MORE CUTE SHIT

So, summer's here and everyone is depressed. Here's some cute shit to cheer you up:







Here's a nice song too. Oldie/Goodie. Can't seem to get enough of this one this week:
Jesse Valez - Girls Out On The Floor

Sandman

Next week it will be 10 years since Mark Sandman died onstage in Italy. Might as well listen to a couple of his tunes...

Guided By Voices: Watch Me Jumpstart

Anyone with even a passing interest in Guided By Voices or 90s indie rock - you gotta check out the 1998 GBV documentary 'Watch Me Jumpstart' on Pitchfork TV. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. Super interesting glimpse of a sweet-ass band, one of Ohio's finest. Bob Pollard is an amazing dude.

Geto Boys - Greatest Hits Mix (Screwed Up)

Still driving in the slow lane over here...here's a good one from the homeland of codeine rap, a nicely sedated mix of the legendary Houston crew's abbreviated greatest hits. Assembled, screwed and chopped by Michael '5000' Watts of Swishahouse in 2003.

Geto Boys - Greatest Hits (screwed & chopped)

(thx Reynolds)

Never Say Never!

Hifi Club Website

CHECK OUT THE NEW WEBSITE HERE

The Muppet Show: The 25th AnniversaryCollection: Music, Mayhem, And More!

DOWNLOAD

If I can't have it all, just a taste will do.

Strangers passing in the street, by chance two seperate glances meet. I am you and what I see is me.

Pink Floyd, Meddle, 1971;
David Gilmour proclaims it as one of his favorites, "the start of the path forward for Pink Floyd, really." Meddle opens with "One of These Days", a rough and rambunctious number, quite unlike any other on the record. "One of These Days" is one of the very few times Nick Mason's voice was heard on a Pink Floyd record. In addition to playing an electrifying slide piece, David Gilmour also joins Roger Waters on bass, marking the core of the song. "One of These Days" is followed by "A Pillow of Winds", a polar opposite of its predecessor. "A Pillow of Winds" is a mellow, acoustic piece in which David sings of "sleepy time with my love by my side". Once again, he delivers smooth slide work, but it certainly has no similarities with the solos on "One of These Days". A remarkable example of the versatility of not only David Gilmour's superb guitar playing, but also Pink Floyd's entire catalog. "Fearless" comes third on the record, and is perhaps one of the better known songs off Meddle. "Fearless" stays in the style of the record, with its slow, moving tempo, but also boasts a catchy chord progression. Composed by Roger Waters, using tuning he learned from Syd Barrett, he plays both rhythm guitar and his usual bass. "Fearless" fades off with Liverpool F.C. fans singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" (also arranged sporadically throughout the song, in very subtle ways). Ironic considering Roger Waters is an Arsenal fan. Following "Fearless" is "San Tropez", Roger Waters's ode to Pink Floyd's favorite holiday spot at the time, on the French Riviera. "San Tropez" is upbeat tune, with a tropical flair to it. David once again leaves his mark with a short, yet sensational slide solo. The true highlight of the number is Rick Wright's adorable, jazzy piano outro. While the latter days of the band's career may not have been the best to dear Rick, he was certainly on top in the early 70's. He did a splendid job of showcasing his extraordinary talent. The final song on side one is "Seamus". As David Gilmour blows harmonica and slurs seductive blues, Seamus the dog howls with impeccable timing. (A trick taught to him by his singing owner, Steve Marriott, of Faces/Humble Pie fame, who asked Dave Gilmour to watch his dog while he was away touring.) Also accompanying Seamus is David Gilmour playing standard bluesy riffs on the guitar, and Rick Wright playing piano in the same style. I personally prefer the studio version of "Seamus" to "Mademoiselle Nobs", a play off "Seamus" included in Live at Pompeii. (Though seeing David playing harmonica, alongside Rick Wright who is acting as dog wrangler, is quite fun.) Arguably the most well known, and perhaps best, song off of Meddle is none other than "Echoes". Clocking in at twenty three and a half minutes, "Echoes" symbolizes all that Pink Floyd was in their primitive days as musicians not at all restricted by boundaries, completely experimental and absolutely ambitious, and without a lick of thought to what the mass media may think of it all. Throughout the song, each musician in showcased in numerous ways, with "Echoes" proving to be one of the last songs credited to all four of Pink Floyd's classic lineup. "Echoes" is a song brilliantly put together, but with an unconstrained flavor, essential to Pink Floyd's ability to let the chips fall where they may. David Gilmour and Rick Wright's voices blend effortlessly together, in a beautiful fashion, woven so tightly together that they begin to sound like one. Mixing tight musicality, prolific jamming, ethereal sounds, and use of instruments in unworldly ways, "Echoes" is a definitive track in Pink Floyd's catalog and it is hard to imagine any of their better known work that would follow without "Echoes" being a helm of it all and paving the road.

