OurStage – a brand new way to discover and enjoy the best new artists and the best new music – as determined by you.
OurStage – a brand new way to discover and enjoy the best new artists and the best new music – as determined by you.
India and B. Rhyan of Astronauts of Antiquity are kind of like Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan from When Harry Met Sally—emphasis on kind of. If Meg Ryan was a seductive lounge songstress and Billy Crystal a virtuosic guitarist, the analogy would be much more accurate. As the pillars of AoA, the pair initially crossed paths at an airport while India was Continue reading ‘Omnivore’s Delight 8: Astronauts of Antiquity’
Talk to the Mano: Domino Saints
If Domino Saints prove anything, it’s that a lot of sound can come from just a few people. The duo, comprised of singer Giselle Ojeda and percussionist David Leal, infuse their dance music with contemporary trends and vintage textures that span several cultures. Nothing is off limits in this melting pot. Expect anything from time-honored Latin traditions like bomba and plena to island music like reggae and dancehall, old school funk and soul and new school reggaeton.
Domino Saints’ Puerto Rican heritage is never more apparent than in their single, “Buenos Dias San Juan,” which won a Billboard World Songwriting Contest award and was featured as an iTunes single of the week. The song opens with guitars that nod to Isaac Hayes’ “Shaft” and a burping horn section that leads into a raw bomba groove. Sung in Spanish, the lyrics may be obscured to Gringos, but the message comes through loud and clear—standing still is not an option. On the subversive, darker funk track “Machiavelic,” Ojeda sings, “I’ve got a plan to take over the world / I’m gonna do it with music.” Let’s hope Domino Saints follow though on the threat.
The concept of a desert island disc is a bit far fetched. To begin, how the hell are you going to play an album if you are stranded on a desert island with no food, protection or life essentials, none the less electricity! I contemplated titling this post something similar to Rob’s “Top Five” lists from High Fidelity but that is another tricky endeavor. My tastes are always changing and the constant influx of new albums into my collection means old favorites continue to get bumped in favor of fresh slabs of wax. Simply put, it is impossible for me to create a condensed and small list of favorite albums. There are just too many. But for the sake of turning on readers to incredible masterpieces of music, I opted for desert island because if I were stranded with no help in sight, the raw power of Danser’s Inferno Creation One LP would keep me sane until help arrived.
Danser's Inferno LP
The back of the album states “Composer-arranger John Danser had an idea: combine the wildness of a hard-rock rhythm section with the structured harmonies of a brass choir.” Danser, who is credited with composing and arranging all the musical material on the album along with playing the tenor sax, amplified clarinet and flute, certainly had a keen ear for varied musical styles and was working under the radar in the music scene of the 1960s while attending the Manhattan School of Music. His network of the top New York musicians must have been expansive for he recruited a total of nine proficient brass instrumentalists to play on the album, with four solely representing on the trumpet and flugelhorn.
One of the reasons that Creation One is such a powerful album is the straightforwardness of its complexity. With its stunning horn arrangements, talented cast of completely unknown musicians and the booming vocals of an unknown singer by the name of Randy Maddison, one can wrap their hands around the sound. There is no over the top production or indications of overdubbing and post production tomfoolery- Just a hot and tasty platter filled with influences of jazz, rock, funk, soul, latin and orchestral epics.
“Sunday Morning,” the album’s dynamic opener, is a superb debut for a disc that shows a highly skilled ensemble of musicians coexisting harmoniously. The vocals are in top form on the track, hitting notes from low whispers to emotional cries of exuberance. This formula is heard throughout the disc as the band also spreads their sound in rising crests of rhythm, interchanging effortlessly between quiet passages and hard driving grooves.
1975 Reissue of Creation One
“Sombre Guitar” is the album’s most notable song in the wax community. Serious diggers who have unearthed this disc have catapulted this track into legendary status on compilations, mixes and live sets. Its latin-boogie flair makes for prime needle dropping during any funky set of music to get people down on the dance floor. “Inferno” is by far the most aptly named track on the disc for its backbone of congas and drums set a fierce tone as the horns flare up with intense peaks meant to scorch all who partake of the listening journey. The frenzied ticking of the organ and the guitar is finally heard in the foreground as the vocals bow out from this cut to allow for instrumental mayhem.
