Five Albums #2: Murry Sweetpants

It just made sense for me ol' mate Murry Sweetpants to contribute #2 in the 'Five Albums' series.

I've been mucking around the fringes of Murry's life for some years now; as Trusted Friends we've put on shows in New Zealand featuring Roy Ayers, Norman Jay, Alice Russell, Crazy P and others; we've both been involved in Radio Ponsonby, George FM and now Base FM; and we've DJed together more times than we care to count.

Murry's one of life's good guys, and it's a great pleasure to be considered a friend.

As for his taste in music? Well, I'll leave that up for you to decide...

FIVE ALBUMS #2
Murry Sweetpants
Five Albums: I Can't Get Enough Of Right Now

Shit Robot
We Got A Love

Sketchy name - killer tunes. Back in 2000 an Irishman named Marcus Lambkin teamed up to DJ with James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. Not a bad guy to have on your side. This is the follow up album to 2010's From The Cradle To The Rave, and falling in with the DFA crew means having people like Nancy Whang at your disposal. Chuck in Reggie Watts as a guest on a couple of tracks too - can't lose.

If this girds your loins, be sure to check out the new Hercules and Love Affair album too!

Fave track: 'Do That Dance'

Z Records Presents
Ibiza 2014
Various Artists

I'm not sure if you've heard or not, but during June/July I made somewhat of a pilgrimage to DJ Mecca, the 'White Isle' of Ibiza. I'd been warned that it would blow my mind, however it was beyond expectation - it's like another planet, a planet filled with sunshine, sweet tunes and smiles. You simply must go once in your life.

Dave Lee's Z Records have compiled a bloody beautiful aural slice of Mediterranean life for their summer season. If you're a fan of the many incarnations of "Joey Negro", there's plenty of options outta the twenty-two tracks on this compilation. We're a long way from thirty degrees and bikinis in the club here in wintry ol' NZ, so turning this up nice n' loud while in front of an open fire in your undies is about as good as it's gonna get in this 'hood.

Fave track: Kiko Navarro and DJ Fudge 'So Tight'

Horse Meat Disco IV
Various Artists 

Can't deny them homos know how to have a good time - the legendary Sunday night party has been going strong for nigh on ten years in London and that Disco sound has re-spread like a virus across the world - it's been a two year wait since the last Horse Meat Disco comp and this one is more fruity than ever before. The HMD collective consists of DJs/producers James Hilliard, Severino, Jim Stanton and Luke Howard, and their bio states they are dedicated to the industry of human happiness - more of this in the world right now thanks.

Fave track: L'Amour with Krystal 'Let's Make Love Tonight'

Nightmares On Wax
N.O.W. Is The Time

Twenty-five years is a really long time to do anything - let alone absolutely killer tunes over and over again. This is a best of collection from George Evelyn aka DJ Ease - and it's all killer, no filler. I saw the beautifully packaged wax box set briefly at Real Groovy before it was snaffled away by a member of the staff who shall remain un-named. Damn him for getting the jump on me. Order one if you can.

Fave track: can't be done - too many gems.

Chromeo
White Women

Canadians! Funky, funky Canadians. A few years back Dave1 and P-Thugg played R&V. The live set was as awesome as I figured they would be and the latest offering from these guys has been well worth the wait. I love that as well as infectiously groovy beats, the lyrics across the album are a bit cheeky and naughty too. Lotsa collaborations with interesting cats like Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig and Toro Y Moi as well.

Further confirmation of the fact these guys are a little out of the ordinary: they unveiled the cover art and release date for the album via a missed connections ad on Craigslist on Valentines Day.

Check out the choice video clip for 'Come Alive' if you remember that flick Mannequin from back in 1987. Also worth a look is the Chromeo edition of the DJ Kicks! compilation series. Superb.