I'm a wildwood flower, waving for you.

While I was away, I led a semi-exciting life. The main highlights: I took a train to the Bay Area and got groovy, spent $130 on records, including the Animals Greatest Hits, the first Van Halen record, and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band for a quarter each from some bearded dude on Telegraph in Berkeley. I also went to Coachella, and saw fucking Paul McCartney. I saw Paul McCartney perform "A Day in the Life", "Helter Skelter", et cetera, et cetera, et cetera! Plus, he performed obscure Wings songs that I love with an inkling of guilt, like "Let Me Roll It." Which, by the way, hardly any one else knew! Oh Paul, you make me feel so validated. Coachella, other than being "Coachella", was fairly uneventful. Let's be honest... I only went for Paul. If I didn't find the entire festival ordeal entirely enthralling, with thousands of beautiful people melting in the heat for the sake of music, in addition to Paul, I would've passed on one of music's flashiest festivals. I did read something where someone talked about the "Coachella moment." When the sun is going down, and you realize you're exactly where you want to be. I had many of those, I'm happy to report. And the grass was suspiciously green! That made me happy too.

Anyway, my current project is to listen to every single album on Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list. Even if I've heard them before, I'm listening to them all in order. I'm currently halted at 38; Muddy Waters The Anthology 1947-1972. In addition to the album (though an amazing compilation of Muddy's best) being incredibly long, one of my speakers gave out, so I am now listening to only half of stereo mixes. It's a bummer. So I refuse to resume Rolling Stone-ing until I buy new speakers. Also, my cat (aptly named "Kitty"; not so creative, I know) had kittens. Six and a premature, hairless fetus. I kept the fetus in a bag for a few days, until it was finally flushed down the toilet. It was intriguing. Too bad my cat is an absolute negligent mother. She is constantly moving them around, may or may not feed them herself. It's a disaster. I plan on naming them interesting names. I had the idea of naming them after what came on shuffle as they were born. But then I might as well go through my iTunes myself and pick the best names. I don't know, I haven't even scoped their genitalia yet.

I don't know what to do for summer. I want to road trip, endlessly. I'd love to go cross country, and soak up the country, but this is expensive. The Bay Area is a little more feasible, so it may just happen. But mainly, I want to read this summer. I just finished Katharine Hepburn's autobiography "Me: Stories of My Life" for the second time. She was so incredible, witty, and full of endless wisdom. I bought it for twenty-one cents, and if anyone is presented with such a deal, buy it! She's luminous, even in text!

Go Ballistic · Ghislain Poirier (Smalltown Djs Remix)

A few months ago I switched from using Protools to Logic. This one of my
first remix efforts using the new software. I think the box had only been
opened for about 4 hours before I was making this tune. Logic definitely is
a user friendly program. Anyhow I heard this again today and thought it
might be useful for some summer sets.

Go Ballistic · Ghislain Poirier (Smalltown Djs Remix)

Go Ballistic · Ghislain Poirier DUB VERSION (Smalltown Djs Remix)

THE SLOW LANE

It's been so hot here you have to drink a Slurpee every day just to not pass out and and die from heat exhaustion. For Canadians that means it's 22°C.

When it's this hot you have to slow it down a bit. You can still work, but focus more on your tan. Listen to slower music. Put away the happy hardcore for now. Break out the DJ Screw tapes.

Here's a couple good codeine-laced mixes for all you sweaty sloths suffering in the summer heat.

















Dusted Oldies Slowmotion Mix - from last year, nice selection of slowed-down oldies mixed by Adam Weissman, still available for download on the Boneyards site.



















Ladyhawk (Jason Nocito photo)

Time Cookie Vol. 1 - Saigon - new mix of slower-than-mollasses rockers put together by Ryan from Ladyhawk. Who knew Depeche Mode could sound good?

