In The Pocket

10 February 2012

Interview: Erykah Badu

ANALOG GIRL IN A DIGITAL WORLD

After fifteen years in the music business, Erykah Badu remains a fiercely indpendent spirit and genuinely inspiring artist. From the multi-platinum success of her 1997 debut Baduizm to collaborations with Dilla, Madlib and Flying Lotus - and her three famous "Baby Daddies" - she confidently walks her own path. VOLUME spoke with her prior to her first visit to New Zealand...

Erykah Badu is as famous for her deeply spiritual - some would say seriously weird - personal beliefs and influence on former partners Common and Andre3000, as she is for her award-winning debut album, Baduizm and the impressive run of releases that followed it, but it really is her music that makes her a true original.

Her sensual blend of soul, hip hop and R&B allied to an undeniably sassy and classy attitude and exotic good looks has set her apart from the pack for more than a decade. It began with a debut album which exposed Badu to the kind of attention most folks would've struggled to deal with - but Erykah Badu is definitely not most folks: "I think it would've been difficult if I hadn't been aware what business I was getting into, because you get into the music industry, you gotta sell units," Badu states, "Then when something wonderful like gaining a cult following, multi-platinum sales and all that stuff happens, that's some extra shit! I had my year like that in '97: won about fifteen awards, two albums came out, met the love of my life - one of 'em - I had a son the same day my second album came out, met The Roots, started the Soulquarians; it was an amazing time for me.Just think: I had my whole life to write my first album. I took my time, and I feel I was rewarded greatly for something."

She pauses, gathering her thoughts: "But even with the career I've been afforded, the large platform I've been given and the great spotlight, we still have to keep evolving in everyday life. I've learned that, no matter what your position is, you still have a responsibility to the people around you and closest to you. My focus is on my evolving."

Part of that evolution has involved collaborating with artists like Common, Dilla, The Roots - all of whom Badu took both musical and personal pleasure from working with: "Common came to my place in Brooklyn one time, and we connected very, very well, became best friends," Badu says, "With The Roots, I had Baduizm, but I didn't have the song I thought would round the album out. So I got on the train, went to Philly, met with Amir and stayed at his house for a couple weeks, and came through with the rest of the album."

She continues: "I got to meet amazing people just doing that: Dilla. Madlib. Bilal. D'Angelo. Sa-Ra. Jill Scott. It connects like that. I think people who vibrate at the same frequency, vibrate toward each other. They call it, in science, sympathetic vibrations."

This was the Erykah Badu I was hoping to hear more from and, as it turned out, she didn't need a lot of encouraging: "I don't know if it's because I just turned 40, but my mind's in another, totally different place now, I don't really give a fuck about anything right now - in the best kinda way," she chuckles, "But since the earth is taking its polar shifts, as it does every 2500 years, it does something weird to the earth's core, makes it heat up and you get these different disasters and things."

"The Mayans said in 2012 there would be a shift, or an ending, or a beginning, or a return of something, and I think it co-relates with what's going on with the planet. Because we are earthlings, very much connected with the planet, made of the same carbon and hydrogen and oxygen as the planet's made of, it's quite natural for us to behave the same way - it's a recalibration."

While Badu's explanations for the turmoil of recent years goes some way to justifying her out-there reputation, it seems there is a growing reaction to perceived injustices globally, from established protest groups to ordinary folks. "I don't know a lot of details about what's going on politically," she admits, "I just feel that our children's minds are a lot different to ours. That's a result of being born in this age and time and frequencies where there's karma that's had oxygen and boron and all those other chemicals that are vital to our bodies, so I think our children are in a more unique, concentrated state."

"We're evolving as a race and as a planet, and I do hope there's some sort of rebirth," she concludes, "But not without the labour pains first."

Considered words from a woman entering her fifth decade, a mother-of-three who has seen more of the world and the people in it than most, and experienced first-hand how harsh the glare of the spotlight can be. Analog Girl in a Digital World maybe, but there can be no doubt Erykah Badu is fully prepared to stand up for what she believes in. We could learn a lot from her.

