Dilated Peoples - Show Me The Way

Thanks for remembering peoples. Now let's get back to the crazy bizarro world we live in today. Like it or love it, at least we've all got choices. Today I choose hip hop.

Aloe Blacc - The Man

Good grief I hadn't realised it had been so long since I posted. Deplorable. It's been a loooong month and I have a huge list of songs to post so let's get this back on track shall we?

I wasn't hugely impressed with Aloe Blacc's new album, I felt it was overproduced, and I include this song in that bracket. The original is ok but this is a better rendition.

Aloe Blacc & Mike Einziger - Wake Me Up

Forget the absolutely rubbish EDM version of this song, this is how it should have been presented all along. Einziger is from Incubus, in case you were wondering.

Best of 2012 Part 2

Make haste, not waste! On we go...

#18

Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars

Radio Salone

From the west side of Africa come the Refugee All Stars, who are not so named merely for effect. The faces of these wonderful musicians tell stories of hardship, but their words ask only for love. I suppose the proper way to categorize their sound is 'world music', but what on earth does that mean anyway? Reggae, soul, calypso, and all kinds of funky percussive grooves color this excellent album, their third LP.

The production on this one is smooth and subtle and frames the playful nature of the third world jams nicely. Like most such ensemble bands, however, one gets the impression that seeing them live would by a truly exceptional experience. That they are such huge supporters of the humanitarian efforts in their home land only adds to the feel-good factor so vibrant throughout this release. The sun shines through this one.

Big Fat Dog

Kali

Mother In Law

#17

Wax Tailor

Dusty Rainbow From The Dark

One of the masters of sample-based production is Jean-Christophe Le Saoût, yet another French trip hop genius. Initially a hip hop DJ, his skills on the turntable resonate clearly in a sound that has progressed methodically over the best part of the last decade culminating in this story board conceptual album complete with dramatic narration voiced by Don McCorkindale.

The record features a bevy of other guest vocalists including Sara Genn, Jennifer Charles, and American soul supremo Aloe Blacc. Not forgetting his roots, hip hop lyricist Daryl Parks, aka Mattic, also takes the lead on a couple memorable tracks. Though a couple singles were released this one is best appreciated as a whole, and the running time of 47 minutes feels just about right. Did I mention the stop-motion octopus?

Time To Go

Heart Stop

Magic Numbers

#16

Hermitude

HyperParadise

Another spin around the production line, this time with Australian duo Angus Stuart and Luke Dubber. Unbeknownst to many (myself included), these cats have been globe trotting for several years now in support of other acts but with this latest release have started to emerge as legitimate front-liners themselves. Primarily exponents of hip hop in the past, their new album is a far cry from that, sporting an eclectic mix of instrumental glitch hop, groovy trip hop, and big beat funk.

While the track order seems a little off and as consequently makes the pacing a bit jarring, as a collection of songs it stands very strongly among its peers. The big single "Speak Of The Devil" is a bona fide dance floor killer and there a half dozen other tracks that would fit nicely in an electro funk playlist. This is very promising stuff and hopefully we don't have to wait another four years for their next album.

The Villain

Speak Of The Devil

Get In My Life

EP #6

Shad

Melancholy And The Infinite Shadness

Clocking in at barely 11 minutes in length, this is a brief yet highly entertaining release from one of Canada's foremost hip hop engineers. Following up on his excellent album "TSOL", this short five track EP gives us a glimpse of what is to come when he drops his next LP some time in the coming year. Shad is notorious for featuring top notch production and once again he kills it with this one. It's not easy to fit as much cool into ten minutes as this release accomplishes, give it a whirl next time you're stuck in traffic. You might even get through it twice.

A Milli Vanilli

It Ain't Over

Old Prince

P-p-p-p-part 3 a demain!

Wax Tailor - Time To Go

You will see this album on my best of 2012, I can promise you that. Putting a blue octopus into a stop motion video with Aloe Blacc on vocals is a bonus. See ya tomorrow.

Aloe Blacc - You Make Me Smile

New video from the new king of soul.

Dam Mantle - Not A Word

I thought I'd already posted this one, but apparently not. Some minimal goodness here, and below, at long last, some bonus beats!

BONUS BEATS!

Gregory Porter - 1960 What? [Opolopo Remix]

Aloe Blacc - Loving You Is Killing Me [Mano Le Tough Remix]

Radiohead - Little By Little [Caribou Remix]

Aloe Blacc - If I

There are six songs from this stunning performance in Berlin with a string quintet. I was going to post them all because they're so good but you'll just have to find the rest yourself. Absolutely brilliant.

Monday Megapost

Wow, what a weekend. Lots of running and sunning and not much sleep, so today I'm maxin' an' relaxin' and I hope you are too. Here's a few groovy chunes to help you out.

Aloe Blacc - Billie Jean

Interpol - Lights

Kinnie Starr - Another's Gone

Peter Katz - Posters

Mount Kimbie - Before I Move Off

Back tomorrow with our regularly scheduled programming.

Aloe Blacc - I Need A Dollar

This is the intro track from the HBO series "How To Make It In America". There's a blog that lists all the cool soundtrack tunes on it here. I haven't seen it yet, but it's getting decent reviews so I might give it a try later.

Anyway this is a sweet track from Aloe Blacc. It reminds me of John Legend. This video is kinda cool, and I dig the second part which is a snippet from another song called "Life So Hard", but I don't like how they cut the audio so abruptly. A little mixing goes a long way!

Check out the full-length cut here.