opening sets (starting at 9) before giving way to Staten Island's own:

The Budos Band!

Comprised of members of Sharon Jones' Dap-Kings and other NYC funk luminaries, this band's sharp Afro-Funk is quite dazzling. So, Columbus, I will be counting down to this show with daily (!) posts highlighting funky musics and happenings in the world around us. I will make it! See it and believe it!

Movin On Up

2007-08-02T17:48:00.001-04:00

Hopefully this sweet pic makes up for that crappy title. Yes, as my most vocal reader has noted, I just moved to new digs, 7 blocks south and 2 blocks east of the old digs. Just call me College Joe. Anyway, turmoil reigns in the realm of computer access and writin time. So I'm piecing something meager together in the hopes that any new readers I have gained during my phantasmagorical return don't flee during these boring times. I may just scrap my "innovative" concept for a new series of entries as they seem to warrant more thought and effort than I can currently give them (while still posting once a week or so). So we'll see about that.

Hey, I did write something

My review of the new self-titled Dolby Fuckers album (and preview of Friday's release party) is now up at Donewaiting. In other news, I also played baritone sax on one of the songs on this album, and will be playing it live at the release party. Hopefully I walked the great bias tightrope with some dexterity. If you live in Columbus, I expect to see you Friday. It is FREE.

Show Reviewz?!?!?

As my long-time readers know, the live show (p)review was once the hallmark of this blog. As anyone currently reading this shadow of its former self knows, I have not published a live show review on da nets in approximately 412.6 grips (cd review/show preview combos have happened). Actually, the boys in research just told me that my last DW show review was written on April 16, 2007, which was the first one since March 30, 2006, while the last show review here was written on October 25, 2005. Diznamn. What the hell happened? Good question. Now, I can't make any promises about increased output, but I'm gonna make an effort to give some brief impressions on shows whenever I get a chance. Sure, I've been to less shows lately too, but that makes it even more important that I write about the ones I do attend in the hopes that I remember them more effectively. Whew.

So, on Monday night at Carabar, I saw San Diego's Red Pony Clock (previously written about here) and Columbus' Kyle Sowashes (I unfortunately had to miss Heavy Mole and the Red Pony Clock/Heavy Mole Superjam II because I had to like, you know, work in the morning). Kyle and his Sowashes rocked extra hard the most. Wow, maybe I haven't seen enough of the full Sowashes lineup, because I think my face melted a bit. Sure, when they're crankin full tilt (and tambourine man is moshing into Kyle) it's kinda difficult to hear Kyle's vocals, but isn't that true of most bands? Whatever, they slayed. RPC also took care of biz. They have an eleven-piece lineup on this tour, which seems to indicate the one main problem with the band: lack of cohesion/focus. Too many technical ideas and not enough "tightness." Some of these problems even exist in the album versions of the new songs (God Made Dirt is pretty good though), which I guess renders the concert sloppiness unsurprising. So, I wish the brothers Saucedo would either streamline the lineup a bit or at least take out some superfluous song sections so this ramshackle outfit has a better chance of staying together. ASIDE FROM ALL THAT, they were great! New fun songs, at least one electro backbeat, and trombone gags are all fun things. The horns sounded great. So yeah, if they tinker a little bit more with the formula, they could be onto something.

So that's what's up. Come holler at me this weekend and I'll promise to post at least weekly.

Come come now

2007-07-15T01:33:00.000-04:00

Oh, faithful readership (ok, fine, reader-canoe), you didn't think I'd give up that easily, did you? Things are going pretty well. Andy and I are somewhere in the middle of Season 3 of The Office, which has been an enlightening experience for me. Maybe there's some TV worth watching after all. I really really really love the new Patton Oswalt album. It came out four days ago and I can mouth along with him on over half the material. I even bought the old one today! I guess a man that combines my last name and Chops' last name was bound to be tremendous.

OK, on to business. Inspired by some previous bloggins by my best bud, I am now turning on the random MP3 machine and we'll see what I have to say about the results.

Mr. Me Too (Remix) - The Clipse f/Notorious B.I.G.

Yeah, I didn't even realize this existed (or that it was on my computer) until it just popped up. It comes from a mixtape promoting the new album and feels like something that was slapped together for such an occasion. Why? Because they used the same beat and just inserted the first verse from "Everyday Struggle" to start the song. The rest appears to be exactly the same. Which is fine, but taking a pretty sweet song (Mediterrane Up!) and adding one of the best rappers ever makes the expectations a bit higher. Jussayinisall.

Ain't Love - SSM

Great song from great album. I'm still sad that no one showed up for their show at Little Brothers a few months back. Detroit Rock City, muhfuckas! Man, if they did a show opening for the Dirtbombs at the Magic Stick, I'd be there no matter what. With Andy, obviously. Detroit rock pals for life!

Pray For Sound - Pearls & Brass

That was another good LBs show that did better but was still on the under-attended side. Putting on underground touring band shows in Columbus (or anywhere for that matter) appears to be fucking tough business. I know there's talk about someone continuing on with the LBs name, but I hope that if someone does it, they're ready to work VERY hard. I think Columbus needs a replacement, but it's not money in the bank. Proceed with caution. And keep meltin' shit, Pearls & Brass!

Warm It Up Kane - Big Daddy Kane

There was a thread about people's favorite rap voices on Omnimix a while back. I didn't comment, but one of my choices would have to be Kane. He had a very smooth and clear tone, but still had enough kick to pack some menace. "Now whose flat-top rules in 89?"

The Flow - Akrobatik

I think this was the b-side to "Internet MCs," so I obviously haven't given it the love that I give (gave?) that gem, but it's pretty good. Too many rappers. I could see this man being a favorite of mine if there wasn't so much competition. I need to give that Perceptionists album a listen.

125 Part I (The Bio) - Joell Ortiz

This man has generated a goodly amount of hype, but it could be deserved, as he raps pretty damn hard. Also seems to be a better self-promoter than most rappers, which is saying something. I'm interested to see what happens.

Time Is Coming - Illogic

Even my MP3 player reps Bustown! What What What?!? I mean, I forgot about this song. Hotness. Oh, it's on Write To Death 2, so maybe I've only listened to it once or twice prior. I need to keep this in rotation and find out who produced it. I hope Ill keeps things moving because I think he still has alot to say.

Keeps It Movin' - Hangar 18

Alright, this isn't one of my favorites on the album, but the album as a whole still remains among my top purchases under the pressure of serious Scribble Jam salesmanship. They droppin' another album? Let's hope so. I like how Wind and Alaska trade bars; I think it differentiates them from other rap conglomerates out there.

Girls All Pause - Kurupt & Nate Dogg

Not Nate's best crooning. I need to go to bed and this is driving me there. But this post could keep rolling if I don't finish before the next song starts. Ha! Made it! OK, I didn't but this shitty Depeche Mode demo is not gonna keep me going either. Look for more randomness soon!

Fight The Good Fight

2007-07-07T16:45:00.000-04:00

Or perhaps, "Write The Good Write." Anyhoo, I've been slackin' on my pimpin' lately. How am I going to become a decent writer if I don't write regularly? Good filsnockin question. Ya know, I don't listen to music as much as I really want to, but I still listen to alot of shtuff and probably could write some thangs. So, if I stick to the current plan (that showed up in my head like 30 minutes ago), I'm going to pop on here as often as possible. I'm not gonna try and convince you of some hogwash like "I'ma write everyday" or whatnot, but I'm gonna give this some effort. I hope. Don't worry, my more "serious" writing will still appear on ye olde Donewaiting; this project is just to keep productive and moving forward, hopefully inspiring some more stuff for that lovely site as well. So here goes.

Last Sunday I finally got around to buying the 2003 CD reissue of Television's Marquee Moon. This is a purchase I've been considering for aeons: either it's never in stock, or I've always hesitated on paying $14.99 (or more) for the disc. I think I first wanted the album before I ever heard any of it, and definitely before I had an estranged love affair with the title track. When I used to hang out at Ravari Room happy hours more often, the song would come on the jukebox occasionally and I'd think, "I like this song...what is it again?" After bugging people or striding up to the juke about five times, it stuck. Especially when I'd lose track of the lengthy quieter jam in the middle and the end would pop up and rock again, bringing the almost eleven minute proceedings to a triumphant end.

So anyway, I finally decided that the mental burden of not owning this album was more costly than $14.99 + tax (and that the bonus tracks made it worth it) and took this bad boy home with me. I'm still getting into it, so I really can't say that all of the tracks are my favorite songs ever, but I've definitely got some new favorites (when I don't just repeat the aforementioned title classic). "Elevation" (track 5) is that ol' ill shit, especially the pause in the chorus that becomes strangely addictive. I know, most people reading this either have no interest in Television or are charter members of the Verlaine fan club, but I had to share my evolution in following these dudes. I'll update this "story" sometime in the future.

Other News:

RIP Boots Randolph. Folks keep dying, and it keeps making me sad. I listened to a few LPs Thursday night when I found out. Yeah, a bit corny at times, but definitely a simple pleasure. Keep on honkin' in heaven, sir.

Today is a monumental day in bloggin history, because 7/7/07 is when the action happens. Alongside the triumphant return that you just faithfully read, Andy's blog is also back! And of course, he hit y'all with a PICTURE PARTY that is 7 to 30 times more entertaining than what you just read, so YOU'LL FUCKIN' LOVE IT!!! It's like February 2004 all over again!!!!! See you next time, dudes.

For those of you still tuned in...

2007-06-19T16:50:00.000-04:00

Yeah, I'm still alive. If you want to read current things from me, you're better off checking here or here (former = more complete, but lots of other folks writing; latter = slightly incomplete, but just me).

Since the MP3 blog idea died out pretty fast, I figured I'd at least put up this mix I did for the NDA/Donewaiting We Hate Mixtapes Club. I could always be persuaded to make a series of mixes for this page, so if you download this from here and would like to see more, please let me know! Thanks for reading.

We Hate Mixtapes 12: Technological Breakdown

1. My Flows Is Tight - Lord Digga
2. Love and Happiness - Monty Alexander
3. Ijuswannachill - Large Professor
4. Kiss The Sky - Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra
5. 2001 - Sugarman 3
6. Let A Woman Be A Woman - Dyke & the Blazers
7. Organ Donor - Lefties Soul Connection
8. Guiding Resolution - Poets of Rhythm
9. Night Lights - Time Machine
10. Aht Uh Mi Hed - Shuggie Otis
11. Beautiful Day - Spider Harrison
12. Beat It - Señor Coconut And His Orchestra

There ya have it. Hopefully this mix holds together long enough for you to hear it.

[EDIT] Due to folks having problems with some of the tracks being m4as as opposed to MP3s, when I learned tonight how to easily make MP3s, I redid the m4as. So the new link below is pure MP3 action. LOVE IT MAAAN!

http://www.mediafire.com/?9ztpoebmegv

Real Late At Night

2007-03-03T04:36:00.001-05:00

MP3: Cunninlynguists - "Since When"
MP3: Cunninlynguists - "Caved In (feat. Cee-Lo)"

Cunninlynguists - "A Piece Of Strange" (LA Underground, 2006)

So yeah, I know I promised non-raps to come soon, but not yet. We're still diggin at the roots of this page. If you read this page before the DRAMATIC transformation last week, you know that its former name was "Blogged Out Since Cub Scouts." And if you know that, you're likely to know the origins of that title. But if not, that's why these tracks are here. Kentucky's Cunninlynguists have been kickin' out Funky D-approved jams since back in the day. On their debut Will Rap For Food, their underground true-isms included "Thugged Out Since Cub Scouts," a lovely ditty about their "rugged" upbringings. And about 3 years later, a blog was born. Everyone caught up? Where were we?

In early 2006, the boys unleashed their third official album (we're not gonna count those "Sloppy Seconds" joints, right Abele?) upon the world. The promotion of this event included a (mostly) hot show in Cincinnati that was attended by yours truly and Young Lord Napppppius. Phantasmagorical. Anygay (shouts to Kangaroo Juice!), the album turned out pretty well. No RJD2-produced bangers, but plenty of lyrical wisdom and raptainment. If you wanna hear more, holla at yer boy!

Mission: One

2007-02-23T22:30:00.000-05:00

MP3: Mission (aka Crown City Rockers) - "Contagious"
MP3: Mission (aka Crown City Rockers) - "Chocolate Milk & Apricots"

So, as you may have noticed, thangs have changed. A lurking thought came to a head (yes, my big head) today: Why don't I have an MP3 blog? Good question, I said to myself. I have this awesome blog with great archives from '04-'05 (read 'em if you don't know) and a royal fuck-ton of music. So, why not write a paragraph about an album or two a week and share some jointz? No reason not to. So here it is: Dem Funky Daggers, a home for random music writins and listenins. Probably nothing new, just crucial tracks from the archives. Most genres will be covered (well, by that I mean hip-hop, funk, rock, jazz, afrobeat, and more?!?), so if you don't like the current selections, come back in a week (or less) and try again. Also, if there's something particular that you think I might own (or easily acquire) and want to hear/read about, please comment or email and I'll see what I can do. I know, I'm a rather accommodating dude. So enjoy, and please let me know what you think. So, to begin:

Mission - One (Insiduous Urban, 2001)

My mission to bring the jams to YOUR car (or computer) kicks off with a couple tracks off of One, the album made by the group currently known as the Crown City Rockers when they were called Mission. Kids educated at the Berklee School of Music in Boston always come up with crazy recording projects that, while often brainy, are usually worthwhile (i.e. these dudes). This is where this particular hip-hop band comes into play. Lots of intriguing keyboards and production anchor the rhymes of Raashan Ahmad and Moe (no longer with the group). Though it's hard to pick favorites on this 18 (well, 19) track jamfest, the above 2 are certainly in the top 5 (and I still love apricots). So please enjoy and come back soon!

RIP Daymon

2006-08-17T12:34:00.000-04:00

The words are still coming, but a good pic works for now.

I'm sorry

2006-01-17T16:05:00.000-05:00

...but I got over it. ENJOY TIMELESS WISDOM!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2005-12-19T17:04:00.000-05:00

Yes indeed, I am now 26. Andy, Chops, Adam and I celebrated in fine style last night to the sounds of the Hoo Doo Soul Band at Oldfield's on High. Good times. So yeah, I'm now even older. The only presents I have received so far today are...(pics would be here, but the computer is struggling) Mike Jones-Who Is Mike Jones?, and John Cena & The Trademarc-You Can't See Me. Yes. Thanks Dave! I will try to listen to them rapidly for purposes described below.

(EDIT) The end of the year is upon us. My Top 10 albums of 2005 are now posted on Swizzle-Stick, so please check it out! I am trying to finish writing up my Top 20 for Team Columbus!, so I'll let you know when that list is ready for public viewing.

Also, real Putt-Putt still survives in North Carolina. Yes, it is still awesome. That is all.

Yes, I know, the excitement is basically dripping off the screen...

2005-12-06T21:35:00.000-05:00

Womp womp womp. My writing is still slow in coming, but there is a freshly posted blurb about a phantasmagorical rock show at the Ravari Saturday right about here, so read up! Otherwise, I'm just trying to survive this lovely weather. Thanksgiving was good visiting my sister in Berkeley, CA, so I guess I have that to remember fondly. The year is coming to a close, I suppose. I know this because I'm supposed to be handing over lists of the top records of 2005 to both of those fine linked sites on the right, and I haven't made many decisions yet. I've tried to focus my listening on this year's material lately, but I keep getting stuck on The Most Known Hits by Three 6 Mafia, which did come out in 2005 but I suppose doesn't really count. Damnit.

Well, the writing is still not pouring forth, so give me ideas or something, please. And look out for a theoretical interview with Cincinnati's IsWhat?! that should be coming soon.

Hey look, I did another interview!

2005-11-21T15:20:00.000-05:00

Please check out my interview with Portland, OR, hip-hop artist Ohmega Watts right here. I also reviewed last week's Apes/Modey Lemon show here. See, I'm doing something, sorta. As you astute motherfuckers may also notice, I have replaced the Vertical Slum link with the Swizzle-Stick link, since I'm writing for the Swizz again and tVS is on hiatus, or in a cocoon, or some witty metaphor. Stay alert. Well, gotta go. I'll write some substance sometime.

RAVARI THURSDAY (Nov 17)!!! ME FUNK!!!

2005-11-14T16:00:00.000-05:00

I sure did.

This One's For Emily

2005-11-08T22:33:00.000-05:00

Cuz it's my 127th post, and my sister is borderline-obsessed with the overwhelming occurrence of the digits of my parents' address in nature. Anyhoo, how are y'all? I've been busy and lazy at the saaaame time. While not posting here, I have written an astounding total of 0 articles elsewhere. Well, I did writeup and sendoff email interview questions for Ohmega Watts, a new Ubiquity Records hip-hop artist who happens to be performing tonight at the High Five, but he has not yet responded. So yeah, I have no excuses, just self-loathing, hahahaha. I did vote today, which was fun, and I hope you did too.