Interview originally appeared in VOLUME magazine...

ESSENTIAL ERYKAH

'Apple Tree' (1997) from Baduizm
Where it all began...

'Call Tyrone' (1997) from Live
Has a "diss" ever been delivered with such sophistication as this?

The Roots featuring Erykah Badu 'You Got Me' (1999) from Things Fall Apart
After the record label baulked at Jill Scott's involvement, Erykah re-recorded Jill's part and a classic was born - and Jill and Erykah are still friends too.

Guru featuring Erykah Badu 'Plenty' (2000) from Guru's Jazzmatazz
Listen to this track and try not to fall completely in love. We bet you can't.

'Bump It' (2003) from Worldwide Underground
Her languid, lyrical vocals in full effect on a track so laidback it's almost sideways.

Erykah Badu with Common 'Love Of My Life (Ode To Hip Hop)' (2003) from Brown Sugar OST / bonus track from Worldwide Underground
A pairing of the two most conscious artists in hip hop - also romantically involved at the time.

'Turn Me Away (Get MuNNY)' (2010) from New Amerykah Part Two: Return Of The Ankh
A loose-limbed monster groove sampling the Roy Ayers/Sylvia Striplin classic 'You Can't Turn Me Away'.

01 February 2012

Review: Julien Dyne 'Glimpse'

JULIEN DYNE
Glimpse
[BBE/Wonderful Noise]

Dilla sure has a lot to answer for. I'm not (necessarily!) saying Dilla was not (one of!) the G.O.A.T., but I am saying he has spawned a helluva lot of imitators and copycats. Most innovators do, right? Sure, but the problem with his signature beat-heavy, vibe-laden, head-nod style is that you need to have an ear for clever arrangement of the elements in order to keep the listener engaged. Dilla did it brilliantly. Others? Not so much. Julien Dyne? Most of the time, yes, and sometimes with aplomb. Glimpse is Dyne's second full-length solo album, and while it's certainly an exciting progression from his debut, Pins & Digits, it is a continuation of the same feel. It it ain't broke, I guess. Don't get me wrong, he does this style better than most and there are some killer cuts here, like the standout Borritoe, with its rich, shimmering layers recalling Tortoise at their most gorgeous. Others like Koln3 benefit from a straight-ahead groove and monster bass line, while Inner Duplex 2 slides eerily by like some kind of futuristic funeral march for abandoned Atari consoles. Almost midway through Ernst (Rutherford 121) offers a welcome tempo change, but is followed by Rago, Creebin' and Looseends, all of which - as likeable as they most definitely are - provide strong evidence Glimpse works better as a collection of beats than as an album. Having said that, guest spots from vocalists Ladi6 and Parks, Mara TK (Electric Wire Hustle), She's So Rad aka longtime Dyne collaborator Jeremy Toy (Opensouls) and Claire Duncan (Dear Times Waste) add a unique colour. Though there are nineteen tracks in total, the longest doesn't breach the four minute mark and the whole thing's over within fifty minutes, but - and you knew there was a but coming, didn't you? - I'm still left wanting more Dyne, and less Dilla, 'cos there's plenty of Dilla. Which means die-hard beat-heads will probably dig the shit out of it.

3 and 1/2 stars from 5

Check a peek of the album here or on the BBE website.

31 January 2012

Interview: Mayer Hawthorne

A GENTLEMAN'S ARRANGEMENT

The story of the beginnings of Mayer Hawthorne is a good one: performing hip hop music as DJ Haircut, he gave a couple of blue-eyed soul sounding tracks "as a joke" to Stones Throw Records boss Peanut Butter Wolf - who then asked Hawthorne to record a whole album in that style. On the eve of his world tour, VOLUME magazine spoke with the man born Andrew Cohen about being Mayer.