The momentum obtained on the A-Side is significant but the flip of this record further substantiates its desert island status. “Turning the Corner” is a flawless effort that runs the gamut from upbeat, poppier rock to straight up funk and soul grooves. The brass compositions are absolutely stellar and on par with some of the best heard in symphony halls around the world. The unique addition of these complex arrangements to rhythms rooted in rock and jazz is an incredible feat that only further showcases Danser’s talented ability. As for “Love, Rhythm of the World,” this is one of those songs that elicit goose bumps on my spine when Danser and his ensemble set the mood to allow the vocalist room to exhale an energetic and emotional repetition of the title on the track, tucked away at the end of the tune.
Creation One is a truly extraordinary album that can be listened to without interruption for each track offers incredible examples of talent at its finest. It’s an unprecedented record from the early 1970’s that has been raised to holy grail status in the digging world. A small, independent label repressed the album in 1975, only two years after its initial debut, but that is also hard to come by in today’s used vinyl market. I recently discovered that CDBaby.com has the entire album remastered and available for download and Amazon.com has a pre-order available for an Import release in November. It seems John Danser’s music is finally becoming accessible to the general public after decades of dormancy.
WFMU: The Biggest Record Show In The Country!
Looking to snag an original copy of this highly recommended LP? Well, the largest record show in the United States is coming to Manhattan TOMORROW! Come bump elbows and dig through crates with thousands upon thousands of record hungry customers being fed their fix of vinyl from hundreds of dealers. I’ve been hawking wax at the WFMU Record Fair for six years and counting and anticipate its yearly arrival more than my own birthday. Thinking of coming out to the event? Come by my booth and say hello. I am located directly next to the bar so you can grab a drink and maybe peruse my crates of hand selected, freshly picked platters of the finest nature. Looking for your own copy of Danser’s Inferno? I will never part with this sacred disc (remember, I need to keep it in case I get stranded on a desert island) but a little hustling, hunting and bargaining might get you an original copy from another dealer for under five hundred. Or just download the mp3s but promise you’ll buy a copy on vinyl if it gets a proper reissue.
Here is a link for all the information one needs about attending:
WFMU Record Fair 2009
Keep Digging For Holy Grails
-Gregorious-
P.S.- I paid fifty cents for my copy and it was the best two quarters I ever spent.
During the late 1960s into the mid 1970s, funk music reached its peak in terms of creativity and mainstream attention. Artists like James Brown, George Clinton and Sly Stone were just a few of the established musicians who carried the genre, though the heaviest grooves came from smaller groups who recorded singles that are now highly sought after collectibles. By the time disco emerged onto the scene and the foundational instruments of funk were replaced with synthesizers, the flame of getting down to a raw and gritty beat was extinguished. Funk had lost its way and its natural, hard hitting sound became murky and diluted. Only the true enthusiasts kept the spirit going through local and unknown bands and DJs who collected vinyl.
Enter Daptone Records and Mr. Gabriel Roth, the label’s co-founder and a serious collector of rare funk and soul 45’s. Believing that he was not alone in his desire to resurrect funk from its grave, he started Desco Records in the mid 1990s and recorded bare bone sessions with unknown musicians, releasing everything on seven inch singles. Financial troubles saw the demise of Desco in the late 1990s but this entrepreneur persevered, and with the help of Neil Sugarman, Daptone Records was born. With this act, these two vinyl junkies provided a home for an orphaned genre of music.
Daptone Records
What makes Daptone Records so unique in this day in age is their strong connection to the past. This connection is heard not just in the quality of music they release, but is seen by how they run their label. Everything they record is done with analog reel-to-reel tape, resulting in a sound that has been missing from music for decades. Every session they produce is followed by a proper 12” LP release, with a slew of seven inch singles highlighting the top tracks on the album. Roth and Daptone have been believers of the vinyl medium long before the recent resurgence sweeping the globe. In an entertaining MTV interview, Roth and Sugarman claim the label has sold over 30,000 seven inches since its inception, helping to fund the quest for vintage recording equipment and essentially maintaining the operations of an independent label in a cutthroat industry.
Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings
The crème of their catalog, and the reason for their commercial success, is the dynamic Sharon Jones and the label’s backing band, The Dap-Kings. Their stage presence, wardrobe and funky horn arrangements owe much to James Brown and his dynamic JB’s and just like the Godfather of Funk, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings know how to play for a crowd. To see them live is truly a mind-blowing experience. Witnessing an eight piece band packed into a club with a sold out crowd dancing until their sweat glands have bled dry is what funk is all about it.
Daptone is essentially resurrecting the sound that gave birth to funk music and exposing the genre to a fresh new audience. But instead of pigeonholing themselves, the label is spreading their reach further into the world of gospel, soul, R&B and world rhythms as well. Everything they record is available on seven inch, twelve inch and compact disc, making their discography enjoyable by DJs, vinyl collectors and digital music junkies alike.
Still not convinced? Check out the video for “100 Days, 100 Nights” and upon its completion, fire up your turntable and unleash a groove that has been bubbling after years of dormancy.
The Bamboos Bring On The Funk
Simultaneously, on the other side of the globe, The Bamboos have been laying down hard funk grooves since 2001 with the release of their first seven inch, “Eel Oil.” This multi- piece outfit from Australia invokes the same ass-shaking, foot stomping beats that Daptone has prided themselves on but does so in their own contemporary style. While each member of the group contributes an incredible amount of talent in constructing brilliant funk and soul numbers, Danny Farrugia’s fast-paced rhythm behind the drum kit holds down the backbone of the combo, similar to Homer Steinweiss of the Dap-Kings and legendary Jabo Starks of the JB’s. Check out The Bamboos’ brilliant video “King of the Rodeo” on their OurStage page and break out your turntable because all of their recordings are available on vinyl!
Keep Digging For That Funky Wax!
Welcome to the fourth installment of “Under Covers,” a biweekly column dedicated to exploring the musical possibilities of artists appreciating one another’s work on both the OurStage and national levels!
The month of September has always been a favorite of mine. Partly because it’s my birthday month, but more so because of the unique time of year it occupies. For students, it’s a reunion before classes get too serious, and in some ways just a prolonged continuation of summer fun. For sports fans, the MLB pennant race is heating up just as the NFL and NCAA football seasons get underway. And for us New England outdoor enthusiasts, the cooler temperatures and prematurely changing leaves make outside activities all the more enjoyable. Simply put, September is a month I look forward to all year long, so I have decided to honor it in this week’s edition of “Under Covers.”
Earth, Wind & Fire
A multitude of songs entitled “September” subsist in the land of tunage —both outside and inside the realm of OurStage. For the most part, they deal extensively with the two moods mentioned above; excitement with the dawn of a new season and relaxation with the soothing passage of a scalding summer. Perhaps offering the best sonic documentation this bliss can deliver is “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire.
EWF was a funk powerhouse in the 1970s. Bridging funk with gospel, rock, pop, and eventually disco, the band’s sound inevitably transformed into a hodgepodge of lovable genres; genres that proved pleasing in isolation but addicting in marriage. When these styles are crafted together by master arrangers, performed by fantastic musicians, sung with what is perhaps the sunniest falsetto on the face of the planet, the result is music magic. The first single off the band’s ARC label, “September” appeared at the end of the decade. Sung in past tense, it can be viewed as both a remembrance of nostalgic memories and/or motivation to look forward to the future. It is the perfect hybrid of sorts, combining the brass heavy funk groove of the early 70s with the straight ahead disco percussion audible in the latter years of the decade. Luckily, this song’s euphoric energy has not gone unnoticed in the realm of OurStage.