R.I.P. Mana "China" Nishiura

As I found out from Pitchfork today, a Friday car accident claimed the life of China Nishiura, the current drummer for DMBQ and a past "support" drummer for Shonen Knife. The accident also injured the rest of DMBQ (whom were all released the same day) and their tour manager. As I wrote back in April, DMBQ put on a great show with China on the drumset. I'm now glad that I saw them while she was still with us. Check the Shonen Knife link above for a full tribute. Sad.

Musical Contemplations - Thunder, Lightning, Strike by The Go Team!

I've listened to this album 3 or 4 times now, and I still don't know what to think. This album, originally released in the UK, was issued here in the United States last month by the powers that be at Columbia Records. I guess someone somewhere has deemed them as having some sort of commercial potential, because this certainly doesn't sound like a major label album. Before I go any further and give you the wrong idea, let me state that I do like the album (Furthermore, any Columbusites digging my review are hereby advised to stop by Used Kids, because the place is currently overrun by $9.75 copies). I don't know how to describe the style. Most tracks are sound collages of old-school hip-hop samples, some soul samples, and 70s-sounding instrumentation. Some of the songs sound like a modern take on 70s easy listening, which is just weird. The last track made me think of Abele (please read this) because it rocks the same sample as "Nikole" by Kurious ("Just like my jeans, my self esteem was saggin"), so huzzah for that! There are some tracks that sound like a mic was left on a chair next to a cheerleading practice, because there are vocals but the volume is very low. Overall, though, the enjoyment level is pretty high for me. If I compose these thoughts better, I'll try this again soon.

Well, I gotta run. Abele, Abby, Evan, and Stacy and I will see Tom Vek and the Mobius Band at the House of Blues in Cleveland Saturday night, which should be exciting. I'll try not to keep you waiting so long next time. Peaces.

Funky D: Now With 25% More Journalism!!!

2005-10-25T18:55:00.000-04:00

Yeah, I guess it's not that big of a deal, but I'm still kinda excited about the fact that I interviewed a band! The dudes in Bling Kong were nice enough to talk to me over AIM, and it seems as though they will be quite entertaining on Thursday night at Cafe Bourbon Street. Of course, I will be attending the blockbuster Def Leppard/Cheap Trick show with Chops and Renkes beforehand, but those old-timer shows leave plenty of time for rock afterwards. It will be an epic night of rock.

Friday = Unpossibly Brown
On Friday night, I saw the blockbuster bill of The Brown Notes, The Rackets, Chicago's Time Out Drawer, and The Unpossibles at Oldfield's on High. It was a thorough display of rock. Of course the Unpossibles brought it, including some remnants of their ska set last month, like "Gangsters" by the Specials. Time Out Drawer seemed to rock pretty hard, but I didn't hear that much of their set. I had never seen the Rackets before, but they were cool. Since they were clearly thirsty, I bought them some PBRs that appeared to be much appreciated. To close, I finally caught a Brown Notes set (I had been waiting to see "Classic Dork" live for three or so months), and they were good too. Seeing it again wouldn't hurt, though.

Y'all Want the Funk?

It turns out that Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings are rockin' Ohio the entire weekend of November 4-6. Does anybody want to see them in Cleveland, Toledo, or Cincy? Let me know and we will plan accordingly.

Remember kids, "Y'all can charge it to the game, but keep all the receipts."

Digging this blog out of the shitpile

2005-10-17T21:15:00.000-04:00

I must apologize to my loyal readership. When I started this thing back in February of 04, the mission was to chronicle the shows I went to, and add some album reviews and other musical hearsay. I did this pretty well for a long time, if I may say so myself. Of course, because I do attend a fair amount of shows, this got rather tedious at times for both me and you. So lately (the last four months or so), I haven't reviewed at all. Sad. Of course, I've reviewed some shows for Team Columbus!, which has also hindered my desire to review here. As of today, however, I'm gonna try to do better. I won't review every little show I go to, but I will try to do what I can. With that said, on with the show!

Duck and Cover!!!

This Thursday, October 20th, I will again be playing some funk records as a part of Mikey G & The Latino Pimp's Funky Thursdays @ the Ravari Room. Same bat time, same bat channel. Do it good.

On That Sam Cooke Steez
But damn, the Envelope Insignificant Anthems release party (and the album itself) was well worth the wait. The headlining set was a hip-hop musical, with Envelope dressed up as a "Centelope," with a wooden re-creation of a horse's body and a flowing mane. DJ Amos Famous was in an ice cream man get-up and throwing out ice cream and cookies to all. The proceeds were "narra-hosted" by Jeff Fernengel of Tree of Snakes fame. Though there were a bunch of sound problems, the boys succeeded in putting on an entertaining show. Go pick up the album, OK? El Jesus de Magico rocked as they have been lately, and the various DJs throughout the night kicked out various jams, culminating in a crunked-out dance party at the end. Good times.

I Want Candy
Yes indeed, Andy and I succeeded in making it to Athens last Thursday for some Taco John's...and MC Chris!!! The voice star of Sea Lab 2021 and Aqua Teen Hunger Force performed an hour and a half (!!!!!) of his solo raps, various requested bits of his cartoon work, and alot of standup-esque humorous observations on his career and life. It was a pretty good show. His throat was sore, which clearly affected him on alot of his songs, but he was a trooper. The large crowd at The Union was very responsive to his material and his exhortations, and he responded by saying that it was one of the best rooms he had played over his extensive tour. He even performed "Fett's Vette" twice, once with a Star Wars beat and once with the original. Good times. Though we missed openers The Ergs, we did see SNMNMNM, who were a quirky indie-pop band from Chapel Hill. Fine road trip.

Please Please Me
Tuesday was Pleaseeasaur at the High Five with Dave. As I wrote back in May, Mr. Saur was quite enjoyable as the opener for Neil Hamburger. This time he headlined, and it was another funny set. I don't know that we saw any new songs, but it was still hilarious. 1-800-NO-PROB-LIMO! Various members of local comedy troupe The Perineum were pretty funny to start the night off, and then The Stapler fuzz-rocked us into oblivion. Good stuff for a Tuesday night.

The Sun Always Shines On the Rock Empire
Last Monday, of course, was the fine bill of The Sun, Apollo Sunshine, and Greenlawn Abbey at Little Brothers. All bands put in fine sets. This show marked the release of the Sun's pioneering DVD album. I still haven't watched the videos, so no comment on that I guess. They kicked out all the jams, including an encore with "Say Goodbye" and "Spirit of 72," which I hadn't heard in a loooong time. Ol' Apollo Sunshine was pretty good. This was the eighth time I've seen them, and I still enjoy their sets. Their new music seems to be jammier than before, but it don't bother me none. Jesse (lead singer) had a female audience member come on stage and read the not-so-positive show preview that Stephen Slaybaugh wrote for the Columbus Alive. I thought it was funny. Greenlawn Abbey opened with another good set of indie-pop-rock. I need to see those dudes more often.

Well, this post has taken almost two hours, including bouts with Internet distraction and hunger pangs. I'll try to stay on the job.

APB!!!

2005-10-05T16:32:00.000-04:00

The tickets for MC Chris at The Union on Thursday, October 13 (Next Thursday) are NOW ON SALE! I can put together an order for the people that are serious about it. With small(er) service charges, the $12 tickets are $14.75 a piece. Holla at a playa ASAP, as I'd like to order these by Friday. Right now I'm counting on Andy and Lee (and myself), assuming Dave is working. And...GO!

Easy as 1-2-3

2005-10-03T19:57:00.000-04:00

This is my 123rd post, so thank you for your large part in the revolution. Nevermind. If only I could honestly say, "[muffled]Back then they don't me, now I'm hot they all on me.[\muffled]" Cuz they still don't know me, and I'm not hot. Oh well. The dryer at the Deming-cile sucks. Big red donkey balls. And I'm sweaty. Feh, on to other things.

Week de la Rock
Tonight: Dirty Dozen Brass Band w/ New Basics Brass Band at Little Brothers. Damn, it's hot!
Tuesday: The Capes, Jon Chinn & 1803, Fine Dining at the High Five.
Wednesday: Holopaw, Daedalus, The Black Swans at the High Five.
Thursday: (After catching a sneak preview of Waiting) Sound of Urchin, Black Cat Revival, The Brown Notes at (you guessed it) the High Five.
Friday: Atmosphere/Blueprint instore at Magnolia Thunderpussy
Saturday: Still up in the air. There is a Fiery Furnaces show at the Wexner Center, and there is a Heroes of History/Mors Ontologica/Kola Koca Death Squad show at The Basement (hmmm).
Sunday: Pass out.

Future-er Hype:

Monday, October 10th: The Sun (DVD album release party!), Apollo Sunshine, Greenlawn Abbey at Little Brothers. Damn straight. The album is out (I seen it!), but I will wait to buy it until this show. Will be fun.

Friday, October 14th: Envelope Insignificant Anthems release party w/El Jesus de Magico, etc. Been waiting yeeeeears for this. Better be fun!

Gotta go change laundry. See y'alls on the flipside.

I'm Stark RAVARI-ng Mad!

2005-09-27T21:50:00.000-04:00

Or I will be if you don't come to the Ravari this Thursday! Yes indeed, folks, here is another late plea for you to come check out some Funky Thursdays action this week with tunes spun by Mikey G, the Latino Pimp, DJ Ginsu (maybe), and myself! As usual, the tunes will start around 10 or 10:30, and there is no cover. Attendance has been light lately, so please come out and have a few drinks so the Funky Thursdays live on!

HUGE NERD NEWS!!!

Yes, the voice of all your favorite cartoon characters, MC Chris, is on tour. Though he is not coming to Columbus, he is playing a show Thursday night, October 13th, in at The Union in Athens. I have some worries about ticketing and whatnot that I will research tomorrow (EDIT: Presales have not started yet, though dumb promotional company asserted otherwise. I will remain vigilant on this task, worry not). Assuming it is a go, however, a fine posse of Andy, Dave, Lee, and myself is currently considering this trek, and I've only known about it for five hours! I'll keep you posted, but if anybody else wants to go for funny nerd-rap and Taco John's, holla!

Also, I think (EDIT: We WILL be there, Renkes got tix today, bitches!) Chops, Renkes, and I will be checking out the rocktastic lineup of Def Leppard and Cheap Trick at Nationwide Arena on Thursday, October 27th. Wow.

Well, someday I'll get around to talking about a bunch of other stuff. Laaaaaaaazyyy.

Since I've Been Gone...

2005-09-19T19:25:00.000-04:00

...this blog can breeeeathe for the fiiirst tiiiime. Dammit. Due to what has to be a conspiracy between people in my life (that barely know each other), Kelly's little ditty is now often stuck in my head. My application for cool points will now surely be rejected. Booay hooay hooay.

Last Chance to Dance Trance (perhaps)
Ahhhh, that feels better. Silly rock puns that no one will get. Huzzah. Anyhoo, this one meant something. I am planning on playing records at another Funky Thursday @ The Ravari Room on Thursday, September 29th. Mikey G & the Latino Pimp, the fine hosts of this funky affair, are unsure of the status of their weekly gig after September. Therefore, if you have ever thought about coming out to one of these and have yet to (or if you're a devoted "fan"), please come out next Thursday and support. Bring friends. A strong showing in the attendance department might help them keep the funk going into October and the future. Do it.

Rock Schedule This Week
Tonight: 40 Year-Old Virgin, Lost Boys (maybe) @ Studio 35
Tuesday: (maybe) The National, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah @ Little Bros.
Wednesday: Who Knows???
Thursday: Gito Gito Hustler & The Spunks @ The High Five
Friday: Benevento Russo Duo & Something For Rockets @ The Patio, Indianapolis!
Saturday: (probably) Four Tet, Hot Chip, Koushik @ Grog Shop, Cleveland!
Sunday: Hurricane Katrina Benefit w/ RJD2, Fonosluts, other DJs @ The High Five
(if cousin wins poker and is not too tired) System of a Down, Mars Volta, Hella @ Nationwide Arena

Whew. I'm pumped that Andy and I are gonna see the Duo on Friday. Since I've missed them in Columbus and Cleveland this summer, Indy is my last, semi-close hope. Wish us luck! Saturday will also be interesting, as this decent show is also a reconnaissance mission for an old pal of mine.

Well, that's that. I'm late for the Music Game @ Andy's. See yins later!

Tinkerins

2005-09-09T20:28:00.000-04:00

After much laziness, I'm trying to tweak the presentation and permanent content of this here blog. Let me know what you think about the new changes (especially if I fucked something up). The other sites I write for do not have indices for particular writers, so look for "Andrew Patton" at Team Columbus, and "A. Patton" at the Slum. Help please: I cannot figure out how to reduce the spacing between lines in the "Elsewheres I Write" or "Blogs" sections in the sidebar. If you have an idea, get at me dog!

Also, if you're looking to rock for a good cause next week, how bout this:

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Hurricane Katrina Benefit with

Two Cow Garage
The Blue Revision
What Made Milwaukee Famous (Austin, TX)
Greenhorn
Starving Goliath

High Five Bar & Grill
1227 N. High Street
Thursday, September 15th
8 PM Doors, 9 PM Music
Tickets $5
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

I mean, it's obviously for a good cause, but if you need any more inspiration, I will be there. There ya go.

Man oh man...

2005-09-01T15:41:00.000-04:00

The world is getting scarier fast. You are probably well aware of the catastrophe that is the wake of Hurricane Katrina in the south. Please donate what you can, please. I also just found out that R.L. Burnside died today in Memphis! R.I.P. Plus, there are many musicians in New Orleans that are still unaccounted for, like Fats Domino! Damn. Yes, I have rocked a fair amount in the past week, but I don't even feel like writing about it now. For the .5 of you that don't know and do care, I will tell you that I will NOT be spinning at the Ravari tonight. There are bands scheduled instead. Worry not, Funky Thursdays should be back next week, and I might even pop in then. Well, I am travelling to rural PA and Cleveland this weekend (yeah, great time for it, I know, but the show must go on), so wish me the best. I love all 5 of you.

Sweaty Surprise!

2005-08-25T21:40:00.000-04:00

Sweaty? Me, I ran a while ago and I'm stillllll cooling down.

Surprise? I sit down at Chops' computer, and find that he has purchased the Outre Mer soundtrack, recorded completely by Garage a Trois, a jazz-jam-whatever supergroup (Charlie Hunter, Skerik, Stanton Moore, & Mike Dillon) that we love. Chops, that sonofabitch! Oh, and by sonofabitch I mean completely awesome. This soundtrack is already a groovy seagoing good time, which makes sense because I think that's what the movie is too, only French. Peep the Garage a Trois site here and get down, or something else suitably cheesy.

I dunno, though I love to hate frogs, those Frenchies must be getting cool these days. I recently picked up Cliquety Kliqk, the Quannum debut of General Elektriks, this crazy French sorta-hop project dealie. Hard to describe, but funky and hip-hoppy (appearances by new labelmates Lateef and Chief Xcel (Blackalicious) and squelchy and crazy con mucho keyboard. Check it out.

So yeah, my only show (so far) this week was Red Pony Clock (San Diego, mostly) and Heavy Mole (Bustown) at a place called The Lunchington Tuesday night. What an awesome name! It is a recording studio housed in a warehouse in Grandview that must be starting to dabble in the occasional show. RPC was awesome! They are a 10+ member "indie pop orchestra" or something. The description I've been fooling around with is a more slacker, down-to-earth, Latin+Jazz-influenced and less Jim Jones-koolaid-cult Polyphonic Spree. And most songs aren't about sun or light. So OK, I guess the only similarities are playing "pop" and having alot of members. Anyhoo, RPC is more awesome either way. The lead singer was funny, the drummer was hot, the horns were sweet, and they just made me smile. Heavy Mole was also good. They are also "indie pop," though a bit more traditional, with piano and trumpet. They played a "penis trilogy" with two songs. Yes. After they were done, they were joined onstage by most of RPC for a superjam. They played mangled versions of Roy Orbison's "Cryin" (check it out at Heavy Mole's Myspace page, linked above), Temple of the Dog's "Hunger Strike" (DEAR GOD YES!), and Counting Crows' "Mr. Jones" before I called it a night. Awesome time. Thanks to Bob from the Vertical Slum for the heads up.

(UPDATE: Sweaty? Not much anymore, thanks. Surprise? Well, I'm not suprised that this Outre Mer disc is pretty damn sweet all the way through. Now I gotta get my own!)

Well, that's enough writing for me. As far as shows this weekend go, our friends The Unpossibles at Oldfields on High are a possibility for Friday night and the awesome bill of Times New Viking/The Sun/84 Nash at Andyman's is definitely a go for Saturday. Rock, motherfuckers!

Game Over

2005-08-17T14:50:00.000-04:00

What up yo? Sorry I'm still slackin on the blog front. As soon as there is internet available at the new crib, I will hopefully be posting more and updating my template with lotsa links n shit.