"It was a little daunting at first, for sure," says Cohen, speaking about recording his debut, "But people are really smart and they can sense when something is real and something is fake, so I knew I had to just really be myself."

I'm really glad he brought it up. One of the peculiar things about using different aliases when making music is when only one of the aliases is lauded. The idea of the wonky-angled baseball-cap wearing hip hop DJ Haircut becoming the sharp-dressed ladies man Mayer Hawthorne - essentially overnight - is fascinating, but has seen Cohen's authenticity come into question. "If I was playing a character, well, I'm not a good actor, so I think people would've seen through that and it wouldn't have worked like it did."

Beyond the challenge of writing an albums' worth of material in one defined style, there was also the small matter of fronting a band for the first time. "It was something I'd never really done! I'd never been the lead singer of any group." Cohen had been the bass player, the beatmaker, the one who provided a canvas for the frontmen to paint over. "It was definitely something that took a lot of getting used to, but I had to bite the bullet, dive in to the deep end head first and say 'Am I gonna do this or not?'"

There's little doubt he did it. The first track Cohen wrote as Mayer Hawthorne was also his lead single and an absolute gem. Just Ain't Gonna Work Out was part-Dilla, part-Smokey Robinson, yet all fresh. The door opened to considerable success - and this is where it gets interesting: is it possible for someone who has found such success in one style to progress that sound without losing their fanbase? Cohen thinks so: "That was kind of the main focus for the new album. I thought to myself why am I making this music with just one style, when I grew up listening to every style of music? I was really proud of the new record, I felt like it wasn't retro-soul, it wasn't throwback-soul, it wasn't new-soul - it was Mayer Hawthorne. I felt like I found my own sound on this record."

That Mayer Hawthorne sound is rooted in his upbringing. "Detroit is the shit, man! It's a beautiful place with a lot of creativity, and a lot of amazing culture. It's also a really hard-working, blue-collar place to live, so I'm really grateful for that work ethic that was instilled in me early on."

Cohen grew up in Ann Arbour, Michigan, with an incredibly supportive family."I was really blessed to grow up in a musical household. My Pops taught me to play bass when I was six years old and he still plays in a band in the Detroit area to this day. My Pops was a huge influence on me, of course, he still is!" There's a great piece of footage on YouTube of Mayer Hawthorne and band performing in the Cohen family basement at halftime during the SuperBowl final (there was a massive uproar in the US when Nickelback were announced as the official halftime "entertainment"), with "Pops" on bass.

From a tight family unit growing up to signing with Stones Throw for his debut album, Cohen has had great support as he has become Mayer Hawthorne. "I still talk to Peanut Butter Wolf almost every day, man! Stones Throw are like a family, and I think that's part of the magic of it, you know, that Dam-Funk and Wolf and James Pants and I can go to the record store together and dig for records, and it has nothing to do with releasing our music or performing, it's about our shared love for music."

Ever the gentleman, Cohen has convincingly - and with considerable class - let me know that Mayer Hawthorne is as real as it gets. How do you do?

Interview by David Carroll

FIVE INFLUENTIAL RECORDS FROM MAYER HAWTHORNE'S POPS' COLLECTION

Earth, Wind & Fire 'Let's Groove' (1981)
"That was a huge record for me as a kid."

The Police 'Synchronicity' (1983)
"I remember that was the first record that I actually bought with my own money. It was on cassette tape and because it was my Dad's cassette, and I'd played it so much I wore it out and it snapped, and he made me buy him another one!"

The Beatles 'Rubber Soul' (1965) and 'Help!' (1965)
"My Dad's favourite is definitely 'Rubber Soul' so that was probably the first one that he put me onto; but I remember the 'Help!' soundtrack too. I really loved that one as a kid. There was just something about those tunes that just really connected with me as a little shorty."

The Doobie Brothers 'Minute By Minute' (1978)
"That was a big record for me growing up."