Earl 'Snake Hips' Tucker

via Reference Library

The Best of DJ Quik

Matthew Africa just did this awesome mix compiling some of the best stuff from west coast rap legend DJ Quik:

THE BEST OF DJ QUIK - mixed by Matthew Africa

Check out the tracklist:
1. America'z Most Complete Artist
2. Sweet Black Pussy
3. Loked Out Hood
4. Get At Me
5. Down, Down, Down feat. Suga Free
6. Tonite
7. Pitch In On A Party
8. I Don't Wanna Party wit U
9. We Still Party
10. Let's Get Down (Tony Toni Toné)
11. Let Me Know (Hi-C)
12. Up 'N Da Club (2nd II None)
13. Hand In Hand
14. Black Mercedes feat. Nate Dogg
15. Do I Love Her? feat. Suga Free
16. Don't Walk Away feat. Suga Free
17. Safe + Sound
18. You'z A Ganxta
19. Dollaz + Sense
20. U Ain't Fresh! feat. Erick Sermon
21. Til Jesus Comes
22. Tha Truth Is... (Mausberg)
23. Trouble RMX
24. Jus Lyke Compton
25. Trust No Bitch (Penthouse Players Clique)
26. Born & Raised In Compton
27. Summer Breeze
28. So Many Wayz
29. 50 Ways feat. Wanya Morris of Boyz II Men
30. Speed
31. Sex Crymee
32. Ni**az Still Trippin' feat. Hi-C
33. Smoke II Much (Fixxers)
34. So Good (Fixxers)
35. Can You Work Wit Dat (Fixxers)
36. I Got That Feelin'
37. Me Wanna Rip Your Girl
38. Chocolate Lover feat. Sexy Leroy & the Chocolate Lovelitez
39. One On 1 feat. El DeBarge

Who said summer isn't here yet?

Smalltown DJs in 2002

I tracked down this mix from 2002 and just managed to upload and figure out the tracklist. This was recorded early in 2002 at the club (probably at the start of the night). In Jan 2002 we had been running Hai Karate at The Night Gallery in Calgary (best club ever RIP) for two and a half years at that point and we were playing a ton of funk, rap, house and electronic stuff throughout the night. The ideas for Giant 45 and The Hifi Club hadn't even been hatched at that time, I was just blown away that I could dj for a living and rent an apartment with the money! It's all vinyl (like it needs to be said) & I love that you can hear the crackle - our records were always SO dirty. (*as a side note: Dr. Luke who produced Come Alive with Krafty went on to write the music for Since You've been Gone by Kelly Clarkson and Love me of Hate Me by Lady Sovereign)

SMALLTOWN DJs Hai Karate at The Night Gallery JAN. 2002 :

DOWNLOAD LINK HERE

TRACKLIST:
Can I Kick it? - Tribe Called Quest
Revolution - Arrested Development
Just Passin Through - Aim
Lovely Day - Bill Withers
Wake Up Everybody feat. Bobby Womack - Rae & Christian
I Changed My Mind - Quannum
I Get Lifted - KC & The Sunshine Band
Ring Ring Ring (Remix) - De La Soul
Crossover - EPMD
Cramp Your Style - All the People
Wicked Funk - Kwanzaa Posse
The Big Brawl Part 2 - Major Force
Know The Ledge - Eric B & Rakim
The Juice - Agent Sumo
Come Alive - Dr. Luke & Krafty Kuts
Sandman - Blueboy

DUST BROTHERS

The Dust Brothers are almost too awesome to make a blog post about, from producing Paul's Boutique and hits by Young MC and Tone Loc on Delicious Vinyl in the late 80s, to movie soundtracks and countless other productions including Beck's best material, they are definitely up there with the best in the business.

I was trying to think of the main songs to show why they are so great to me - here they use a sample from one of my favorite rock songs ever by Them (featuring young Van Morrison and written by the best songwriter in the history of humans: Bob Dylan), and use it as a jumping off point to build a great pop song by Beck. Simple but so epic.

It's all over now baby blue - Them feat. Van Morrson

Jack-Ass - Beck

Also, as an aside, The Chemical Brothers originally named themselves The Dust Brothers as a tribute to their favorite producers (not expecting to get famous), and had to change their name after their first big tune (I think it was Song to a Siren).

Anyways - The Dust Brothers. Yes!

IF YOU DON'T THINK THIS IS FUNNY....

...you are a racist

Update

So, it has been awhile since we put up a blog. What have we been up to? Well this was our first weekend home in awhile. Two weeks ago we had Jonathan’s graduation from Kindergarten. Last weekend we were in Midland, Texas for Michael Ramey’s high-school graduation. We had a great trip and Tozer had a great time playing with Bella. It was a treat to get to see family that we don't see too often. The weekend before that we went to Austin, Texas for Devon Ramey’s graduation. Austin was fun and we had a good visit.

Congratulations Jonathan, Michael, and Devon!

I have started a new position at TI and it is going great. It is exciting to learn a new dimension of the organization. Emily is interviewing and we are praying that God will provide a job that Emily can enjoy. Anyways, I know this is a short update but just wanted to post something. Here are some pics of our last few weekends.

Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Shawn