We're back, we're back we're back again
Tomorrow night, August 18th, I will again be spinning funk records as a part of Funky Thursdays @ the Ravari Room, 2657 N. High St. It shall start around 10:30 (me spinning around 11:30 or so) and be dope. And, to give you some advance warning, I will also be spinning Thursday, September 1st (also T-bag's birthday), so mark your calendars accordingly. (Note: I sent out an email about this. If you did not receive it and would like to, just email me. Love.)

Hip-Hop, mu'fuckas!
Wow, I definitely hip-hopped about as much as I could last weekend. Of course, Friday night and all of Saturday was spent at Annie's Bar in Cincinnati for Scribble Jam 2005. Andy, Dave and I had a good time, despite tired legs and Mac Lethal (whom I do not hate nearly as much as White Mike, but that's probably a good thing for all involved). I saw some good performances by Prince Paul (well, more of a hip-hop history lesson), I Self Divine, Cryptic One, One Be Lo, Duplexx (Edan & Insight), & Lyrics Born (though I couldn't enjoy that set much because of major league hatin' by my compadres and overall exhaustion). The battles were alot better this year. Justice, a teenager from Australia, won the MC battle, which was pretty good. He had awesome battles with Thesaurus (semis) and Iron Solomon (or whatever the hell is name is) (final). DJ Sparechange from Dayton beat Columbus' own DJ Bombay in the DJ battle. Bombay beat 2-time reigning champion Scratch Bastard in the semis, and Scratch Bastard is now my least favorite fake frog. Bustown what? The other battles were boring.
On Sunday, Dave and I went to Bernies for the last Fonosluts Fuck Hip-Hop Night. If you want to live in a fantasy world where this event hasn't happened yet, read here for my awesome writin stylez. It was crazy. My legs were a bit bloodied from the multitude of broken bottles. I was a sweaty, stank bastard. Daymon aka SoWhat? pulled a cord out of the wall (sparks 'n shit) because they turned on the lights 10 minutes early. Helluva good time. A fond farewell to some Columbus hip-hop soljaz.

Man, I gotta write some more shiznaz here soon. So, imagine more flimsy promises of such right about...here. Oh yeah, here's an awesome album I bought at Scribble Jam:

Marinate on the bilingualosity of Giant Panda, bitches (peep their label site here).

HYPE

2005-08-03T17:35:00.000-04:00

As many of you may already know because I just spammed you, I will be at the Ravari Room tomorrow night, Thursday August 4th, to play funk records as part of "Funky Thursdays" with Mikey G and the Latino Pimp. Music will start around 10:30 or so, and I will be there around then. You know where the Ravari is, right? Comment below if not. Get some funk on ya!

More Death and Dismay

R.I.P. Bill Moss. Story here.

Moving/Sadness

2005-08-01T17:22:00.000-04:00

Yes, I moved this weekend. It was kinda rough, especially when Chops and I moved all the big stuff by ourselves. That's what we get for not having the people skills to convince mass amounts of friends to help, I guess. Anyway, don't expect big amounts of updates anytime soon, OK?

So Rafael Palmeiro got busted for steroids. Fuck. I'm not much of a baseball fan anymore, but when I heard that today, I think something inside me died (I know, cliched as all hell, but these are emotions!) and I almost teared up. I've never been a fan of the Rangers or any other team he's played for, but I always thought of him as a dependable, consistent guy who always quietly took care of business and was a stand-up dude. I guess that's shattered now. At least my cousin made this sweet picture while we were at work today, so I'll leave with you that:

Grab Them Cakes!

2005-07-24T19:45:00.000-04:00

I figured that if I'm gonna come back from my 3+ week absence, I gotta do it in style. Wow, this has taken way too long to happen. My double-digit readership has now surely retreated into the safety of the single-digits, which is sad. But I gotta do what I gotta do. So I'll give you a breakdown of exciting, awesome stuff.

Tremendous Movie, yo

Just saw this today, and it was amazing! I wish Andy was there with me, but "MAMA SAYS IT BEEEEES THAT WAY SOMETIMES!" Soundtrack: killer. Acting: good enough. Cameos: phantasmagorical. Gore: splendiferous. "I give it a 10!"

Downtown Friday Night
Read it here.

Alright, gotta go get laundry. There will be more soon. Thanks for reading.

R&B?!?!?

2005-07-01T19:20:00.000-04:00

Wow. I was inspired to write yesterday (but obviously didn't get to it) because I read in this week's Columbus Alive (you know, the one with the best cover ever, pictured below) that Isaac Hayes is a scientologist. What the fuck?!?!??!?!?!? Damn it Isaac, why? "That Shaft is one bad mother-" "Shut yo mouth!" "I'm only talking bout a fucking Scientologist" "Then we can certainly NOT dig it!" Also, today Luther Vandross died! Story here. The soul world is going to shit. At least Chops' mp3 of the 12 minute version of Sheila E & Prince's "A Love Bizarre" is here to console me. Wow, "Frere Jacques" on the bass and everything.

Yeah, sorry I've been disinterested/lazy with this here site lately. I've been writing a few show reviews for good ol' Team Columbus. So you can check my thoughts on Sound of Urchin here, my Government Mule review here, and my Comfest report here. So take that. Don't hold your breath for those other reviews, but they might happen sometime soon. Fireflies on the Fourth of July.

Cleveland...I might as well live there

2005-06-17T17:05:00.000-04:00

Yes. I'm leaving in about an hour for another music-related voyage to Cleveland, my 3rd in 9 days. This time, the maxed-out posse of Kehn, Lucas, Katie and I are going to the Beachland for a fine double bill of Sleater-Kinney and Dead Meadow. It should be a tight show. I'm sorry about the delayed update, but I've been pretty busy and y'alls are NOT inspiring me. With that in mind, there will be some interactive blogging this time (read below). Sorry, but sometimes it bes like that.

Journalism HO!
You may remember from a recent update that I am now writing a few reviews for The Vertical Slum. Well, I can now tell you that I have another gig writing for a Columbus-based music website. I am now a proud member of Team Columbus!, a group of writers reviewing and hyping Columbus shows and Columbus bands. Last week's introductory post is here, while my fresh review of Wednesday night's Caesars show is here. Team Columbus is just one of the fine pages under the umbrella of Donewaiting.com, one of my favorite music sites out there. It is run ably by Mr. Robert Duffy, but I am happy to be able to help him cover Bustown jams. Someday I'll get around to linking it up on the side over there.

VOTE OR DIE!
Here, loyal reader, is your chance to vote (in the comments link below) for a review of any of these recent shows that I have not had the time or willpower to review. Knowing the comment traffic of this site, anything that gets a vote will get a review written here...soon.

June 12th: ECW Pay-per-view; Bernies
June 11th: Electric Grandmother CD Release Party @ Cafe Bourbon St; Exit Stencil Recordings CMJ BBQ @ Beachland Tavern, Cleveland (Peelander-Z, The New Lou Reeds, Mystery of Two)
June 9th: Digable Planets/Grandmaster Flash/Procussions/Lab Rats @ Agora Ballroom, Cleveland
June 8th: Modest Mouse/Camper van Beethoven @ Promowest Pavilion
June 2nd: The Wrens/Troubled Hubble @ Little Brothers (forgotten during last post)

There you have it. Exercise your American duty, and vote, biatch!

We got the jazz, we got the jazz

2005-06-07T22:40:00.000-04:00

Boomin in ya, boomin in ya, boomin in ya jeep. Sorry, had a serious Tribe craving as I started this post. Maybe it's cuz people are concerned for/tired of Q-Tip all of a sudden. Eh. I did need some Tribe, so it's all good. The rest of this week shalt be busy:
Weds: Modest Mouse/Camper van Beethoven @ Promowest Pavilion
Thurs: Digable Planets/Grandmaster Flash/Procussions/Lab Rats/Whoever @ Agora (Cleveland CMJ Fest)
Fri: Renkes Jam @ Renkes Jamspot
Sat: You know the deal, scroll down for "June 11"
Sun: ECW PPV, 'Kwon wants to go to Bernies afterwards!

OSU Springfest

Damn, this was pretty sweet. I got to the East Oval (I guess) around 5:45, and as I turned the corner towards the stage, the joyous sounds of "Serious Knife Fight" by Tree of Snakes greeted my ears. The boys rocked the sunny, sweaty stage, with crowd assistance on such jams as "I Am Lion" and "Yellow Snow." Next up was Blueprint. As usual, he had a pretty good set of hip-hop entertainment, with assistance from DJ Rare Groove and DJ PRZM on the beatbox. He did alot of tracks from the new album, which is dope, and some remixes and whatnot. My favorite moment was when Bru Lei arrived during "Tramp," a song from the new album where Print tells a story about a tramp that lied about having slept with Bru. After the song, Print apologized for any trouble he might have caused with his fictional tale. Cute. Next up was Mouth of the Architect, a sludgy metal band from Dayton that was decent but a good time to take a break at Mama's Pasta 'n Brew. I came back to the end of Silencio's set, which was some local instrumental rock of average interest. Then came a set of two local bands that share the same drummer: Sweetheart and Dis Yourself. I think Sweetheart was first, and their two man + laptop instrumental rock-techno-jazz jams were cool. Dis Yourself (I think) was good when their thick metal jams were sans vocals, but the screaming kinda killed it for me. It's happened before. Next was Roosevelt Franklin, whose set, though slightly flawed, was probably my favorite of the night. Mr. Len and Kimani were a great comic duo, with Len ripping on Kimani from behind the wheels of steel and Kimani talkin shit, like any good MC would. Sure, Kimani did fuck up my favorite RF song, "Insomnia 411" (though "Muppet Love" and "Kurt Loder" are damn close, obviously), but they were fun, and fun to yell at. And I enjoyed the close of their set, where Mr. Len cued up "The Joker" and the Cheers theme and Kimani yelled at us to sing along. Good times. Next was Thunderbirds Are Now!, a Detroit dance-punk-rock-whatever band that would do well on the radio right about now. A few songs rocked, but their weird over-the-top stage antics were too much to handle. Unless you think a spastic, long-spiky-haired keyboardist walking around his keyboard while holding a chord is rock 'n roll. The Walkmen were the headliners, but despite some promising rock tunes, I ended up bored. The songs ended up lumbering too often and the singer's emotionally-screamed vocals didn't carry alot of weight. Oh well. I had alot of fun.

Saturday night, among my travels, I saw Terribly Empty Pockets and Moviola at Used Kids and Lori at Ravari, and all were good. Something about that night does not lend itself to story-telling.

Crazy Bill To Anticipate

Weds, June 29th, Skullys: Sound of Urchin, Moth, and Stretch Lefty (Release Party?!?). Crazy. I missed SOU a few months ago, and I was pissed. These crazy NYC dudes play wacky rock that can melt faces. Moth is an awesome, former-major label band from Cincy that I've wanted to see live again ever since my first CD101 Low Dough Show, at Flanagan's in '02 (so long ago that I completely forgot about it). And Stretch Lefty is a local reggae/lotsa other stuff band that I've also wanted to check out for a while. This must have coagulated through a billing experiment gone...right.

Well, I'm outie 5 billion. I'm gonna rock out with my cock out for the rest of the week, so wear a body condom!!! "Raow Raow! Like a dungeon dragon!"

Keep holdin!

2005-06-01T22:00:00.000-04:00

Sorry Naps, no mind-blowing format changes this week. I haven't rocked too much since last week. I did make appearances at the System Link getdown on Weds (with Dave) and the Fonosluts' Memorial Day hip-hop show on Sunday night at Bernies (with Dave and Andy), but I have nothing insightful to say about either, sadly. There are many free shows this weekend, however, that I may or may not attend. Friday is Springfest, the yearly free show put on by OSU's student-run radio station, KBUX. Lotsa good performers, including Blueprint in an early slot (cuz he's playing the Scribble Jam Tour stop in Chicago the same night!!!), Roosevelt Franklin, Tree of Snakes, and headlined by the Walkmen. Saturday is a BYOCocktail party at Used Kids featuring Moviola and Terribly Empty Pockets, and also Hempfest on campus, including an 8:30 set from Illogic. Looks like a good time to me.

June 11th
As the faithful few already know, June 11th, 2005, is shaping up to be one of the greatest days of...the history of the world. In case you are being caught unawares and would like details, I will break it down in detail for you:

~11 AM: Wake up after thoroughly enjoying the Renkes' graduation/house-warming party, which will have been deejayed by yours' truly.
11:30 AM: Leave for Cleveland. This will be the weekend of the CMJ Minifest in that fair town. To make sure their hometown is represented properly, Exit Stencil Recordings is hosting a free BBQ/Showcase at the Beachland Tavern! The first band, Mystery of Two, is on at 1:00, but we don't know enough about them to leave that early.
2:00 PM: New Lou Reeds at BBQ.
3:00 PM: Peelander-Z at BBQ!
4:00 PM: Roue at BBQ!
5:00 PM: Leave for Columbus.
~7:30 PM: Clippers game. This is the shaky part. WWE Superstar Mick Foley is signing autographs at the game! No, THAT's not the shaky part. At press time, we are unsure whether Mr. Foley is appearing before/during/after the game. Obviously, since the game is a 7:05 start, a pregame appearance would conflict with the drive back from Cleveland.
~11:00 PM: Electric Grandmother Release Party for PEE SELLS...BUT WHO'S BUYING? at Cafe Bourbon Street. Wow, it's gonna be awesome! The Columbus-based sitcom-core pioneer will celebrate his 32-track, 65-minute epic with a bill that also includes the Ocean Ghosts, the Squares, and Johnny La Rock & Mush Mouth.

As you can see, June 11th will be the best day ever. GET READY!

June 7th

Sure, some other chumps like Coldplay and the White Stripes may be releasing albums next week, but if all goes according to plan, this coming Tuesday will also mark the release of Blame it On the Youth by Columbus' The Sun. If you don't know, start reading here. Or maybe check out the official site here. That's a fancy major label site right there. Anyhoo, this album has been liberally leaked (and burnt copies have been sold in stores), so I can honestly say that I like it alot. Even the softer, sweeter songs are nice, but most of the tunes rock pretty hard, one way or another. There are a few holdovers from the old EPs, but not too many. As a guy who has been a fan for over two years, I think you should buy the hell out of it! Now! And let's pray it's not delayed.

Well, I always do what Andy sez...

2005-05-25T22:05:00.000-04:00

Even if it takes three days. Things have gone well since we last spoke. I deejayed a campus party on Friday night, like the bigshot I am. Other than some drunken douchebags demanding "rap" and scratching on my records, it went well. Dime-a-dog Night at the Coop on Monday was awesome (obviously), and the free listening parties/screenings at Skully's the last two nights (Gorillaz album Mon night, Common album AND Freestyle DVD Tues) were also rather sweet. Davekwon and I will venture to High Five tonight for the latest System Link jam, another "Hook and Sling" funk/soul dance party. Plans are still in development to see The Fucking Champs/Zombi/Boyjazz show in Cleveland Friday night, as Twyman is currently in the process of "manning up." Oh shit, almost forgot...

Major Announcement

Once again, a Funky D appearance at the Ravari is CANCELLED. It looks like I will not be spinning May 31, as the Ravari booking folk are being shady lately, I guess, and started scheduling bands on Tuesdays instead of maintaining the fine tradition of Wicked Lung & Wookalar's Smell the Vinyl night. We'll see what unravels in the future, and I'll keep you posted.

Hot Damn

On Saturday night, Renkes and I travelled to Cleveland for a rockabilly (sorta) show of epic proportions. It was the release party for Atomic Horsepower, the new album from Cleveland's Capgun Cowboys. The Cowboys feature Phil Verhoef (on acoustic guitar and trombone), who is a frat brother of ours. Anyhoo, they rocked the Beachland Tavern mightily! Some old jams, and plenty of new jams. They featured a couple of guests, including an attractive "electric fiddle" player from Columbus. Great stuff. Before and after their set, The Pussyfoot Girls, a burlesque troupe from Cleveland, "entertained" by dancing to old rock songs and wearing weird skimpy outfits. The show was officially headlined by rockabilly superstar Deke Dickerson and his Ecco-phonics. He came in on a mini-bike, which was fucking awesome. They had a bunch of great songs, including a fine anti-vegetarianism tune called "What's That Cookin?," but sadly we had to leave early to get back to Bustown. Phil is moving out to LA very soon to become a doctor of some sort, so we're glad we caught him/them while we could.

Finally

A week ago, Andy, Dave and I caught what is likely to be the funniest live performance all year, anywhere. This, of course, was the fine touring bill of Neil Hamburger and Pleaseeasaur at Bernies. Wow. For an awesome writeup, please read Andy's account here. I will simply tell you that these two performers were both hilarious. I first heard of Neil Hamburger about 4 years ago, so this show was a long time coming (Chops and I thought about a Cleveland show last year, but it was too much). Oh yeah, Chops should have been there. FUCK OSU! Anyway, Neil did not disappoint. I had heard some of the jokes before, but seeing them in person more than made up for that. And Pleaseeasaur was just crazy. Lotsa costume changes, funny slides (what the hell is purling, anyway?), and wacky stage presence. Quote of the night: "Actually, I'm Michael W. Smith, and this song is called 'I Hate Dog Shit.'" Wow. Check out both of these acts sometime.