Steely Dan 'Aja' (1977)
"Steely Dan are one of my favourite groups of all time. Man, I got a chance to see Donald Fagen play with Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs out here, and that was one of the most epic moments of my life, seeing them all play together!"

Original interview and sidebar appeared in Volume magazine issue #20
Go check out the whole issue here.
For more on Mayer Hawthorne, try here.
For more about the New Zealand shows, click here.

29 January 2012

Review: Frank Booker Boogie Tape

Various Artists
FRANK BOOKER BOOGIE TAPE
Compiled and Mixed by Frank Booker
[Independent]

SoundCloud really is a bloody marvellous thing. DJs, producers and musicians can upload their tunes, edits and mixes onto their own page on the site for Joe Blow to listen to in his/her own time. Perhaps it's the simplicity which makes it so attractive. Whatevers. The reason I'm blathering on about this (and I probably should acknowledge that if you've made it as far as reading my blog, you inevitably already know wtf SoundCloud is...) is that I've recently been spending a lot more time on the site, and would like to begin sharing some of the goodness I regularly stumble upon. Starting right here: the Frank Booker Boogie Tape is a 50+min "pause tape" of classics soul and boogie tunes from the likes of The Jones Girls, Deodato, Chanson, Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, Unlimited Touch, Central Line and many, many others - there's even an MJ tune (in the form of the classy, understated Todd Terje edit), all lovingly put together by Mr Booker himself. I can't fault a single selection, as they're all top drawer stuff. Get amongst this mix and cop his vinyl releases on Wonderful Noise, Untracked, Fine Art and Sleazy Beats.

4 stars from 5

Check out the whole tape here and you can even download it for free.
Also worth a gander is the Hit It and Quit It Radio Revue Vol. 1, compiled and mixed by Recloose and Frank Booker.

Playlist: George FM 'In The Pocket' Sun 29 Jan

24 January 2012

Review: Jonti 'Sine & Moon'

JONTI
Sine & Moon
[Stones Throw]

Sine & Moon was first made available as a Stones Throw podcast when promoting new signing, South African-born, Australian-resident Jonti Danilewitz, and his debut album Twirligig. The response was so good that Jonti stretched it into a full-length album - with extras and new mixes - which he's now giving away for free. Which is definitely not a sign of the quality found within. While ostensibly a collection of unused tracks and remixes of early songs, Sine & Moon is a coherent and completely engaging album, which blends Madlib, Panda Bear, Stereolab and The Beach Boys into a South Pacific beat stew. Originally recorded on 4-track, the song structures are anything but lo-fi, with a subtlety of arrangement that hints at remarkable things to come. Fans of those musicians mentioned above - along with Savath + Savalas, Julien Dyne and The Avalanches - will find much to enjoy here. Experimental, yet entirely accessible. The kid's done good.

4 stars from 5

"When I think of how to write about Jonti's music, I don't feel like writing at all. I feel like drawing a picture, with watercolours and maybe crayon - colourful, abstract, youthfully curiuos and open to interpretation. Maybe then I'd staple, glue or nail some found objects to it, recontextualising their intended purpose into something strange and beautiful." Jeremy Sole (Radio Host, KCRW, L.A.)

Check out Jonti performing live in the Stones Throw warehouse here.
Download Sine & Moon for free here. Thanks Stones Throw!

22 January 2012

Playlist: George FM 'In The Pocket' Sun 22 Jan

16 January 2012

Playlist: George FM 'In The Pocket' Sun 15 Jan

13 January 2012

Review: Dub Asylum 'Stereo Freeze'

DUB ASYLUM
Stereo Freeze
[Loopy Fruit Recordings]