Fave track: 'Over Your Shoulder'

Review: The Boogie Vol. 3

Various Artists
THE BOOGIE VOL. 3
[Tokyo Dawn Records]

Boogie. A widely mis-used word. Rather like 'disco', which has so many negative connotations it actively scares some folks off using it. The word 'boogie' has many different meanings to many different people. Some music lovers might think of the guitar-led, foot-stompin' 12-bar workouts of ZZ Top or Lynyrd Skynyrd; while some would associate it with the likes of Dam Funk or perhaps Chromeo; while others still would refer us all back to Kleeer or Zapp for some schooling. Consistently strong independent label Tokyo Dawn though, point us in another direction. The Boogie Vol. 3 is a 17-song compilation which assembles a slice of boogie circa-2012, with selections from across the globe (Coco Solid open the comp with Wow). From the J Dilla-esque bounce of Get Up by Rakotep (aka Stacey Epps and Astronote) to Blaktroniks' sultry nu soul number It's All Right Now, featuring a suitably seductive sounding Alicia Rae aka Blue Eyes; from Colonel Red's banging (and almost bruq) The Riddle, to the mad-sounding '80s drum machines and distorted vocals of Erik Rico's epic Electromagnetic; and anything that has Opolopo involved in any way ( !! ), The Boogie Vol. 3 is varied and strong. While there's an undeniable influence of hip hop in many of the tracks, the weirdness and funk shine through and keep the boogie front and centre. Essentially, if spaced-out p-funk, lush vocals and soulful hip hop sounds like your bag, you need to check this. It's boogie, but perhaps not as we've known it.

4 stars from 5

Check out some snippets from the album below, or go to the Tokyo Dawn site here.


Tokyo Dawn Records - The Boogie Volume 3 by Tokyo Dawn Records

Bumps: Daryl Hall & Chromeo 'I Can't Go For That'

Would you trust these men? Not with your daughter, perhaps, but almost certainly with your ears; as this is Daryl Hall (yes, from Hall & Oates) and Patrick Gemayel (from Chromeo), who recently jammed together on this Bump. And what a bump...

Radio Ponsonby Record Review: Chromeo 'Business Casual'

CHROMEO
Business Casual
[Universal]

The world is a serious place. Just like the world, music can be a serious place, too. Some musicians who seem to be trying to have fun even manage to take that a little too seriously. Hair metal, anyone...?

Nobody could accuse Montreal duo Chromeo of taking themselves too seriously.

Nor of playing hair metal, as these guys peddle a brand of shiny, party-starting plastic-funk & electro-pop that's been tearing up indie dancefloors worldwide since their debut album She's In Control - or more correctly, the huge single Needy Girl - through their "mainstream breakthrough" follow up Fancy Footwork.

Now some 6yrs since that debut album & with some seriously fun globe-trotting (Glastonbury, Reading, Leeds, Fujirock, Lollapalooza, Coachella, Bonnaroo, etc.) under their designer belts, P-Thugg & Dave 1, aka Chromeo, return with an album that shows the pair are far more than a loving (& rockin') homage/tribute/rip-off of Hall & Oates, Klymaxx, Zapp & Sylvester.

Business Casual still has moments that deeply pierce the dancefloor jugular, but many of the songs here have been carefully stripped back, allowing the pair's growing songwriting abilities room to breathe. Sure, there's plenty of dazzling fretwork from guitarist Dave 1 (French Literature PhD & brother of DJ wunderkind A-Trak) & P-Thugg's talkbox is still prominent, but somehow the cheese gets soaked up amongst the songwriting: the lyrics here are simple, efficient & clean, much like the music itself.

Perhaps Chromeo have chosen to slow down a little with Business Casual. That's not to say they won't be flashing their fancy footwork all over the floor this NYE at Rhythm & Vines, as they undoubtedly will; but these ears will be listening long after they've left our shores.

Scratch the surface of Business Casual & you'll expose bodywork with a little more substance than first appearances would suggest. A grow-er AND a show-er.


In A Nutshell: seriously fun plastic-funk-pop with more than a side of sophisticated songwriting
Nyntee's Rating: SEVEN & A HALF leggy mannequins out of TEN

Watch Chromeo performing live on Letterman here...

Check out the Radio Ponsonby Record Review with 90, on Murry Sweetpants' Breakfast Show every Wednesday around 8.25am, on 107.7FM. Thanks to the Longroom!