Well, successfully updated again. I'm contemplating buying a new computer, which would facilitate more consistent updating, so if any loyal fans wanna contribute financially to this effort, HOLLA AT A PLAYA!!! Also, for future planning, June 11th may end up being the rockinest day in the annals of rock, so be prepared. Still working on making this site more entertaining (and comment-inducing), so hold your heads!

It was all good just two weeks ago...

2005-05-17T22:30:00.000-04:00

Dayum. I hope you've enjoyed your two week vacation from this lonely blog. I've seen shows, been to places as far away as Washington, DC and Springfield, Ohio, and...other excitement. Actually, the real excitement is tomorrow night:

Neil Hamburger, "America's Funnyman," will be thrilling an audience of many, hopefully including Chops, Davekwon, and myself, at Bernie's Distillery here in Columbus. I can't think of a better place to see this show. Damn, it's gonna be awesome. And there's always the possibility of seeing Dick Dale on Thurs night. We'll see. Now...NEWS!!!

Return to the Ravari
Two weeks from tonight, Tuesday May 31st, I will be rocking the Ravari again with Wicked Lung & Wookalar. More funk, jazz, hip-hop, rock, and whatevz to be played. Be there, or DIE!

This Honky's Got Journalistic Integrity
Jeah. I'm now a "staff member" at The Vertical Slum, a fine Columbus-based music e-zine with record reviews and stuff. So check out the brand new TVS #9, This Monkey's Gone To Heaven, where the staff feature is little writeups on musicians who died before their time. My choice? Big L, of course. I also review the new Edan and By Divine Right (Ha! Got you good, you fucker!) albums, so check it out. I also have a snappy profile right here. Wow.

Showz
As mentioned two weeks ago, on the night of the 4th I wanted to see Electric Six and VHS or Beta at Skully's. I only managed to see VHS or Beta, and they rocked the faces of all, including Davekwon's (first time) and my own (umpteenth). Good ol Cinco de Cuatro. On Cinco de Mayo, I made it to Little Bros to see the end of the System Link MC Battle (Meta4ce didn't really win, him and Faus just decided to cypher at the end of their rounds and say fuck a battle). I also saw a set by Envelope & Amos Famous (though they rocked Fresh Prince beats, the crowd seemed disinterested) and an intimate set from Declaime/Dudley Perkins (w/J. Rawls on the decks) where he rapped and sang standing on the floor in front of 10-15 of us. Short, but cool.

Last Monday night Renkes and I got to see Garbage while I was covering the show for another music-type site here in town (Soon, allllll will be reveeeeeaaaaallllleed). Openers The Dead 60s were lame. Garbage did what they do, some sort of sultry despair, pretty well. More to come. I guess I didn't attend another show until Chops and I saw the grand Black Box event at Ruby Tuesdays on Saturday night. Many local bands rocked for a good cause.

0. Missed Times New Viking.
1. Arrived during Terribly Empty Pockets, they were good.
2. Heroes of History slayed everyone. Seriously though, as a hardcore Heroes fan (Kyle basically told me I was one, so there!), it was a good set and I liked the new material. Can't wait for the album!
3. The Blue Revision continued to slay.
4. Mors Ontologica crooned and careened aboot, unleashing their horn(y) rock upon us.
5. Necropolis' set was the best I'd ever seen from them. I was unimpressed the last time, but this time I was rocked into submission.
6. El Jesus de Magico rocked another quirky set. Maybe not as good as the Bring It! set, but still good.

Rants
1. Fuck Ticketmaster. I just got tickets for my cousin and I to see Modest Mouse and Camper van Beethoven at Promowest in June. The tickets were $25 a piece, which was bad enough. But the service charges, when I even avoided another charge for having printable tickets??? $17.50. Daaamn, that's some shit. Say it with me kids: MO-NO-PO-LY.

2. Fuck "Insider" Bars. I went to a certain bar near 5th and High Sunday night to see a band that includes a friend of mine. I had confirmed the show an hour earlier. Well, I got there, and there was no music on and nothing being set up. Also, the 6 or so staff and regulars drinking at the bar and watching TV gradually turn around to stare at me. Stupid. It turns out that the band decided not to show (probably due to the fact that there were no other bands slated to play with them), the bartender told me nicely. But everyone else there acted like I was a big intrusion on their (likely) paid night of "working" or hanging out, just because I showed up to a show that had been cancelled minutes before and that I should obviously be aware of. Stupid.

Now I feel better. I'll try to update more often. Pinky swear.

Like a boss

2005-05-03T21:20:00.000-04:00

What up, bredren? Chillin, chillin. Things are pretty good ova here. I should be seeing Electric Six and VHS or Beta at Skullys tomorrow night, and the System Link MC battle featuring performances by Envelope and Dudley Perkins/Declaime (!?!?!?!?!?!) at Little Brothers on Thursday, so that will be a good setup for my weekend in DC! Good times. And oh yeah, here's some quick music discoveries, courtesy of my quarterly stop at Borders: Waylon Jennings has a son named Shooter who released an album two months ago called Put the "O" Back in Country. Awesome. Because life is fucking hard, the listening station at Borders, Amazon, and All Music (OK, maybe the last two are this computer's fault) have thwarted me in my attempts to sample this album, so maybe someday I'll hear it. Fuck. And oh yeah, Special Ed and US3 appear to have come out with albums in the past year. Goooood.

This Computer/The Internet Are Sapping My Soul

On Saturday, Andy and I attended the Blue Revision Release Party for Day Terrors at Cafe Bourbon Street. A bunch of other bands opened, but all we caught were the headliners and part of Times New Viking's set, which was aiight. Blue Revision rocked pretty hard. Their sound is a sort of dark rock, with some electronics and whatnot. They can rock pretty hard, just give em a chance. I'm listening to the rekkid right now, and it's pretty good. Bustown what!?

Wednesday, Todd and I went down to ye olde Promowest Pavilion for Muse and Razorlight. Way too many youngsters whose rocksticles have yet to drop attended the show, dammit. Oh well, it was fun. Razorlight was kinda lame. The band did nothing too exciting, and the music made me think of O'Springsteen lite at times. Also, the lead singer's mic blew and everyone involved seemed unable to solve this problem (like, you know, use another mic!), which didn't help. Luckily, Muse came on and rocked faces! They played the hits, and other stuff, and just unleashed an emotional maelstrom of moody rawk. I liked it.

Tuesday, Ashley, Andy and I ventured to the new Maximillian'z on Bethel for local faves The New Basics Brass Band. The boys rocked the place hard with horn funk, as they always do. They should be dropping an album in June sometime, according to their website, so check it out!

So I think I hit .500 for Aprock. Pretty good, if I may say so myself. Well, I'm tired and my technological hatred is welling up within me, so I suppose I should get out of here. I should be writing for some of them websites sometime soon maybe, so I'll keep y'all posted. Rock.

"And watch me break em with the 7, 7-11, 7-11, 7 even back door Little Joe"

2005-04-25T21:40:00.000-04:00

Though that title is in reference to the seven shows I saw in an eleven day period, it also works because it comes from "It Was a Good Day" by Ice Cube, a classic song that samples what could be an even better song, "Footprints Part 1 & 2" by the Isley Brothers, a fact I discovered on Thursday and a tune Chops and I have been humming since. It is also a tune that our new band, The Funky Beer Situation, will be learning and then pounding into the funky ground. I got a bari sax bitch, look out!

Cuz I'm Fast (Fast) Like Deion Sanders...
On Wednesday the 13th, Tom (from work), Davekwon and I went to Little Brothers for Living Legends (sans Murs), J-Live, Pigeon John, the Lab Rats, and DJ Derek Johnson, who opened things up with downtempo dopeness. The Lab Rats hit it quick and hard, and we all got free EPs. Umar Bin Hassan (of the Last Poets and the new Common single, "Corners," which he performed part of) hosted the night, which was a pleasant surprise. Pigeon John was cool at first, but his energy and girl-problem-songs got tiresome. It was dope to finally see J-Live live, especially his scratch and rap at the same time trick. The Legends were also dope, though it was obvious that the tour was sponsored by the LRG clothing brand, as six of the eight folks onstage (7 MCs + 1 DJ) were visibly wearing the brand. Oh well, good show. A more detailed review was written and lost to the e-ages!

On Thursday the 14th, I went by my lonesome to the Thirsty Ear Tavern to see current jazz organ master Joey Defrancesco and his trio make a Bustown appearance. Good stuff, I thought his music might be a bit too schmaltzy for my tastes, but no, they rocked it pretty hard. His drummer, Byron "Wookie" Landham, is a monster. Joey recorded the album pictured above with Jimmy Smith just before he died and is touring in support of it. I don't have time for a major rant here, but he was charging $25!!! No way, there's always Amazon.

Tax Day meant my second Dirtbombs show in two weeks, this time at Little Brothers with Murder Your Darlings again and Columbus' Grafton. All the bands rocked hard, and I got a sweet poster made by local designers Enginehouse 13. The 'Bombs once again failed to play "I'm Through With White Girls," but since Andy didn't make it, it was only right. Adam and I rocked out quite well.

I returned to Little Brothers the next night with Andy for his uncle's band The Ritchey Brothers and The Spikedrivers. Good hippie dancin music. The Ritcheys rock some enjoyable old man jam-jams, and I recommend them to you!

Monday night (18th), Chops and I ventured to Lil Bros for The Apes' grand return to Columbus. We missed Meta4ce and showed up for the end of El Jesus de Magico's set, which was aiight. Then the Apes commenced to rock, weird 70s stylee. Amanda "Majestic Ape" is still hot, I had to add that. They had snappy homemade costumes. They kicked out some organ-bass jams, and the drummer is a fuckin' beast. The singer was in all white and caught the drummer in the head with a tambourine toss. Great stuff the Apes are.

4-20 was a busy night. I started out with my grand return (and likely farewell) to WCWS, 90.9 FM Wooster (Fuck some WOO 91 bullshit!) on Double Dee's show. Good times. Lotsa hip-hop, some African funk, some Out-hud, a lil something for everybody. Then I came back and made it to Lil Bros in time for The 45s, a fine garage rock band from Atlanta. They came out with all guns blazin, and kept it up. Awesome. Then I made it to System Link's "Hook and Sling" funk and soul dance party, which had sorta died but was still fonkay. Good night.

Featured Show of the Week

Saturday night, I managed to drag Renkes and Chops to Little Brothers (6 LB shows in 11 days) for Vertical Slum's Bring It!, which brought together four awesome Ohio rawk bands. El Jesus de Magico played my favorite set of theirs so far, and Dayton's Wet Leather rocked their sex rock jams well. Then, Cleveland's Roue hit the stage and melted faces with their heavy attack. Meanwhile, an uber-drunk douchebag in the audience was hitting the peak of his suckitude. Earlier, he had put a chair and a traffic cone onstage during the bands' sets. During Roue's set, he decided to start drinking the band's drinks. Boo. The lead singer noticed this and poured a drink on the guy's head. The drunk processed this for a second, and then threw his (and by his, I mean one of Roue's) beer bottle at the singer! What ensued was maybe my favorite Columbus rock moment ever. The lead singer flew off the stage and onto the idiot, laying the smack down before the fight was broken up and the dude was kicked out. Fuckin awesome. The set might have been a bit short, but it was great. The headliner, Cleveland's This Moment in Black History, then followed with some kickass spaz-punk-core something, which was awesome as usual. Great fucking rock show. Thanks to the Slum for a good time.

Damn, I'm done. Go listen to the new Edan album, Beauty and the Beat, and thank me later. Hopefully I'll finish "Ap(e)rock" strong. Peace in da middle east.

I got the internet goin nuts

2005-04-20T09:05:00.000-04:00

I barely know who this Paul Wall character is, but since that phrase seems to be the cat's patoot these days, there it is. Anyhoo, I, Andrew "Funky D" Patton, am making my grand return to the airwaves of Wooster, Ohio tonight. I will be making an appearance on ol' David "Double D" Drake's show on WCWS 90.9 FM from 8 to 10. I don't know what he's getting into these days, but there will be some hip-hop I'm sure. Since I'm pretty sure most of my audience is NOT in Wooster, tune in here. Otherwise, enjoy some more dated rock reviews. My goal is to be caught up by the weekend.

More like DAAAAMBQ!!!

Really, that's all I got. So let's pick up where we left off. On the 7th, I had a one man mission to check out the shows at the Bourb and Rubys. The main goals of the night were to see DMBQ (above) from Japan and Shell Shag from San Francisco at the Bourb and We March from Athens at Rubys. I started at Cafe Bourbon Street, where The Vulvonics opened. It turns out that they are made up of at least 50% Taco Ninja employees, so I guess Bourb gigs are easy to come by for them. They were OK, but a little too nonsensical for me. After their set, I came to the realization that Shell Shag had cancelled, which seemed very possible all along (NOTE: If any Shell Shag members or "support staff" are reading this, PLEASE do something about your web presence. In my fact-finding mission about this potential show, all of my various google searches could not come up with your site. Instead, I always found my own blog. Cool, but frustrating), so I dipped to Ruby Tuesdays. Originally, our beloved Heroes of History were on this bill, but had to cancel when the cat from hell mauled Kyle the drummer's hands and arms, causing him to pass out and not be able to hold drumsticks for a while. Fucking boo. They were hangin out though, which was cool. Mors Ontologica kicked out their usual saxy jams, which was nice. Sadly, the place kinda cleared out for We March, but they still melted faces. Dirty hardcore/metal action. I'm glad I finally got to see them. You should too, start here. Then I went back to the Bourb for DMBQ. Damn. Four Japanese folks: Three guys with long hair (bassist had a fro with lights coming out of it) and a female drummer. Loud, psychedelic, head-bangin, strangely ethereal jams. The last song seemed to be about 15 minutes. All of a sudden, the guitarist started breaking down the drum set piece by piece and setting it up at the bar. When he had the whole set over there, she started drumming at the bar. The rest of the band went behind the bar, poured her a beer, and she chugged it while everyone cheered. Now there's a show closer! Awesome. Pick up some of their tunes from Estrus or check out the band's site.

On Saturday the 9th, Adam (thanks again, dude!), Keith, April and I went to CD101 Day at Promowest. Local band The Shatters kicked things off, and rocked pretty hard. Adam thinks their drummer (and Promowest's buckets of beer) is/are awesome. Next up was Ash from across the pond somewheres. I don't know what you call this, hard pop or heavy plastic or something. Cuz those were some loud, heavy guitars for "pop." And the chick in the band was hot. I liked it. Then The Bravery came on and did their thing. Not too exciting, but hearing "An Honest Mistake" live was funny. Then, in a super-change-of-pace, Australian poppy troubadour Ben Lee came on with his band. Cheesy feelgood pop. Pretty lame, and I just kept wondering how this wuss ever managed to date Claire Danes. But it was a good setup for...The Dresden Dolls!!! Wow, we were floored by this one. The Boston cabaret pop duo (piano and drums) rocked! Now, their single "Coin-Operated Boy" has a very polar effect on people. Either you love it, or you hate it (or you love it, it drives you insane, and then you hate it). But they turned out to be much different than that song, and cranked out some angsty pop jams. After a fine rendition of their hit (including the rumored raunchy lyrics), they followed it up the only way they knew how...with a rocktastic cover of "War Pigs," muthafucka! Damn, I didn't think it was possible with piano and drums, but it really is. Awesome set. Then, Akron, OH's own The Black Keys rounded out the night with their ass-shakin' two-man garage-blues. Another great set from them. Excellent entertainment for $5.

On Monday the 11th, I spent six hours in and around the Newport checking out bass wonder Victor Wooten and his band. Woof. Since their new record, Soul Circus, came out on Tuesday, he decided they would play until midnight so they could officially sell the record. So it was a three-hour plus funk workout. And at one point he came out with 8 arms on his body. Serious band (still don't like those keyboards, eh), serious tunes. They won me forever by ending with covers of "Can't Hide Love" by Earth Wind & Fire (didn't know the artist/title until that night, now it's officially my favorite EWF song) and "If You Want Me To Stay" by Sly & the Family Stone. Funky music, good people. Check out the Soul Circus, y'all!

The music is rap, my favorite color is math.

BDP is definitely serious

2005-04-12T12:50:00.000-04:00

(NOTE: This was written on Friday. I'm having serious issues in getting time to type, so here's this stuff before it gets more dated. Enjoy!)

Or at least that's what ol' KRS is telling me right now. Somehow HHS got their shit together and got my big advance order of spring underground hip-hop hotness to me today. I got my Blueprint 1988 CD w/free DJ Rare Groove 1988 Live mix, which is what I'm bumpin' now, and a limited 45 of Printo interpreting some '88 classics: "Print is Goin Off"/"No Half Smokin'." Hot. I also received Edan's Beauty and the Beat w/free "Funky Rhyming" 45 and Tonedeff's Archetype w/free QN5 RMX No. 1 CD, and to reward me for all that, I also got HHS' latest double disc sampler, Preemptive Hype Vol. 6. Ha, "No Half Smokin'" is funny shit. So yeah, I got a lot of listening to do.