Panache Band
In my opinion, the best cover of this song on the site is performed by OurStage artist Panache Band. They open the song with solo piano instead of two guitars like the original, allowing the listener to hear all moving parts in one place. Moreover, the method of recording used for this introduction, and the addition of dissonant notes, makes the piano sounds natural and sophisticated. They alter the brass as well, manipulating the opening horn riff just enough to make it unique from the original, a trend that develops throughout the piece; similar sounding enough to create the same energy and feeling, but imaginative enough to gloat about its own knack. The most unattainable disparity between this rendition and the 1979 version is the singing. Obviously, Maurice White’s vocal ability is nearly impossible to replicate. Instead of trying to perfect the falsetto, Panache Band singer Johan belts the lyrics out in a lower octave. And though at first this may seem like a cop out, it adds a raspy strength to the vocal line that’s absent in the original. Besides, the overflowing brass section adequately compensates for any lacking high frequencies. Lastly, they lay the icing on the funk cake with quietly lurking organ riffs throughout—a perfect wildcard addition to make the song their own.
Fiona Apple
Laying low on the other side of the September musical mood spectrum is Fiona Apple. This woman has worn many musical masks throughout her all too brief career, yet no matter the mask one thing remains understood: Fiona Apple is a musical and lyrical genius. Whether softly lamenting about personal issues or viciously berating ex lovers, this woman has the rare artistic ability to make it known that her feelings are genuine without overdoing it. Her song “Pale September” is two faced; one half summer fading into darkness “As the embers of the summer lost their breath and disappeared/ my heart went cold and only hollow rhythms/ resounded from within,” and the latter half revolving around letting her guard down “And my winter giving way to warm/ I’m singing him to sleep.” As a whole, the song is about her personality growing cold and protected with the departure of summer’s sun, then re-blossoming once more with a beautifully naïve man entering into her life, a man whose innocence allows her to recover an innocent part of herself previously thought to have vanished during adolescence. The end product of these separate parts is an emollient resolve; a chanteuse capable of peacefully sitting back and watching the leaves change, content with the way things are.
As the opening lyrics to “Pale September” will suggest, Ms. Apple was on the path to depression until her hero appeared. Because topics of hopelessness and skepticism are found in all music, I thought it would be healthy to have an OurStage artist with songs of hopelessness cover a heartwarming song originally composed by an artist who once came from the same perspective. As a child, OurStage artist Julie Peel would go on daylong bicycle excursions into the country, always returning as promised at the end of the day. It’s my guess that this is how she chose to unwind.
Julie Peel
But, as her song “Unfold” implies, the act of relaxing and looking towards the future has become increasingly trying with age: “I feel lost/ lost like I’ve never been before/ I can’t unfold and my dreams all gone and buried.” Covering Fiona’s soothing “Pale September” might help to ease some of her doubts. Using the same instrumentation she employs on “Unfold,” I would have her replace Apple’s piano with her own guitar. Yes, translating Apple’s complex chords and intricate passing tones to six strings would prove a gargantuan task, so slightly simplified voicing would suffice. Besides, the song might sink even a little further into the relaxation ambience if the chords were diluted. I also like the idea of transplanting the minimal percussion from “Unfold” (tambourine, brushes, hand and bass drums) over to “Pale September.” Apple’s percussive piano playing does enough on its own to keep the song moving, these background noises would just lend the song some percussive texture. There is a gorgeous but barely audible mallet instrument put to use in “Pale September.” Not completely distinguishable from the other, louder instruments, it deserves more attention. To remedy this, I would swap it for the synthesized harp sound in the choruses of “Unfold,” an instrument with a larger range that would resonate above all the other mid-frequency tones in the song. I think the strings in Fiona’s work are arranged flawlessly, but they could be expanded upon. During the break between every chorus and verse, the cello does nothing but trudge on the same two notes repeatedly. I would have the string players from Peel’s group shake them up a little bit during these repeated instrumental spans, show off their sonically decorous abilities.
The ninth month of the ninth year in this new millennium is finally upon us. Go celebrate it with your favorite September songs! If you have a topic for “Under Covers” or know artists that you would like to cover or be covered, leave a comment about them below!