Dub Asylum is the nom de produceur for Peter McLennan (of noted '90s NZ noisesters Hallelujah Picassos). Stereo Freeze gathers six tracks, old and new, which were recently threatened with permanent deletion thanks to a manky old hard drive. Freed of their former confines, they each stack up very nicely against Dub Asylum's past work. Melodica features heavily on opener Jumping Jack Skank (amid spacious echoes and a bouncing reggae beat) and on the dark, heavily percussive Get It Together (sounding like the theme music for a Jamaican version of James Bond); and the instrumental EP features appearances from Chip Matthews (Opensouls, Anika Moa) and Olly Harris (WBC/Kolab). McLennan belies his Picassos roots with plenty of genres peeking out from between the sweet reggae grooves - Skatta lays down slow-motion Afrobeat grooves for a horn-heavy skank to drape itself over - but dub really is the glue holding this excellent release together.

4 stars from 5
David Carroll

10 January 2012

Bumps: Fat Freddy's Drop 'Shiverman' (Soane remix)

Gee, I hope I don't get in trouble for this! The hard-to-find Soane remix of Fat Freddy's Drop's scorcher Shiverman is a masterclass in tension and release - and a track I seem to get asked about both on radio and live quite often. Apparently it's a tough one to locate, so feast your ears here and enjoy!

And to Soane: get better soon, bro, our thoughts and wishes are with you and yours...

08 January 2012

Playlist: George FM 'In The Pocket' Sun 8 Jan

Raphael Saadiq as Ray Ray | This One

Anthony Hamilton v Groove Corp | Where I'm From (Hammy's Theme)

Erykah Badu | Honey (Grant Phabao remix)

Etta James | Let's Straighten It Out

Choklate | Bigger Than You

Roy Ayers | Liquid Love

Marvin Gaye | Let's Get It On (Bost & Bim remix)

Althea & Donna | Uptown Top Ranking

Dawn Penn | You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)

Erykah Badu | On & On (Taggy Matcher remix)

Dr Dre with Snoop | Next Episode (Taggy Matcher remix)

Biggie Smalls | Hypnotize (Taggy Matcher remix)

Rayko | Broadway (Rayko edit)

Late Night Tuff Guy | Come Inside Me (Late Night Tuff Guy rework)

Sunfire | Young, Free & Single

Chet Faker | No Diggity

Up, Bustle & Out | Hip Hop Barrio

Butch Cassidy Sound System | Cissy Strut

The Black Seeds | Make A Move

The Odd Couple | Sunshine

Gazeebo | Moneybags

Slynk | Everyday Poppa

Kon & The Gang | Sunshine

04 January 2012

Playlist: George FM 'All 45s Drive' Tue 3 Jan

There's been a little interest in the "All 45s" Drive Show from Tuesday evening on George FM, with a few folks asking if I could post a playlist up. Well, as it so happens... yes, I can. The afternoon developed into quite the epic when the following DJ cancelled at the last minute, meaning my 3hr Drive Show turned into a full-on 5hr extravaganza - of nothing but 7" vinyl records. No CDs. No USBs. No Serato. Not even any LPs or 12"s. Only 7" vinyl. For 5hrs. And I loved every minute of it...