I'm talented, yes I'm gifted

On Tuesday night, I rocked the Ravari with Wicked Lung und Wookalar. Since they took March off, it was kinda dead on the first night back, but it was fun. Thanks to Tom (the BOMB), Beltz, Armond and his friend whose name I forgot, Adam, Kehn, Franz, Lucas, Angie, and Chops for showing their faces in the place(s). What did I play? I thought you'd never ask...

Set 1
Stark Reality - Rocket Ship
Connie Price & the Keystones - Sucker Punch
Soulive (remixed by Alan Evans) - S.O.U.L.I.V.E.
Blueprint - Trouble On My Mind
Eric B & Rakim - Paid In Full
MJG - Pimpin' Ain't Easy
Ohio Players- Pack It Up
Billy Brooks - Fourty Days
Thin Lizzy - Black Boys On The Corner
Cymande - Zion I
Fun Lovin' Criminals - Scooby Snacks (Rockamental Version)

Set 2
M.O.P. - Pounds Up
EPMD - It's My Thing
Lord Shafiyq - My Mic Is On Fire
Visionaries - If You Can't Say Love
Envelope - I'm Not Poor (I'm Just Broke)
Sly, Slick & Wicked - Sho' Nuff
Marvin Gaye - Trouble Man
Willie Henderson and the Soul Explosions - Soulful Football
Antibalas - Indictment
Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs - I Gotta Have It
Afrodisiac Sound System - Afroheat #2

Set 3
The Impossibles- Hot Pepper
Chico Hamilton - Big Noise From Winnetka
Jimmy Smith - Funky Broadway

Nobody beats the Biz, yo.

TUESDAY = JAMZ!!!

2005-04-03T18:25:00.000-04:00

I guess April 1 is a bad day for major announcements, along with being a bad time for people to die (R.I.P. Mitch Hedberg), so now it's April 3! Ha! Anyhoo, my postponed appearance at le Ravari Room is upon us. THIS TUESDAY, APRIL 5TH, 10:30 - ??? You should know where it is by now, and what kind of awesome jams will be played by Wicked Lung, Wookalar, and myself. I've been buying vinyl out the wazoo, so it's about time I get some use out of it. TUESDAY TUESDAY TUESDAY!!!

"This cat tried to battle, he didn't know me,
So I drowned him out with my tapes on Dolby!"

Word. Last night was the release party for 1988 by Columbus' own Blueprint at Little Brothers. I had to roll solo, but it was still cool. Envelope was the emcee of the festivities, which gives me a good prompt to mention that the release party for his debut full-length, Insignificant Anthems, will be held May 13th at the High Five, with El Jesus de Majico and hip-hop/funk DJs. Finally! First up was Spitball, which was entertaining business as usual. Then came 8076, the seldom-seen duo of Illogic and DJ Walter Rocktight. It seems that they also have a Weightless album coming out "soon," so hopefully by the end of the year. Anyway, the set was a mix of Illogic's more poetic-stuff and the Rocktight-influenced party kinda stuff, so it was good (wow, I'm an eloquent motherfucker). Then Blueprint came out with DJ Rare Groove, both dressed in Adidas gear to celebrate the year of honor, and rocked faces. He performed a good amount of the stuff off the new album, but also some Soul Position material and other jams. Fess (Print's partner in Greenhouse Effect) came out to rock a couple songs, including their interpolation of "Shook Ones, Part II," which was sweet. The set ended with some not-originally-planned songs, including "Big Girls Need Love Too" from the new album, screamed for by Sara of Fat Girls by the Snack Table, which was awesome. Twas an entertaining show.

"UNNNNNNNNNDERRRRRRDOGGGGGGGGGG"

Yes, Andy and I made the trek to the Beachland Tavern in Cleveland on Friday night to see the best live rock band in the land, The Dirtbombs. As usual, they did not disappoint. First up was Dayton's Murder Your Darlings, which was basically the perfect hard rock set. As Nappius and I discussed later, there are many terms that get bandied about for loud, heavy rock, but the sound that these four dudes emitted Friday night was exactly what I wanted to hear when I was prepared for "hard rock" or "heavy metal." Awesome. Also, we realized that the lead singer works the door at Little Brothers (he was doing so the next day), and he is a nice guy when you're not the next idiot in line to get in the door and you are instead praising his band. Next up was The Drop Dead Sons, who rocked some organ garage rock with a two-screen movie display behind them. One side was 1960s era movie trailers running in reverse, including some awesome titles including "How To Commit Marriage" and "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight." The other screen had old footage of weird documentaries and vintage stunts, which was funny. Oh yeah, there was vintage wrestling footage at the onset, killer. The band rocked, but Andy and I were much too distracted by the screens to pay too much attention. Finally, Detroit's Dirtbombs came on to kill shit. The usual lineup was slightly altered, with bassist Troy Gregory absent and Deanne Iovan, lead singer of The Come-Ons, filling in for him. Of course, Troy sings "I'm Through With White Girls," so we didn't hear it again. Maybe next time. Otherwise, they played all the requisite jams, and some catchy new ones. Then I laid down some scrilla on flashy new recordings. Damn. Helluva time.

On Wednesday, I walked over to Casa Gameboy here in Clintonville to see the Fred Lonberg-Holm Trio. Lonberg-Holm has orchestrated string sections on some Wilco albums, along with some other bands, so that's cool. He played cello, and was joined by a bassist and a drummer. Quite the interesting set. They only played about 40 minutes, which consisted of two songs. The first one was a half-hour jam, which included alot of weird and alot of groove. I guess at least part of it was a Rahsaan Roland Kirk song, which was noted by one of the audience members between songs. All members of the trio played some "freak out" parts (my term) at times, but the drummer was the freakiest. He had a bunch of small cymbals and things, but the coolest was some sort of reed that he would wet with his fingers and then move his fingers down it on top of the snare to make noise. Interesting. The second song was simply the best cover of 1960s pop tune "Forever My Love" EVAR. A nice long groove, with a smattering of avant-garde. Good times. Check out this site for more info on Gameboy Records.

Well, that's all he wrote. Come to the Ravari on Tuesday, maybe Little Bros on Weds for another System Link hip-hop smorgasbord, and Ruby Tuesdays and/or Cafe Bourbon St on Thursday for shows mentioned in the comments below. ROCK!!!

A shot of conviction to the neck

2005-03-26T00:22:00.000-05:00

Yes, as I said last time, a grand era in Patton family car history is over. And, for the record, Abele was slightly wrong, or at least inexhaustive, in one of his grand remembrances of the Goose. My clearest, most awesome memory of that mystery guy in the Hardees drive thru was the time that they were out of ketchup packets, and we NEEDED ketchup. So he took a small styrofoam container and filled it with ketchup. It was the best fast-food service ever. Anyway, the car pictured above is my new car, a silver 2001 Toyota Camry LE (kinda). Its lack of character (compared to the immense presence of The Goose) has already been lamented, but just call it the Silver Stallion and you'll get used to it, OK? Good.

Man, you know I was there!

The Apollo Sunshine Express hit Little Brothers Wednesday night, and despite other tempting options (well, one, the Hella show), I could not resist seeing the Boston boys for the seventh time. I arrived during local band Twin Cam's set, and I enjoyed their power-pop-rock 'n roll. Greenlawn Abbey, a Columbus band led by that tall guy I often see at shows, was also good rockins. It was good to see both of these bands for the first time. Apollo Sunshine has added a fourth member (that guy in the back of the picture above) named Sean, and he seems to be pretty talented in the ol' "I'll trade this here guitar for that there bass if you play vibes and you kick the steel geetar" scheme of things. It was my first time hearing their new material, and it rocked. Lots more quirky rock songs, and folky rock songs, and rocky rock songs. There was a decent crowd there, and folks were having a good time, even when commanded to dance. I think the reason that I like this band alot and have seen them 7 times finally hit me (literally): You can tell they have a strong sense of conviction about their music. They really mean it. Maybe that's bullshit, but I think it's true. Anyhoo, the highlight for me was when the last song ended and Jeremy's drumstick flew out of his hand and hit me in the neck! Well, I guess that's not a real highlight, but it's a cool souvenir. And oh yeah, Don B (Batman guy) sang both "Batman" and "Louie Louie" with the guys, and Jesse reminisced about him singing "Batman" at their first Columbus gig at Bernie's three years ago. Good show indeed.

Wow, I guess rock has been slow as of late. When your #1 rockin' sidekick is on the DL (not down low, the REAL DL), it gets tough. Chops and I have rocked "Funky Thursdays" at the Ravari Room the last two weeks, and it's been hot. Mikey G, RawDog, & The Latino Pimp have been cookin with gas! They seem to be doing lots of Thursdays, like next week, so give 'em a shot!

Song of the Week

Crown Royals - "All Night Burner," All Night Burner

Estrus Records isn't known as the home of funky soul, but some vintage Crown Royals tunes are pretty funky. Greasy modern organ funk is always a welcome thing.

Well, that's about all I got. If you have any suggestions to liven up this fair blog, or something that would encourage some sort of dialogue, I'm all ears.

You Thought All Those Other Deaths Were Bad...

2005-03-17T21:50:00.000-05:00

R.I.P. "The Grey Goose," 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera, 1986-2005

Yeah, Happy St. Patty's Day. Above is a likeness (not an actual photo) of my beloved car of the past four years. Over the weekend, some fuckhead (much like his fuckhead ancestor of two years ago - Darwin is still trying to work with the fuckheads) tried to steal my car. Yes, that car. I guess it is popular for parts, since there are still millions of the same/similar cars on the road. Anyway, they ruined the steering column and it turned out that the cost of repairing the column was more than the determined value of the car...so it's totaled. The value was found to be $825, which I thought was pretty good, and I will end up with about $780. I saw it for the last time yesterday, which was pretty sad. I will have many fond memories of that car (and some not-so-fond ones) for a long time. Feel free to post your memories of the Grey Goose below, OK?

Rockzilla!
Last night, System Link put on another awesome event, basically a dance party starring J. Rawls and Dante Carfagna behind the wheels of steel. Davekwon and I went out and rocked it hard. As usual, Numeric, Ginsu, & Detox kicked off the festivities with jams we really didn't hear. J. Rawls, of Lone Catalysts and his own solo albums fame, spun a great set of classic/current hip-hop. The rather solid crowd was getting into it, which was awesome to see. There was a large population of b-boys at the show (Street Symphony performed some breakin routines between sets, watch video here), and they were obviously enjoying the jams. Then Dante came on and played some serious funk, which was to be expected. It was another cool System Link event, and there seem to be more to come.
On Monday, I made an appearance at Cafe Bourbon Street as Cool Brother Kyle, aka Kyle, owner of Lost Weekend, the coolest record store within walking distance, was spinning records with Captain Lonesome. I'm jealous of the fact that Kyle has an early-'80s reissue of Capsoul Records' greatest hits, and started out his set with everyone's favorite song, "Sock It to Em, Soul Brother," by Bill Moss. Good times.
On Saturday, Renkes, Chops, and I caught some of Formerly Quarters' set at Larry's, and it was a rockin' good time. They definitely impressed me alot more than the last time. Some smokin covers and some meaty originals. Now that's a solid rock band.

When Your Roots Attack...

Yeah, let's hope this is good. I think some Norwegian deathjazz should get me going, along with whatever the hell Fevergreens by fellow Norwegian Jono El Grande (yes Abele, of course I bought it for the name) is. Those two should show up tomorrow.

Well, keep drinking green beer for another few hours, because it's only Friday tomorrow, and Fridays are (or should be) easy.

Chris Abele: The man, the myth, the legend

2005-03-10T20:48:00.000-05:00

(NOTE: Don't worry, the week in rock was indeed reviewed. Please read this first, however, then return to reading below about rock you don't care about.)

FUCK THE ASTROS (PITCH TO BONDS)!!!!!
FUCK MICHAEL SCHUMACHER!!!!!

Christopher John Abele was once my roommate. Back in our college days, we shot the shit, him talking incessantly about auto racing and me talking incessantly about music. Then we went to Backyard Burger (R.I.P., in Wooster at least) or Hardees. Ah, those were the days. Now he lives in L.A. with his feet up, racing his go-kart and drinking Ravenswood wine. In the immortal words of Hepcat, "No worries, man, no worries." Must be nice. Of course, I think he still likes Jet, so I guess we can't all be perfect. So this post is dedicated to Chris Abele, because he won a contest on this here blog and because..."DAT'S MY ROOOOOMMMAAAAAAATE!!!!!"

I don't have Bad Mattitude

2005-03-10T20:15:00.000-05:00

Don't you wish you were here? Well, except for the wall of snow that remains in place, growing stronger brick by brick. Shit, hold on. That's better. What's up, peeps? I hope no one showed up at the Ravari Tuesday night, only to realize the distinct lack of my presence. Actually, if anyone reading this was there, what happened? Entertainment? I'm curious. I'm scheduled to make my triumphant Ravari return on Tuesday, April 5, so get ready. And CD101 Day sold out. Boo.

Your Mom!!!!!
Yes, the triumphant sounds of me requesting my favoritest Heroes of History song rang through the biker-filled expanse of Whiskey Dick's last night. The Heroes played a fine set of their hard rock magic, and just when we thought it was over, the boys in Mors Ontologica begged them for more. Of course, I seized the moment, and Pat ended up re-learning "Your Mom" to splendid results. Hopefully, once the album comes out, the guys will come through on a follow-up EP with softer stuff like that gem. Dave and I stayed for the first set of Mors, which was pretty snazzy too. I bought their vinyl-only (well, vinyl and download-only) album Don't Cry, which should be pretty sweet. Rocktastic.

Wow. On Sunday night, I went down to the Newport to see Matisyahu, the Hasidic Reggae superstar! As you can imagine, this was a pretty unique show. To quote his website, "With his long beard and black hat, this 24-yr-old lyricist, MC, and beatboxer is a singular performer, whose power, poetry, and skills combine the sounds of Bob Marley and Shlomo Carlebach, yet remaining wholly original." Crazy. His band kicked out reggae jams while he sang and chanted and rapped and beatboxed and all that. Sweet stuff. I'd say that the crowd was close to half-Jewish, with a large portion of the remainder being barely interested OSU kids who were there from some Community Fest. Though I can't identify with the religious beliefs, I could definitely feel the love in the room.
Friday night was cra-zayyyyy. Dubbed the "Pisces Crisis," this High Five shindig was a joint birthday party for Envelope, his DJ Amos Famous, and a bunch of other folks. It sold out and was supposedly the highest money-making show for the High Five ever, or under the current management, or something spectacular. First up was rapper Bru Lei (well, after the DJing of DJ True Skillz, with the funkiest crates this side of Poughkeepsie) with DJ Pos2 on the wheels. He tore shit up as usual, what can I say? Then Dove !nk label head Eyamme came on with his MC Davu from Pittsburgh. Good jazzy hip-hop, I was diggin' it. Then, in a much-discussed lineup decision, local punk 'n rollers Tree of Snakes commenced to kick ass for an extended period of time. I love those guys, so it was great for me, and I sang and moshed as best I could. Finally, Envelope and Jamos Famous killed it. The new jams sound pretty hot. Unfortunately, the album has been delayed by the boys' transition from local label Dove !nk to local label Weightless, but it should be out in the next few months. I'll start up another countdown as soon as I know what I'm counting to. Good shit indeed.
On Wednesday, Todd and I made it to Skully's for the CD101 VHS or Beta Low Dough show. It took forever to get started, but around 10:15, locals Manda & the Marbles began their set. It was my first time seeing them, and I wasn't too impressed. Their sound reminded me of Gwen Stefani singing for Cyndi Lauper's backup band on happy pills. OK, but boring fast. But Todd's fellow Louisvillains ("I mean, what do I call them? Guami Bears? Guambats? The Guamish?") eventually burst forth with those dancin new wave jams. They did finally have a guy playing keyboards, so I think I finally got to hear a song or two from Le Funk, but as those songs aren't super-distinctive, I'm not completely sure. Good times though. They're opening for Duran Duran when they come through the Bus, should be sweeet, haha.

"...And the power's out in the heart of man..."

Yes, I gave in today and bought Funeral by Arcade Fire off my cousin for $8.50 (it was brand new). And it's pretty sweet. Lots of strings 'n things, lots of emotion, and the occasional dose of rock. Those Canadians can do anything, can't they? Just like I can finally be cool in 2004......dammit.

Well, that's all for this post. There should be excitement this weekend, with lotsa old Scots wandering around. Catch ya on the flipside.

ABORT!!! ABORT!!!

2005-03-08T14:25:00.000-05:00

I just found out that I will NOT be DJing tonight. I guess Wookalar had butt surgery, and is taking the month of March off. I guess I'm first on the list for the month of April, so I will let you know what's up as soon as I know.

CANCELLED Tuesday, March 8th, Ravari Room, 10:30 - ??? CANCELLED

"Well, I guess I was hungry for stink..."

