On hiatus...

I've been slack. I know. New post coming soon. Until then, check this out.

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=593402085&n=2

The Original Groop

Antena: Camino Del Sol & To Climb The Cliff
taken from: Camino del Sol (1983, Crepuscule)

I really don't know much about these guys except that they were French and released only one album in the early 80s. Therefore, I've posted the liner notes below. I will tell you this though, the album is amazing! Stereolab must have listened to Camino del Sol constantly. The two tracks I've posted will reflect that. Antena mixed bossa nova, electronics, drum machines, and French pop all into one tight little package. These tracks, and the album, are truly timeless. Enjoy!

"This record almost didn't happen. It was an accident. A cheap gamble. A $4.99 lottery ticket marked vg++.

I knew nothing about "Camino del Sol" when I saw it sitting misfiled in my local record shop's "psych/garage" bin, but there was something about the elegant simplicity of its jacket that said, "This record will probably get you laid." Thinking back, the record was probably tucked away on purpose by someone who forgot their wallet.

Upon first listen it was obvious that this wasn't a garage record. Drum machines, synths and harpsichord do not a garage record make. Instead, I was treated to a lush mix of "Desafinado Plays" and "Autobahn" misted with a French pop sensibility. The 12" ep was flipped over and over throughout that weekend. Friends dropped by only to have to listen to me gush about Antena until they begged me to play it. They were forced to sit my sofa while I pontificated about it being the kind of music you listen to while playing cards.

Over the next few weeks I began compiling information about antena and their label Les Disques du Crepuscule. All told, what I discovered would only fill one side of a standard 3x5 note card; double spaced.

John Foxx, who produced their first single (included here), was the heart of the later highjacked-by-Midge Ure Ultravox, who, while a great and utterly representative band of its time, appear most often as a footnote in music history chiefly because Brian Eno produced one of their albums. Crepuscule had a brief partnership with Factory Records in the early 80s called Factory Benelux which produced a number of fascinating records by Crispy Ambulance, The Durutti Column, Section 25, and alt-dance pioneers A Certain Ratio. But beyond that, there wasn't a hell of a lot to go on. No real contact information existed and my knowledge of Belgian geography was, let's say, minimal. The project was at a complete standstill until I stumbled across Frank Brinkhaus' insanely detailed website dedicated to Factory, which conveniently enough had just enough information about Antena to send me spinning in the right direction. It took me eight months of absolutely pummeling my then employer Rykodisc to agree to release the record, and I was heartbroken when they finally decided at the last minute to pull the plug. Their loss; our gain.

The original "Camino Del Sol" comprised only five songs. But still, in the short two years they functioned as a band they'd recorded over a dozen tracks that surfaced on compilations and 45s. All of those tracks have here been compiled, re-mastered, and re-sequenced and the original artwork preserved.

So here it is, the definitive version of "Camino Del Sol." Before there was Air or Stereolab or Bebel Gilberto, there were three French kids running around the streets of Brussels making a record that no one wanted to hear. Amazingly, it sounds like it was recorded last week. Will it get you laid? Who knows? Try it. If it doesn't work you can always listen to it while you're playing cards. Maybe you'll get lucky there."

Deodat-O-Matic

Eumir Deodato: September 13
taken from: Prelude (CTI, 1972)

Eumir Deodato: Skyscrapers
taken from: Deodato 2 (CTI, 1973)

Eumir Deodato: Whirlwinds
taken from: Whirlwinds (MCA, 1974)

Brazilian-born arranger/composer, Eumir Deodato, was fucking golden during the 1970s. He was on a roll, and couldn't be touched. He released album upon album full of the kind of music that gets me hard. Part jazz, part funk, part pop, part cheese...all balls to the wall grooviness. Don't dismiss this stuff just because your hipster "jazz purist" dipshit of a boyfriend told you that it belongs in the same bin as Kenny G, because it doesn't. This is some raw headphone sex type shit, baby! Simply put those puppies on your head, and let it rape your mind.

"September 13" is a nice jazzy track with just enough funk added to get your head bobbing a bit. Before you know it the song is over, leaving you wanting more.

I was lucky enough to find a copy of Deodato 2 on vinyl at a Goodwill when I was in high school. Not that it's rare or anything, but back then I felt I had found the Holy Grail. It hasn't left my possession since. We'll have to wait and see about the whole eternal life thing, I guess. "Skyscrapers" would fit in perfectly on some cheesy 70s crime drama soundtrack. Think Starsky & Hutch type shit.

Finally, we move onto "Whirlwinds". It's 8 minutes of groovy cocaine-fueled jazz/funk jam. It keeps gaining momentum until you think your fucking nuts are going to fly off. Hold off on the Red Bulls while listening to this lest you want to have a stroke or possibly a heart attack. It would suck for your family to learn you were killed by Deodato. Trust me.

Nyah Rock

Cymande: Mighty Heavy Load & Dove
taken from: The Message (Castle, 1999)

I figure I might as well get it over with and include my blog's namesake in my first official audio post. Cymande (pronouced Sah-mahn-day) was a 70s funk band based out of London. They are often compared to the likes of Mandrill, Slave, Malo, and War but definitely had a sound all their own. The founding members were from the Caribbean, which resulted in more of a reggae/tropical feel to their music rather than a Latin one. Over their career they released four albums total, all of which are worth having in my opinion.

In 1999, Castle released The Message which compiled Cymande's first three albums along with 3 unreleased tracks. One of these unreleased tracks is "Mighty Heavy Load". I thought it was the perfect name for this blog. There were other names I considered, but that's a whole 'nother post.

The second track, "Dove", is a 10 minute instrumental groove from their selftitled first album probably best known as the track sampled by the Fugees for their song "The Score".

Enjoy. This is only the beginning!

I suppose a quick introduction is as good a place as any to begin this thing. First off, my name is Josh. Music has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. My musical tastes started to truly take form when I started DJing in college at the University of Georgia's student run radio station, 90.5FM WUOG. When you are bombarded with that much music that you are not accustomed to, things start to creep their way into your head and get stuck there. I was like a sponge absorbing every little bit of music I could get my hands and ears on. The rest is history.

Through the years, music has remained a strong passion of mine. Every job I've tried to keep has, in some way, related to music. I've had other jobs in the past that had nothing to do with music, and I ended up hating each and every one. The only jobs I've ever enjoyed had to do with music, so I've made it my goal to keep it that way.

Currently, I work at a record store named Ella Guru. I won't lie to you, I don't make tons of money. A majority of the time I barely manage to scrape by. But I'm happy, and that's all that really matters. I truly love my job, and that is something not everyone can say.

Because I don't make much money, it's led me to find other means to satisfy my music habit. A large part of my CD needs is covered by stuff that comes through the store, but that's not always enough for me. What I'm trying to say is that I've turned to the dark side. At least that's what the folks in the suits want you to think. I'm talking about downloading. I've been doing it for years now, even back when it was still legal. It's evolved so much nowadays. In a lot of ways it's not as easy as it was, but in other ways it's even easier. You just have to know where to look. Just like buying drugs, you've got to have a good reliable hook-up. Anyone who knows me views me as the guy who can find just about anything. If it's out there then I can find it.

That's where this blog comes into play. I want to share this collection I have amassed over the years. I want others to be turned on to the same music that I've taken for granted. If I can do that one simple thing, then I will have succeeded. That is my goal, so let us all sit back and enjoy the ride...