Sly & The Family Stone | Hot Fun In The Summertime
Sugarhill Gang | Rapper's Delight
Queen | Another One Bites The Dust
Patchworks & Mr Day | Brothers On The Slide (The Dynamics edit)
Quantic with Alice Russell | The Sound Of Everything (Watch TV & Senorlobo reprise)
Sunlightsquare Latin Combo | I Believe In Miracles
Hector Riviera | I Want A Chance For Romance
Nostalgia 77 with The Fiction Trio | My Name Is...
Nina Simone | Young, Gifted Black
D'Angelo | Use Me (live)
Rufus with Chaka Khan | Tell Me Something Good
Breakout | Planet Rock (Pt. 1)
This Kid Named Miles | Ring Of Fire
Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno | Ciudad Del Swing
Willie Bobo | Broasted Or Fried
Kool & The Gang | Dujii
Ben Westbeech | Hang Around
Tuomo | Don't Take It Too Hard
Breakage with Roots Manuva | Run 'Em Out
J Rawls Presents Liquid Crystal Project | A Tribute To Dilla
Dam-Funk | When 80mph Feels Like 20
Dub Asylum | Ba Ba Boom!
Red The Man Without The Machine | I Should Tell Yo Mama On Ya (Dam-Funk remix)
Black Cow | Rotation No. 5
Mayer Hawthorne | Just Ain't Gonna Work Out
Erykah Badu | Honey (DJ Day remix)
Gladys Knight & The Pips | I Can See Clearly Now
Desmond Dekker | You Can Get It If You Really Want
J Dilla | Crushin'
Tone Loc | Funky Cold Medina
Habitual Parking Violators | One To Twelve
Rod Derrett | Puha & Pakeha
Althea & Donna | Uptown Top Ranking
Kinny with Diesler | Enough Said
Quantic & His Combo Barbaro | Linda Morena
Santana | Wham!
Cymande | Bra
Elton John | Benny & The Jets
Roots Manuva | Witness (Drums Of Death remix)
La Sphere | Pas de Stress
Marvin Gaye | What's Going On (Truth & Rights remix)
Opensouls | Turn It Up (Submariner Meets Killamanraro Uptown)
Ota | Nunui
DJ Spinna | Dilla Is The G.O.A.T.
Soul II Soul | Jazzie's Groove
The Diversions | But Is It Funky?
Stevie Wonder | All Day Sucker
Paul Weller | No Tears To Cry (Leo Zero remix)
Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators | Feeling Free (The Dynamics version)
The Brothers Johnson | Strawberry Letter 23
Johnnie Taylor | Love Is Better In The A.M.
Billy Paul | Am I Black Enough For You?
Sly & The Family Stone | Family Affair
Stevie Wonder | Too High
Harry Belafonte | Banana Boat Song
Son Of Dave with Martina Topley-Bird | Devil Take My Soul
Tommy James | Draggin' The Line
Commodores | Brick House
The Brothers Johnson | Light Up The Night
Marvin Gaye | Got To Give It Up (Pts. 1 & 2)
The Dynamics | Seven Nation Army

01 January 2012

Radio: George FM Drive Show

George 96.6FM
Drive Show Special Guest Host:
NYNTEE aka BRO 90
From 3pm 'til 6pm
Mon 2 - Fri 6 Jan
Local frequency 96.6FM
Streaming live here...
Text the DJ: 966
Email the studio: studio@georgefm.co.nz

I'd love to have your ears!

27 December 2011

Radio: George FM Selector Show

George 96.6FM
Selector Show Special Guest Host:
Nyntee aka Bro 90
From Midday 'til 3pm
Mon 26 - Fri 30 Dec
Local frequency: 96.6FM
Streaming live here...
Text the DJ: 966
Email the studio: studio@georgefm.co.nz

I'd love to have your ears!!

24 December 2011

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...

21 December 2011

Interview: Junior Marvin of The Original Wailers

STAND UP!

"When you make a promise to Bob Marley you try to keep it!" says Junior Marvin, the singer and guitarist most widely known for his work in the late '70s with Bob Marley and The Wailers. He had plenty of stories to share with VOLUME magazine recently, about working with The Beatles and saying "no" to Stevie Wonder, as well as life after Bob.

Born in Jamaica, Donald Hanson Marvin Kerr Richards Jr. (variously known as Junior Marvin, Junior Kerr and Junior Hanson) moved to London when he was nine years old. Already a musical child, he landed a role in the Beatles' movie Help: "The Beatles were all pretty short and I was tall for my age," Marvin remembers, "We were at Pinewood Studios, and it was made up to look like the Bahamas, and I was the police, chasing Ringo."

"I was playing keyboards and singing then, but when I was sixteen years old I saw Jimi Hendrix and thought I had to play guitar!" enthuses Marvin, "And later, my friends in England were in bands which were part of what was known as the 'British Invasion', going to the US and touring with Jeff Beck and with Traffic - and I thought 'I gotta go!' because that's where everyone else is going!"