2005-03-02T19:55:00.000-05:00

The lesson for the week is: Humor is about both funny material and audience. Just remember that. Anyhoo, I hope you had a good weekend. Chris Abele did indeed win the latest uncared-about trivia challenge, but his mighty reward of a post dedicated entirely to him is still in the works. I'll shoot for next week sometime. And I did find the best piece of vinyl ever on Saturday at Sour Records in Westerville...but you'll have to hit Ravari next week to find out what it is.

Blam!!!

The Octopus Project attacked the High Five again last night, and it was awesome. Yvonne's theremin playing is fucking tremendous. Lotsa jams, and instrument-switching, and hinting at Usher songs, and other blizznazz. I definitely recommend their instrumental-electronica-rock for all! Locals The Patsys came on before, and were OK. It was weird to have them on the bill, because they are a straight-ahead rock band, but whatever. First up was Soft Top Jeep, which was two skinny guys "singing" weird electro-rock songs about Melissa Etheridge having cancer and then butt-dancing to "Drop It Like It's Hot." Weird, but they (with a decent legion of friends in the audience) would have been a much better lead-in to the headliner than the Patsys. Oh well, good timez.
I saw/heard bits of Trapper John and Junior High Mustache on Saturday at Andyman's Treehouse and Postal Friday at Ravari, but not enough of any to warrant a report. Keep rockin', boys.
Thursday's show at Cafe Bourbon Street was pretty sweet. Wet Leather (Dayton) opened up with some good rockin stuff. Hard for me to describe right now, but they brought it, don't you worry. And it's always good to see a fellow College of Wooster grad bringin the rock, just like The Unpossibles or that other band. Then Enemy Love from Boston came on with some bombastic keyboard-punk or something that rocked the house. And the chick was kinda hot too. Davekwon showed up during their set, which was awesome. Unfortunately, I could not stay for Times New Viking, but I'm sure they were cool too.

Song of the Week

"Kitchen" - Sex Mob, Dime Grind Palace, Ropeadope Records, 2003

I got this album for a song at Sour Records on Saturday, and this jam just reached out and smacked me. Funkiest beat for a weird-jazz song ever! Great stuff.

Well, that's about all I got. Don't worry, Abele-love is just around the corner. So is VHS or Beta, who I'm seeing at Skully's tonight with Todd from work. Rawk! More rocking to happen this weekend, including Envelope's jam at the High Five on Friday and Matisyahu, The Hasidic Reggae Superstar, at the Newport on Sunday. See ya there!

Anutha Funky D Invazion!!!

2005-02-23T20:40:00.000-05:00

My agent had some time to do some booking for me last night, so he got me another Ravari Room gig!!! I will be spinnin' vinyl gems again on Tuesday night, March 8th, starting around 10:30. It should be a good time as always, so come on out and reprazent! I think I'm proclaiming today "Spell Like Onyx In Their Heyday Day." It's already awesome.

Dropping like flies!!!

Reggie Roby, an awesome NFL punter from 1983 to 1999, died today of unknown causes. He was 43. You can read the story here. February is becoming a rough month, ya know?

A year ago, a friend of mine...
...scoffed at me for my desire to have a blog. It's been a year now (the first post was February 19, 2004), and he no longer cares one way or the other. Haha. Seriously though, this bloggin stuff ain't half bad. Thanks to all the people who have read so far, and love to the select few who have commented. It's not too late to join this elite circle (wink wink, nudge nudge). I'm no Grand Lord Nappius, who is constructing such a massive recap that he's allowing me to post mine first and pretend like I had a blog before he did, MWAHAHAHA!!! (I'm sure it'll be a doozy, Nappy!) I'm just gonna say thanks, and keep on rockin'. I suppose I could have used this opportunity to launch some new links and whatnot, but I guess that'll have to wait. However, to celebrate this occasion, I need to have a giveaway. The first person who can tell me the hip-hop group, whom were popular in the mid-80s, that I alluded to in the title of this little blurb wins...AN ENTIRE POST DEDICATED TO THEMSELVES, COURTESY OF ME!!! WHAT A PRIZE!!!!!

Breaking News
CD101 hyped a major concert announcement for yesterday afternoon, and I should have figured it would have been details for CD101 Day, the annual cheap shindig that CD101 throws to celebrate the 101st day of the year (though this year the jam's on the 99th day)! The headliner so far is The Black Keys, and the lineup also includes The Dresden Dolls, The Bravery, and Ash. April 9th at Promowest, 5 bones (damn near double that with Ticketshitter charges). Sorry, Medeski Martin & Wood, when you're competing by offering one band (I think) for $20, it ain't gonna happen.

Show of the Year?

Wow. On Saturday night, Andy and I went to Wooster, where we (eventually) met up with Dusty, Sanz, Danny, and Mikhail (I think), and we ventured to Cleveland to see the awesomeness that is Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings. Damn (it's hot)!!! That was my fifth Daptone Records (check em out here) show, and I think it was my favorite. It was the last night of their tour, and Sharon wasn't lying when she promised they would give everything they had left. Sharon was sweating her way out of her dress and the band was just kickin ass left and right! I was standing in the very front, against the stage, which was awesome. Near the beginning, she was singing to me with one arm around my shoulders! She was definitely right when she said I was scared. Near the end of the show, she had Dusty come on stage and dance with her, which was sweet too. There were four different audience members onstage during the show! Of course, the self-proclaimed "Hoochie Coochie Man" was the king of them all, singin to Sharon and dancin with his wife. They performed some of the old favorites, and alot of stuff from the recently-released Naturally, including the inexplicably funky cover of "This Land is Your Land." Wow, that was a great show. I see that they are listing a Toledo show on 4-20; what better way to celebrate Andy's favorite stoner convention? I mean seriously, I kinda wanna go.

Of course, other rock is not very memorable now. On Friday night, I went by myself to Cafe Bourbon Street for The Lost Sounds, with The Feelers and The Bravado. The Bravado opened; they were OK. I would describe them as a three-piece Bob Log III with more keyboard and greasy 80s, and less blues and rock. But not bad. Memphis' Lost Sounds played second, and kicked out some rockin' keyboard-punk-somethingorother. Freaky good time music. The Feelers closed out with a mildly rockin punk set, but I think I liked them better before at Bernies (who woulda thunk?), oh well. Good timez.

I did it myyyyyyy waaaaaaayyyyyyy
Last night I went with some folks to Restaurant Silla for some fine Korean food and ended up making my debut KARAOKE appearance! As I'm no musical wuss, here are the meaty selections that I sunk my teeth into:

"Suspicious Minds" (Elvis)
"Hey Ya" (duet w/Lee, longest "shake it" section of that song EVER) (Outkast)
"Hangin' Tough" (New Kids On The Block) (Fuckin' right!)
"Holy Diver" (Dio)
"Walk" (Pantera) (R.I.P.)
"We Are The Champions" (Queen)

Helluva time. I might have to start sangin' karaoke more often...

Man, I need my own computer, so I can work on these things more often. Oh well. Keep a lookout for the jams, which could be on and poppin this weekend. I wanna go to Cafe Bourbon St Thursday night for Enemy Love (Boston), Wet Leather (Dayton), and Times New Viking (here). I found out that Wet Leather includes a 2001 Wooster grad, so that would be interesting to see. Go Scots! The weekend is up for grabs. But I'm sure it'll be fun. Oh yeah, shit...

Song of the Week

"New Slang" - The Shins, Oh, Inverted World

Nothing's really jumping out at me today, so...I figured I'd be a lame white kid in 2005 and laud some more praise on the Shins. This song is awesome though. Imjussayinisall.

While we're at it...

2005-02-15T22:19:00.000-05:00

Let's remember another all-time great, shall we? In what was universally heralded as the most talked-about death of the '90s (by universally I mean "Davekwonally"), Harlem rapper Big L died six years ago today.

In memoriam, I'm playing Lifestyles Ov Da Poor and Dangerous, his only studio album, as I write this. A master of punchlines and larger-than-life street talk. "If rap was a game I'd be M.V.P. - The most valuable poet on the M.I.C." R.I.P.

Planz
The KOV+1-1 could be venturing to a hip-hop/crap night at NYOH's Wednesday night, if only for an hour and a half of classic hip-hop and affordable beverages.
Friday night is wide-open at this point. I thought there was a Tiger Tiger/Lab Rats show at Scarlet & Grey Cafe, but that does not appear to be the case. Sooo, there's a show at Cafe Bourbon Street featuring The Lost Sounds which is looking pretty strong at this point.
Alls I know for sure is that a 6 man posse will be overtaking Cleveland Saturday night for Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings. Damn it's gonna be awesome. Saturday (February 19th) happens to be the one year anniversary of this assed-out blog, so hopefully I will commemorate this fact (and the anniversary show) with a nice post on Monday.

Oh yeah, I went to some shows...
Last night, due to unfortunate circumstances, I rocked a 5+ hour hip-hop adventure by myself, but it was rather fun. It started with an in-store appearance by Hangar 18 at Magnolia Thunderpussy. There were no mics to be found (I did go and get mine, but they decided not to use it), so Wind 'n Breeze and Alaska rocked the beat without 'em. Wes managed to get a crowd in there by recruiting drunk girls who, though very annoying, did seem to get the rapsters in the mood. It was a up close and personal, one-of-a-kind performance that was fun to watch. It definitely gave me more appreciation for the MCs interwoven wordplay, especially on "Saved By the Beezy." After that wrapped up (or the store closed), I walked across the street to Little Bros for the actual show. It was probably the best-paced hip-hop show I've ever seen, or at least in a long time, as the locals started at 10 and the whole thing was over at 1. After some spinnin by Numeric, there was a scratch-tastic set by Ginsu and Ndcent with some MC assistance from Chase Manhatten. Pretty nice. Then came probably the best set of the night, courtesy of One Be Lo and DJ/MC Majestik Legend. One Be Lo's new album, S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M., just dropped, and he did alot of new jams. It was tremendous. Just beat after beat and rhyme after rhyme. He's definitely good at the conscious-yet-streetwise hip-hop style. See him live whenever you can (Maybe he'll show up at Blueprint's release party April 2nd???), you'll thank me later. Then the Hangar came on and kicked it. They were definitely having a good time, and so was I. The funniest moment was when Alaska announced that it was t-shirt giveaway time. DJ Big Wiz (or whatever, he's on tour for DJ PAWL) dropped the beat for "Whoa," and the crowd was made to compete to see who was loudest by yelling "Shirt" in place of "Whoa" to win the shirt. Hilarious. The set was just about an hour of awesomeness. Great use of my otherwise pointless Valentine's Day.

Sunday night, I think I caught the first installment of Park Street Tavern's (formerly the 5:01 Jazz Bar) Sunday Night Jazz Series. Postal kicked some ass with their new school attack. Good organ/keyboard, sax, drums (nice use of cymbals), and a guy sitting in the bar came on all of a sudden to rock the t-bone quite well. Good early show.

Jason, Dave, Andy and I only saw one band Friday night, but my did it count! We saw Electric Grandmother at Cafe Bourbon Street, which was actually one guy with pre-programmed keyboard beats, a projector, and plenty of songs about...80's sitcoms!!! Definitely the finest sitcomcore I've ever witnessed, haha. Not exactly a high-brow affair, but definitely very enjoyable. Then we ran for the hills.

Man, I gotta quit going to so many shows...or post more often. Every time I write, by the time I'm done with show reviews, I'm tired of writing or I have something else to do. Oh well. How about a quick new feature?

Song of the Week!!!

"Alive and Amplified" - Mooney Suzuki, Alive and Amplified
To me it sounds like a glam-rock party with a Sleepy Brown/Outkast hook grafted onto it. Look out for this one on CD101 or your local jam-receptacle.

That's enough. In the immortal words of my soon-to-be 60 years old father, "Have a nice weekend."

R.I.P. Jimmy Smith, 1928-2005

2005-02-09T22:12:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a sad day, as it marked the passing of Jimmy Smith, the primary man responsible for the popularity of the Hammond Organ in jazz music. He died in his sleep in Phoenix, at the age of 76, and you can read a news story here from our good friends at MTV. He was responsible for countless organ classics throughout the 50s and 60s, and though the quality of his output seemed to decline in the 70s and onward, he kept on churning out the jams. Chops and I reminisced with these two gems last night:

Root Down is a live jazz classic that everyone should own (I think the Beastie Boys agree), with that cover of "Let's Stay Together" that comes damn close to the power of the original. I wish I had gotten a chance to see him play, like my dad, who was lucky enough to see him when he was at Wooster in the 60s. Damn. I don't have much more to say, I just know he'll always be the king of jazz organ. R.I.P.

On to lighter news: My second review for Swizzle-Stick.com is finally up!!! I Want to Live a Peaceful Life by The Holy Sons is a helluva album, and you can read my thoughts on it here.

Remember that last post where I laid out four shows I was going to attend? Well, I only went one for four, though the weekend was still a good time. Wednesday night, however, I did make it to the 2005 Columbus Beat Battle at Little Brothers, where I met up with Andy and Dave. The amount of Columbus (and Ohio) dudes with beats is crazy. This guy named J-Swift won it all, though I'm just going on the word of everyone else because it finished super late. Spitball also kicked it live as part of the festivities, and it was quite enjoyable. SYSTEM LINK produced another hip-hop smorgasbord, and look out for the next one on March 16th with DJing by Dante Carfagna and J. Rawls!!! Should be a helluva time.

I had a bunch of music-related things kicking around to tell y'all about, but I think I'm gonna save those for later (and try and remember some of them). Right now it's time to dig this out:

Peace.

My nuts don't dance...

2005-02-01T18:45:00.000-05:00

They just write these dumb blog entries for me. Isn't that nice of them? What's happenin, y'all? The utter blog-frenzy caused by my latest DJ appearance has definitely died down, so it's time to post again. Wooster was crazy fun this weekend, as those kiddies always show this old man a good time, or something like that. The Royal Rumble was watched Sunday night at Nappy's (once I woke up), and Batista kicked ass like you knew he would. So now he can have a big dramatic loss at Wrestlemania. Huzzah. Now for some...

Upcoming SHOWZZZ!!!
Wednesday, Feb 2nd: 2005 Columbus Beat Battle hosted by SYSTEM LINK (Numeric & Ginsu), with a performance by Spitball @ Little Brothers. Beatmakers are coming from all over the place to see who has the best! Andy and I should be there, will you?
Thursday, Feb 3rd: Not sure if I'm doing anything, but Sundresses/Mors Ontologica/The Bravado @ Ruby Tuesdays sounds pretty sweet, don't you think?
Friday, Feb 4th: Freekbass & New Basics Brass Band @ Little Brothers, which would be extra dope to see!!!

Saturday, Feb 5th: Very up in the air, but if I end up at a show Saturday night, I want it to be the Tiara/Miranda Sound Split Album Release Party @ Little Brothers with DJ Riko & The Killionaires, sponsored by good ol' Donewaiting (check out the flyer, y'all. I would put it on the page, but it is much too huge).

Past SHOWZZZ!!!
On Friday night, my cousin Nate, my friend Todd, and I saw Mitch Hedberg at the Mershon. He was pretty damn funny, as was his raunchy first opener, Rob somethingorother. Ol' Mitch appeared to be eight sheets to the wind, but he kept going (while leaning against a curtain, lighting a pipe and then putting it into his pocket, and telling jokes from behind the curtain, amongst other things) and did a good job. Comedy is hard for me to write about, so let's just say it was funny!
On Thursday night, Andy and I made it to the 2nd Anniversary Party for the Taco Ninja at Cafe Bourbon Street (home of the Ninja). Of course, Jason let Andy try a "pinch of the Bear," which soon put young Nappy to bed. Like he already said, don't dip, kids! The openers were The Spikedrivers, a damn awesome rockin' bluegrass band that you need to see sometime! Then the poisonous duo of Wicked Lung & the Wookalar came on to wreck shit. They played some new songs, which were rather sweet (Look out, look out, look out, my teeth are falling out!), of course. For the last half of the set, they kicked into their DEATH METAL set, which I was seeing for the first time. Pretty damn entertaining, if you ask me. Sure, it's just them screaming demonically (BEASTMASTER!!!) over metal-looped beats, but doesn't that sound like enough for you??? Good times, even with the early retiring of the Nap.

Well, I hate to run, but...I must. Let's see a show together this week, huh?

"And my FUNKY daggers pierce your heart..."

2005-01-26T20:10:00.000-05:00

Yes indeedily doodily, I played some rekkids at the Ravari Room again last night. Muchas gracias a Andy, Ashley, Franz, Lucas, Adam, Lee, Gina, and last but not least, Mr. Andrew Beltz (who wins the 2nd Smell the Vinyl Support Team MVP simply for showing his face), for their attendance. It was kind of a sparse night, but it was still a good time.

Set 1
DJ Logic - The Project(s) (Rob Swift remix f/Subcon)
RJD2 - Bus Stop Bitties
Baby Huey - Hard Times
Ohio Players - Fopp
Crusaders - Greasy Spoon
Sweet - Ballroom Blitz
Jethro Tull - Bungle in the Jungle
Foreigner - Double Vision
Breakestra - Sister Sanctified (Edit)
Digital Underground f/2Pac - Same Song
Morcheeba f/Slick Rick - Women Lose Weight
Prince Rakeem (RZA) - Ooh I Love You Rakeem
Diamond - Sally's Got a One Track Mind
Rusty Bryant - Zoo Boogaloo

Two-sies
O'Jays - Backstabbers
Captain Funkaho - Untitled
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince - I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson

Cannibal Ox - The F Word (RJD2 remix)
Large Professor - 'Bout That Time

Sly & the Family Stone - Luv n' Haight
Sins of Satan - Your Love is Like Candy

McNeal & Niles - Punk Funk
Ramsey Lewis - Why Don't You Do Right

Joe Jackson - Instant Mash
Boots Randolph - Yakety Sax

Gangstarr - Take It Personal
Mad Rabbi - Repeat Offenders

Jimmy McGriff & Groove Holmes - The Squirrel (I think)
Funk Inc - Message From the Meters

As you can see, I did what I could to kick up a party. Look out soon for another Funky D invasion!

Link of the Day
Oizo!!!
Check out this website, and see if you can figure out which link holds an awesome music video! Simplicity, beeyotch!

And yo, I finally heard that new Motley Crue song...suck factor = 11.3 out of 10.

One more thing: Thursday is the 2nd Anniversary Party for The Taco Ninja (@ Cafe Bourbon Street) with supposed free tacos (!) and performances from the Wicked Lung & Wookalar that you know so well and Smashy Smashy. Should be a helluva jam!!!

TUESDAY TUESDAY TUESDAAAAAYYYYYY

2005-01-24T20:37:00.000-05:00

REMINDER: I, Andrew "Funky D" Patton, will be playing records with Wicked Lung & the Wookalar at the Ravari Room tomorrow, Jan 25th, from about 10:30 on. No cover yo! Bring your dancin shoes, or your drinkin boots, or whatever other footwear you deem appropriate for such an occasion.

I hope you have had enough time to properly absorb my review of the year that was 2004. I've rocked considerably since then, so it's time for...

REVIEWZ!!!

It was quite a weekend for the rock 'n roll at Skully's here in Bustown. Saturday night, the smashed out posse of Chops, Andy, Franz, Lucas, Angie, and myself saw The Tough and Lovely, You're So Bossy, & The Blue Revision, and it was quite the rock-splosion. Blue Revision was a decent opener, as they exhibited the first of 3 awesome drummers of the night and mashed together some rock with some buzzing electronics for some moody jams. Definitely a band worth seeing. You're So Bossy, though they play out very infrequently, is still one of my live favorites here in Columbus. Sam Brown, drummer extraordinaire (currently of The Sun, formerly of The New Bomb Turks) is the lead singer of this project, his wife (Estee Louder) plays drums, and some other folks help out. The drums were socked once again as the band tore through some rockin' numbers. I forgot how high Sam's singing voice is, but he still rocks hard, haha. A smashtastic set indeed. Finally, the Tough and Lovely came out and burned through a fine set of hard-rockin' garage-pop-soul. Their drummer continued the percussionary murder spree, and the rest of the band was equally crankin. I hadn't seen them in a while, so it was a great reminder of their awesomeness.

Friday was a serious day de la rock. It started with my cousin Nate and I catching hilarious Canadian band By Divine Right at the CD101 Big Room, thanks to some lounge points. It was awesome! Lead singer Jose was crackin' wise at Jack Devoss, the other guys were laughing along, and Colleen the guitarist was knitting, which was pretty sweet. My favorite quote, to paraphrase:

Jose: "Where did you find that out?"
Jack: "I have my sources."
Jose: "That's good. We're from out of town, we need sources."

After leaving the CD101 studios, Nate and I (along with Beth, Rob, and Erin) saw Spanglish at Lennox, which is a pretty good movie that I recommend you see. Later, Chops and I made it down to Skully's to see By Divine Right's actual show. Another awesome performance. By Divine Right is a good-time-drug-rock band, to sorta quote Chops. They reminded me of a cross between Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and, I dunno, The Byrds or something. Funky, rockin, and hilarious. What more do you want? More bands need talking "Zippy Print" shirts. Check out By Divine Right on the web here, then buy their album at Magnolia Thunderpussy for $10.11. Thanks CD101! Afterwards, I met up with the gang at Oldfields. I did not manage to catch Dream Merchant, but Magpie seemed to be pretty decent. What a rockventure.

Thursday night was a salvaged hip-hop mishap at Little Brothers for Andy and I. The bill was Jean Grae/Diverse/Spitball. Columbus' own opened up and tore shit apart. Some crazy gang of white kids called PBJ were hyped-up, breakin chairs and fooling with the stage monitors. It was a good set, when I wasn't scared of dying or breaking my new glasses. After their set, however, it soon came to light that the touring headliners were running very late. So we got treated to all sorts of thrown-together entertainment. There was a very brief Racist Joe set, as Daymon drunkenly attempted to perform his hit single (without the actual beat), but struggled with the chorus. DJ Bombay threw together a few scratchin' routines that were rather nice, the guy's got skeeelz. The highlight was Blueprint coming on stage without any instrumentals to rock over PRZM's beatbox, some random instrumentals, and drop some accapellas. He performed a variety of his material, and even brought out some new stuff. This was brand new stuff that he didn't have memorized, however, so he read it off of his cell phone! Hilarious. Print seems to be very good at handling rough performing conditions. Then Pos2 spun some hip-hop jams, including "Mr. Ni**a" by Mos Def, during which he held up the album cover (Mos Def's face) in front of his face and pretended to rap. Slightly after midnight, when the word came through that Grae and Diverse were still 40 miles away, we took off. I heard that we missed some quality, but we still had a good time.
Wednesday night, Andy and I rocked in an unusual place: Whiskey Dick's on 161. There were definitely some grizzled bikers in that joint. But it mattered not, for we were rocked to pieces by The Heroes of History and Mors Ontologica!!! The Heroes came out first and kicked out all sorts of rawk! Another strong performance. I did yell once for my song, but I decided to give them a break and let them rock without it. It was my first time seeing Mors, and they were pretty awesome. I guess you could describe them as a funk-rock-noise band, with a saxophone player and everything! To finish an enjoyable set, their encore was a raucous cover of New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle," which was hella sweet! I need to see these guys again...and again.
Last Saturday, Andy and I caught The Ritchey Brothers and Sens at Little Brothers. It was Sens' going-away show, but their hippie jams were a bit too hippy. And the lighting system was blinding. Andy's uncle is one of the Ritchey brothers, and the three brothers and band jam pretty hard. Even WCBE DJ Mike Taylor plays bass with them! It was cool to finally see them, and I hope to see them again soon.
Friday, a motley gang went to Oldfield's for The Unpossibles w/ Glare and Halophane, who I didn't see much of. Glare sounded like a middle-aged Motley Crue (I know, so does the Crue), with a lead singer who kicked over his mic stand at least 10 times. The Unpossibles rocked hard in their last show for a while, as Don the lead singer seems to be moving. So they made it count. It was 10 days ago, though, so I really don't have much else to say about that.

Well, that's enough for tonight. I will work on some other content here soon, but don't hold your breath. Just come out to the Ravari tomorree (see, it rhymed!), and we'll all be happy. Now enjoy some awesomeness!

LONG-AWAITED, ANTICIPATED, OVERRATED

2005-01-14T20:30:00.000-05:00

Without further ado, here is my (cue dramatic music)

YEAR.........................IN.........................REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2004 was a good year for the rock, and a bad year for my wallet in relation to said rock. I saw way too many shows, but it was a damn good time. I also bought way too much music (and continue to do so), which was less of a good time and some weak, lame attempt at music consumption reform (not nearly as catchy as tort reform) will be made within the House Of Funky Commons (To start the reform and stay true to the name of the House, I think I'm keeping Resurrection and selling One Day It'll All Make Sense, Like Water For Chocolate, and Electric Circus!!! Be??? It better be good!!! Ha!) soon. Since everyone loves lists (and at this point, I could probably make a list of my Top 10 Best of 2004 Lists), I made several. Let's start with my Top 20 Albums of the Year, shall we? I have not spent enough time listening to most of the music I own, so if I sat down for a month and just spent it listening to all the 2004 releases that I have, the content and order of this list would be much different, but since that will never happen, who cares?

20. Tree of Snakes - The Ottoman Empire Strikes Back Columbus dudes + punk + PBR = FUN. Good CD from a good local band that is just looking to have a good time, and these rockin' beery singalongs are a testament to that spirit.

19. Moviola - East of Eager Long-time Columbus folk-rock band soldiers on with another album of laid-back front-porch ditties. More albums need to reference Luis Aparicio without saying much about him. And more bands with 5 or 6 members (they lost one during the year, so who knows what the official count is now?) need to have ALL of them sharing lead vocal duties. IF THEY CAN PULL IT OFF.

18. M.F. Doom - Mm..Food Yes, the "official" follow-up to Operation: Doomsday finally dropped this year. Yes, it was disappointing, what with the huge amounts of underground hype and the huge amounts of Doom-sample skits on the album. But instupituous songs like "Rapp Snitch Knishes," "Hoe Cakes," "Potholderz," and "Deep Fried Frenz" CANNOT be fronted on. For the next Doom album in 2022, however, Mr. Dumile better remember that WE KNOW HE IS FUCKING METALFACE DOOM!!! DAMN!

17. Medeski Martin & Wood - End of the World Party (Just In Case) Wait, how did this make it on here? This crazy list. Anyhoo, this was a pretty good release from the boys. Good beats, good samples, and some jazz here and there.

16. Wordsworth - Mirror Music Though he's a bit too world-weary, Words has come back with a vengeance. Good thing approximately 6.8 people (8.8 if Nappy and Davekwon get their respective acts together) have run out and bought this fine hip-hop album. Good beats, good flow, and lots of fine story-telling and wisdom-imparting.

15. Crown City Rockers - Earthtones The crew formerly known as Mission has returned with an album of soulful, organic hip-hop jams. Good flows from Raashan Ahmad, nice tunes from the band, and even a blazin' cameo from Gift of Gab!!! What more do you want?

14. RJD2 - Since We Last Spoke Though very different from Deadringer (and not quite as good), SWLS is some sort of '70s AM radio party. Some funk, some rock, some different, and even some singing from ol' RJ himself. Mellowed-out niceness, with some not-so mellow parts too.

13. Holy Sons - I Want to Live a Peaceful Life Though his album is rather world-weary and depressing, Emil Amos' time in a barn somewhere in Portland, OR was well-spent. A fine folk album, good rainy day type tunes. But somebody really needs to go over there and cheer him up. I'm serious.

12. Blockhead - Music by Cavelight In a year of many instrumental hip-hopish albums, the man most revered for producing gems for Aesop Rock did very well for himself. Another mellowed-out recording. Sorry, I haven't listened to this for months, I just remember it being awesome.

11. Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand Yes yes yes, hype hype hype, I know. But these Scottish art-mongers still put out a nice little album. Y'ALL DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT "MATINEE"!!! THAT'S MY JAM, YO!!!

10. Dan Melchior's Broke Revue - 'O Clouds, Unfold!' Commit this picture of the cover to memory, for you may never see it again (this is actually the first time I've ever seen it, good ol' internet comin' through in the clutch!). Oh sure, it's quite the awesome album. Melchior, a short, quiet, British dude, assembled a new (American, I think, just like the last one) band after the old one quit and recorded another wonderful epic that could best be described as some sort of garage-pop-rock. Some 60s pop flourishes, some rockin tunes, and a bunch of memorable ditties sung in his distinctive accent. But it appears that the mighty Troubleman Unlimited label has stalled the release of this one indefinitely. Melchior is giving out free burned copies at shows, and it looks like it might never come out, or at least not in the form I have. DAMN THE MAN!

9. Wicked Lung & the Wookalar - Angle Bangers Sure, I know these guys personally. But any hip-hop album with a tune that gives "Cock Mobster" a run for its money in the white-guy female-star-fucking department is OK by me. If the forthcoming hip-hop and death metal albums from these guys are anywhere near as good as this one, I might be able to start forgetting about the Trailer Park Ninjas. Maybe.

8. Quantic - Mishaps Happening Crazy beats from a funky Brit. Jerome and I put this in the car stereo on the way to Bacch and just about lost it. A downtempo concoction of Afrobeat, funk, soul, jazz, and...magic that doesn't feel "downtempo." DANCE!

7. Von Bondies - Pawn Shoppe Heart Sure, maybe they're just famous because of the Jack White incident. Judging by the lines "With my teeth knocked out, I can feel the blood..." from their lead single, I think Jason Stollsteimer knows it. But this is still one groovy Detroit rock dance party. This album has produced at least two long-running inside jokes between me and Nappy, so isn't that enough for greatness. I waited to write this chart after my birthday so people would take me seriously, finally.

6. Black Keys - Rubber Factory Akron's finest blues-rock duo continues their assault on your mind. People talk about big differences between this and their earlier material, but to me it's some great blues jams, like the other stuff (Well, I haven't heard The Big Come Up yet, so sue me). Soul-socking beats, ass-shakin' guitar riffs, and solid vocals. Tell 'em Abele, tell 'em!

5. Murs - Murs 3:16, The 9th Edition Short, but sweet. 9.5 tracks of collabodopiation between Murs and 9th Wonder, underground beatmaker supreme (I guess). Great storytelling, great soul from 9th, and just overall greatness. A testament to the concept of sitting down and focusing on just putting your best stuff on the record, not a bunch of skits or filler songs (Doom, anyone?) or other such shit. I mean, I'm no Canuck, but random references to Kamloops (British Columbia) make me go nerd for the night.

4. Madvillain - Madvillainy In a year of much Doom, this one obviously stood head and shoulders above the rest. As opposed to Mm..Food, this one interspersed short songs, interludes, skits, and who knows what in such a well-mixed, rapid-fire manner that it definitely felt like one solid presentation, and not good songs with bullshit between. Madlib and Doomy Doom created a blunted hip-hop wonderland, so I think I'll go live there.

3. Greyhounds - Liberty OK, this is cheating because it originally came out a couple years ago and it was reissued this year. But damn, this is a backyard funky soul party! And yes, the album does have a guest appearance from Ani Difranco (No, I'm not bolding that shit), but she just sang backing vocals, and it was great! That's a power move right there. Anyway, this album is funny, emotional, gritty, peppy, and just all-around awesome. Texas jamtime.

2. Diplo - Florida Philly beatmaker put out an international banger that ran neck-and-neck for the first annual Blogged Out Championship, and therefore ALMOST got to have a big album cover here. Trippy beats, inventive sampling, some cool vocal appearances, and overall vibe make for a damn good album. I didn't get to see him live, but remember, he's no Gallagher.

1. Antibalas - Who Is This America? Man, it's a political year and I only have one seriously political record in my Top 20? Well, then it's got to be number one! Ha! Such a potent combination of funk, dance, and politics has no competition. The tradition of Afrobeat, an African form of funk popularized by Fela Kuti, is still being extended proudly by these now-New Yorkers. It's an enjoyable kick-in-America's-ass that is oh so necessary. Get this album, then see them live. An awesome album by an awesome ensemble.

Top 5 EPs

5. Printmatic (Blueprint) - Vitamins and Minerals

4. Dan Melchior's Broke Revue - Gud' Bye Ta Sluggo!

3. DJ PRZM Presents The Off the Clock EP Starring Illogic

2. The Sun - Did Your Mother Tell You?

1. Envelope - Envelope Yes indeed folks, Envelope's rhymes and Amos Famous' beats combined for a six-pack of Columbus hip-hop awesomeness. Envelope's wit and slightly off-kilter flow make him a quality, distinctive MC. Look out for the album. Maybe I'm a "homer," but Clintonville's my home, what the fuck can I say??? Now about that loading dock........

Top 5 Reissues/Reissue Compilations

5. Tokya Ska Paradise Orchestra - 1998-2004

4. Fela Kuti - The Undergound Spiritual Game

3. Quincy Jones and Bill Cosby - The Original Jam Sessions 1969

2. Stones Throw 101 DVD/CD

1. Eccentric Soul: The Capsoul Label Oh Bill Moss, why did you go insane? I mean, if I was "The Boss with the Red Hot Sauce," I would probably stay that way. Anyhoo, the Numero Group, a reissue label in Chicago, came to Columbus and put together an authorized compilation of the best of Capsoul Records, a Columbus funk/soul label run by Bill Moss in the '70s. This CD is chock full of vintage funk and soul, but I would pay $15 for Bill's "Sock It To 'Em Soul Brother" alone.

Concerts

Wow, this category is waaaay too wide open for a serious list or anything. Off the top of my head, the bands I saw perform awesomely in 2004 include: The Dirtbombs, Fat Girls By The Snack Table, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, This Moment In Black History, The Hoo Doo Soul Band, Apollo Sunshine, VHS or Beta, 84 Nash, Peelander-Z, Amps II Eleven, Dr. Lonnie Smith, The Tony Monaco Trio, Charlie Hunter/Bobby Previte/DJ Logic, Mclusky, BOB LOG III, The Red Elvises, The Octopus Project, The Lab Rats, The Heroes of History, Addison Groove Project, Grand Buffet, Lion Fever, Free Space, Gris Gris, Shell Shag, Robert Randolph, The Apes, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and damn, a fuckton more, OK? That's enough, and not off the top of my head. I was rocked super-thoroughly in 2004, and that's all you need to know.

Fuck it, that's enough writing. Sure, alot of my writing is bullshit, but I think I believe in my lists, so comment away. I mean, I didn't pull a "Stylus" and celebrate R. FUCKING KELLY as creator of the #1 single of the last five years, so I think I at least deserve a reply. To reward your attention to detail, the first person to comment on this whose name is not Glen Andrew Napier or Christopher John Abele (at least I think that's your middle name) wins...the aforementioned 3-pack of Common CDs!!! Git 'er done!

THIS JUST IN!

2005-01-11T15:20:00.000-05:00

I just secured another turn playin' rekkids at the Ravari Room with Wicked Lung & the Wookalar on Tuesday, January 25th. I will be testin some new jams, rockin some old jams, and jammin some jam jamzzz. Music will start around 10:30 or so, and I will likely be rotating time on the wheelz for those who can only be there for short periods of time. Again, the Ravari is situated at the corner of Dodridge and High, and the address is 2657 N. High. Prepare for the ONSLAUGHT! Or maybe the Don Slaught???

T minus 53 days.....
I think I have stumbled upon a new lazy way to generate post titles for the next, well, 53 days. According to the man himself, Envelope's full-length debut is dropping March 4th. In my nerdy opinion, I think this will be a Columbus hip-hop sureshot banger for a long time coming. Soooo, the countdown begins now. Get ready!

The next post from me will be my 2004 Year In Review. I don't know if I'm any more ready now than I was before, but I'm tired of putting it off. Get ready for the jamz!

Friday night was a helluva time at Cafe Bourbon Street. It was the grand celebration of Andy's 22nd birthday, and boy did we do it right. 84 Nash was the headlining band, but it was kinda cool/different that they played second after Little Neon Wilderness, who were pretty good. The Nash rocked all sorts of tasty old jams, and plenty of new jams that will rock your socks off in 2008. Ha. After their set, they ripped out pages of a Bible coloring book and gave them out to people, so thanks to Kehn for giving me his. Times New Viking and Terribly Empty Pockets allowed the rock to flow forth continuously, and a grand time was had by all. At the same time, it's a good thing that people only have one birthday a year.

On Wednesday, Andy's actual birthday, the Nappiest One and I went to Little Brothers for that ol' hip-hop showcase. Numeric was holding it down as host DJ again, and Detox played some awesome funk and hip-hop as well. Ginsu and Ndcent put on a serious off-the-head 4-turntable set, with Chase Manhatten dropping in some rhymes and hecklings here and there. At one point, Detox played the song that was sampled for Ghostface's "Cherchez La Ghost," and Chase got on the mic and offered a prize to whomever could name the Wu-Tang member who sampled it. Yes, I won a PBR. It was pretty sweet. Tiger Tiger closed out the night with a set that reminded me alot of Do You Want More? era Roots. Unfortunately, Nappy was already sleeping on tables, so it was time to part. Look out for more of these hip-hop showcases at Little Bros. They're usually the first Weds of the month, I guess, and the next one (February 2nd) will be a beat/production battle. Check it! (NOTE: The above pic has nothing to do with this event, except for overall funkiness.)

Alright, I'm out. Keep rootin' for Franz to work at Dick's Den, and all will turn out fine.

Happy New Year's!

2005-01-04T21:13:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm late, but it's still a valid sentiment, right? I hope everyone out there had a good NYE like I did. The Heroes of History know how to throw a good party, what can I say? Tomorrow is Andy's 22nd birthday, so we will attempt to celebrate in style. Wish him well. Friday is a rockstravaganza of 84 Nash/Times New Viking/Terribly Empty Pockets/Little Neon Wilderness at Cafe Bourbon Street, I think it should be a grand ol' time.

No, I still haven't summed up my latest year of gluttonous, nonsensical CD (and vinyl, but I didn't get much 2004 music on vinyl) purchases with my first Year-End List. I feel justified in waiting until the actual calendar year is over, so I guess it's time to get to business. Soon. Instead, read David's Top 20 albums and Top 200 (!!!!!!!!!!!!) singles here. I don't think I even know 50 of those songs. 80 tops.

Retreating Back Into 2004
On Thursday, Andy and I caught the Fat Girls By the Snack Table and Marvin the Robot show at Bernie's, which was a fine show. I'm still not a big fan of ol' Marvin, but I liked his stuff a little more than the last time I saw him. The Fat Girls (now officially a two-piece, thanks for the tip, Gretchen!) rocked lots of old and new jams. I can't wait for the album! I hear there was a fight later (according to the fat-diary), but luckily we missed it.
Wednesday night, Andy and I attended the Ohio Hip-Hop Showcase at Little Brother's. Attendance was a bit sparse, which was unfortunate, but we still had a good time. We got to see Numeric, Drastic & Phazo, and some of Ginsu & Ndcent's (w/ help from Chase Manhatten on the mic) set. There will be another jam tomorrow (Weds, the 5th) at Little Brothers, make it to this one!

Monday night, I went for dolo and rocked the first of two hip-hop shows for the week at Little Brothers. SA Smash headlined and were decent in their return to their hometown. Though the crowd was pretty big, they weren't very amped, and Camu and Metro didn't react very well (boredom, complaining). But I moshed to "Illy" and some of the new songs sounded good, so it was cool. The openers (Mike Blast w/DJ Self, Tyreless Won (from Cleveland), Flip the Early Riser, & Chase Manhatten) were squeezed into about an hour, unfortunately, but the locals rocked it well.

Well, that's about all she wrote. Keep rockin' in 2005, and maybe I'll fulfill some of my empty blog promises.

Merry after-Christmas stuff!

2004-12-27T21:45:00.000-05:00

I hope my faithful 1.5 readers had a good Christmas like I did. The funniest part of my gift-exchanging experience this year was that my sister and I got each other the SAME PRESENT - Oh, Inverted World by The Shins. Look at us cool kids. I also got Dodgeball on DVD, some jeans, Connect Four (hellz yeah!), some other junk, and a Christmas Story-style "leg lamp" nightlight! Huzzah. It was a good Christmas (and it's not even over yet!), so I'm thankful.

R.I.P.

Wow, they really are dropping like flies. Reggie White died Sunday, at the age of 43. I had forgotten that we shared the fine birthday of December 19th. I know, I don't have much sports on here usually, but Reggie was a great player and, from what I understand, a good (though kinda crazy) guy.

Rock
On Christmas night, I was at Dick's Den with a bunch of folks, and we saw a fine jazz trio that played for tips. I have no idea who played, but it was tasty. Andy and I did make it to Cafe Bourbon Street last Wednesday, but we did not make it until Shell Shag. We did see The Lids and The Final Solutions, however, and they were both fine out-of-town punk-ish bands with lots of energy. With the weather problems around here lately, I think we need to get some of these amped-up out-of-towners hooked up to generators.

It's On Like Donkey Kong

Naturally, the new album by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings (I know, Andy, I know!) drops on January 25th. And of course the only way they can celebrate this scrumtrulescent event is with a big tour! Now, they are obviously not coming to Columbus, obviously, but they will be hitting the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland on Saturday, February 19th. I'm ready now!

Well, I really don't have much else to say. Reading other end-of-year lists has been fun, and I'm sure at this point if I manage to crank out my own best-of-the-year list, it will be heavily influenced by others, but who cares? No one here seems too worried about whether I actually finish it or not, so we'll see what happens. Peace!

Snow days ROXOR!!!

2004-12-23T13:40:00.000-05:00

Yes indeed, no work for this guy today. Thank God for working in Delaware County, where it's a Level 3 Snow Emergency. So Chops and I are hanging out and cooking 3 lb burgers!!! Call me sometime to make sure I'm alive. We're currently bangin' the new Afrika Bambaataa Dark Matter Moving At The Speed of Light album, which is one fuckin' party! It's still cheap at Magnolia Thunderpussy, so rock that shit, homie!

Andy is talking about good stuff here, so check it.

I've been reading alot of year-end stuff these days, but I think I found my favorite review-blurb ever at ol' cokemachineglow.com. Read the following Madvillain blurb by Dom Sinacola in its entirety here, but it's even better out of context:

5. Madvillain Madvillainy (Stones Throw) Three brothers discuss the beer in front of them. One is seven, one is ten, and the oldest is fourteen. The youngest brother sneers, complaining that beer tastes gross and how when he gets older he’ll never have any beer. The ten year old has heard rumors about beer, has sat in hidden corners and listened to the organs of his parents’ friends' voices pump and trip through the alcohol. The oldest brother grabs the beer and opens it. At first he winces, but soon he grins. His adam’s apple bulges and his littlest brother cowers. It is a great moment in one young man’s life.

Wow.

Another year older, another year wiser...

2004-12-21T21:05:00.000-05:00

And something about being a king, czar, and a kaiser. It's true, it's true, I turned 25 on Sunday. To make sure I feel older, I now have glasses and a cell phone! I failed my vision test to renew my driver's license, so I had to hustle to get some glasses and get my license before it expired. Damn, it must be time for me to expire now! And as far as the cell phone goes, if you didn't know already and you want the number, comment here or email me. OK, enough personal shat...ROCK!

Future?

Andy and I should be able to catch Shell Shag with a bunch of other bands at Cafe Bourbon Street on Wednesday night. Their website informs me that this is their ONLY US date after their Japan tour (until January 5th!), so that's cool. These San Franciscans brought the rock the last time we saw them there, so I'm excited.
Next week, Little Brothers has an assload of shows I want to see. Monday is SA Smash with various other local rapsters, Tuesday is an Evolution Control Committee show (supposedly a farewell show, so I wanna be there!), and Wednesday is another boat of Columbus hip-hop. Thursday is Fat Girls by the Snack Table at Bernies! I'm not really feeling a show on New Year's Eve, so maybe it'll be a four-day rock jaunt to almost end the year. Let me know if you're interested in any of this year's remaining shows, frenz.

Past

On Sunday night, my birthday, I somehow got eleven friends to join me at Oldfield's on High for the weekly shindig with The Hoo Doo Soul Band. So I want to thank Ashley, Amy, Andy, Dave, Jason, Renkes, Chops, Mandy, Victor, Todd, and my cousin Nate for their presence. It was a funky good time, as always. I think my highlight of the night was hearing "Ring of Fire" (birthday request from Chops, thanks buddy) BACK-TO-BACK with that old soul song sampled for "In Decatur" by Ghetto Mafia, wish I knew what the song was called. And I also talked to Nick Labita, this guy that Dave and I went to elementary school with, which was cool. It was a good birthday, thanks everybody.
On Thursday night, Andy and I went to Little Brothers for the Mas Bagua CD Release party, which also featured DJ sets from Wicked Lung & the Wookalar and a Live PA from Doctah X. The boys played solid stuff like they do every Tuesday at the Ravari, no doubt. And I think we saw most of Doctah X's set, which was some good dub shite. We did not get to stay for the headliners, but Andy and I weren't in the mood to hang out with old hippies until 2:30 on a Thursday night, yaknawmean???

So yeah, those year-end pontifications and prostrations are still in the works. So until next time, keep commenting and inspire me to greatness!

"Houses of the Holy...was a really bitchin' album"

2004-12-14T21:16:00.000-05:00

Damn, that was out of the blue, but the above title is a lyric from a helluva song. The first person to tell me the name of the song AND the name of the artist that recorded it wins...THE CD OF THEIR CHOICE, THAT I WILL ACTUALLY GO OUT AND BUY IF NEED BE! THAT'S FUCKIN' CHRISTMAS SPIRIT!!! GET TO IT!!!

Future Awesomeness
Sure, the holidays are approaching, but that doesn't mean that we can't get down. Anyway, on Friday night after the company Xmas party, I will try and catch VHS or Beta (for the fourth time this year) at Skullys. If folks wanna meet there, that would be cool.
Saturday is Turkey Day and...Me and Franz's Bitchin' Birthday Bash at the Mannhaus. You know the name of the game. Be there or/and be square.
Sunday is...my 25th Birthday! I plan on going to Oldfield's on High to catch The Hoo Doo Soul Band, so I think you should too!

9-8-7-6-5-4-Fuck-You
There has not been a whole lot of actual rock lately. John visited this weekend and we tore shit to pieces, nuff said. In our various related bar excursions, Chops and I were lucky enough to randomly catch The Fat Girls by the Snack Table at Bernie's! Actually, we stumbled in there to see if George Moshington was killin' it, but after waiting for a set change, we found 2/3 of one of my favorite Columbus bands on-stage. Man, that was great, dancin and clappin and the whole nine yards. Check 'em out here, and check 'em out live when they play at Bernie's again on December 30th with Bravado and Diet (well, according to the Girls' site at least, I thought Diet broke up or left town or something).

Otherness
Lots of people are making up their big Best of the Year lists. I'm not usually that good at such a thing, but now that I'm a big rock critic (see?), I am working on making an attempt. For right now, check out Dave Drake's "sinsurr" choices, the favorites of the staff of Columbus-based Donewaiting.com, and some hip-hop choices for you to make, read, and eat.

I suppose you could say that M.F. Doom's MM..Food is a disappointing album. After all, the hype was reminding us that this is the official "second" M.F. Doom album, cuz, you know, Viktor Vaughn/Madvillain/King Gheedorah/etc. are different people. Now, of course, most of the songs are hot. "Rapp Snitch Knishes" is one of my favorite songs of the year, and I love "Hoe Cakes," "Potholderz," and "Deep Fried Frenz" too. But why, oh why, all of the Doom-sample skits?!?!? It annoyed me enough that I sat down one night over Thanksgiving and analyzed the running time of the album. By my count, out of 49 total minutes, only 34 minutes were used by actual songs. Tracks 6-9 are all skits. I know, Doom loves reminding us about the story of Doom, and the particular food theme here, but damn! In the end, it's still a good album to me, because there are songs that keep drawing me back. But with some more rappin?????

Well, I could probably meander wordily about gobbledy gook, but who wants to read that. Post up your answer now, and celebrate my birthday this weekend! Peace!

Now aren't you GREEN with envy???

2004-12-06T21:08:00.000-05:00

Wow. After many days (and a few recent hours fighting with Blogger.com), the blog is back and greener than ever. I'm sorry that all of the old comments are gone, but this was the easiest way to get everyone commenting again (hopefully). I will be tweaking the setup a bit, but I hope everybody likes the new look. Let me know what you think.
New New News

As of today, I have music reviews published on someone else's website! Please visit Swizzle-Stick, run by the Columbus Alive's own Chip Midnight, and look for my reviews. As there is no mention on the front page of the authors of the reviews, I will let y'all know when I have what reviews up. Right now, look for my review of Black Octopus Lipstick Project's Foam Party, third down on the right on the mainpage. Sometime later this week, Chip will post my review of The Holy Sons' I Want to Live a Peaceful Life. He seems to be pretty open to reviewers reviewing whatever, so if you have any suggestions, let me know.
Rock?
Well, I think I'll have to break the streak of carefully chronicling every show that I attended. I know I hit a Tony Monaco Trio gig at the Ravari last week and a Jim Volk/Kevin Oliver acoustic gig at Oldfield's two Wednesdays before that. So subtract all that out, and you have two big shows:
Vertical Slum's Electric Holiday @ Little Brothers, Saturday, Nov 20
Andy and I got to see Don Caballero, This Moment in Black History, 84 Nash, Ruby Vileos, Earwig, and Tree of Snakes, which was quite the rocking lineup. TMIBH rocked my socks off, of course, and Lucas was there at that point to mosh with me. 84 Nash also rocked shit, of course. And another local band, Tree of Snakes, surprised me with their happy punk set (SERIOUS KNIFE FIGHT!) and the fact that their lead singer is that one omnipresent campus rock dude. The other bands were OK, but did not rock me very hard.
The Dirtbombs w/ Peelander-Z & Amps II Eleven @ The Beachland Ballroom (Cleveland), Friday, Nov 26
What's a turkey??? These guys rocked the Thanksgiving right out of Ashley, Andy, and myself. Amps II Eleven is a Cleveland area band with a greasy Southern heavy metal sound, and damn did they hit hard! Peelander-Z is a crazy Japanese rock band (now based out of NYC) with a crazy live show. I thought that riots would ensue at several points, but they made it to slide through bowling pins and everything. And of course, the Dirtbombs rocked shit. Though they did not play Andy's favorite song, they did everything else, including some crazy covers of "Lust for Life" and "War Pigs." I was hip/side-bumping with a new friend, Heidi, but trust me, the relationship was purely rock-tonic. Then we stopped at Denny's on the way home and got back to Columbus at 5:15. Wow, what a night.
OK, that's enough living in the past. It is good to be back. Now open up that comment link and tell me how happy you are about this. Come on, you can do it!