Marvin continues: "My original plan was to go to a music school in Boston, but I met a manager who had heard me playing and he said 'Look, T-Bone Walker needs a guitar player and I think you're good enough.' Of course I thought I was nowhere near good enough!" he laughs, "But I spent a year with T-Bone Walker, and I met Billy Preston, Ike and Tina Turner and Sly Stone."

When Marvin moved back to the UK, he worked with Steve Winwood, Toots and the Maytals and the Keef Hartley Band - and was a member of the London cast for the stage musical Hair - before forming his own group, blues-rockers Hanson.

And in February 1977, one of those right-place right-time moments.

"I met Chris Blackwell, and he says 'Hey, come to this hotel and meet a friend of mine' - he didn't tell me who it was," Marvin chuckles, "So on that day, just as I was walking out the door my phone rings - and it's Stevie Wonder offering me a job in his band. I said I would think about it and get back to him, as I had this meeting to go to. So I meet with Chris Blackwell and walk into this hotel room, and there's Bob Marley sitting there, and he says 'Junior, I want you to join my band'."

Marvin laughs again at the memory: "I got home and I had to call my friends and family and decide whose offer to accept! I went with Bob because he was Jamaican, and there was more encouragement to do it."

Junior Marvin appeared on four albums alongside Bob Marley, including Exodus, which Time magazine labelled the 'Best Album of the 20th Century'. After Bob's untimely death in 1981, Marvin continued with The Wailers, recording four more albums and performing across the globe.

"We were in Germany when Bob was ill," says Marvin, quietly, "And he said to us, 'Listen, if anything happens you should stick together', so we felt we owed him. We made a promise to him and it felt right, you know, everyone had the same vibe. Bob had a unique message, and I was very honoured to be able to continue to spread that message. I still think it was the right thing to do."

In the late '90s, Marvin decided to leave The Wailers, moving to Brazil (where he hung out with Gilberto Gil for a few years), before heading back to the US and joining with fellow guitarist Al Anderson to tour as The Original Wailers.

Junior Marvin released his long-overdue debut solo album, Wailin' For Love, in 2007, and songs from that album - alongside Bob Marley classics - are what New Zealand audiences will hear when Marvin brings his touring band with him to perform at Ragamuffin.

"I can't wait to get back to your beautiful country," Marvin says excitedly, "I was there with Bob, and again shortly after his passing. It's going to be an exciting, extremely lively show with audience participation encouraged. One Love!"

Top Ten Junior Marvin Musical Moments (in chronological order):

(1972) What It Is (from the Keef Hartley Band album Seventy Second Brave)
A foot-stompin' blues-rock bar brawler

(1973) Rain (from the Hanson album Now Hear This)
Funky psych-tinged blues rock

(1977) Three Little Birds (from Exodus) / (1978) Is This Love? (from Kaya) / (1979) One Drop (from Survival), all with Bob Marley and The Wailers
...we'll just call it a three-way tie...

(1980) Hail H.I.M. (from the Burning Spear album Hail H.I.M.)
Deep Rasta vibes

(1980) Spanish Dancer (from the Steve Winwood album Arc Of A Diver)
Gorgeous guitar-work for the blue-eyed soulman

(1982) Dub Softly (from the Sly and Robbie album Dub Rockers Delight)
Beautifully mellow guitar playing

(1989) Reggae Got Soul (from the Toots and The Maytals album Reggae Got Soul)
A storming stepper with a classic guitar line

(1990) One Draw (from the Rita Marley album Who Feels It Knows It)
An hilariously controversial ode to sinsemilla

(2005) Give Them The Rights (from the Congos album Give Them The Rights)
Righteous reggae and the characteristic falsetto of founding member Cedric Myton

(2008) Stillness Of Heart (live at the Nuke Festival, Austria)
A scorching guitar solo playing with Lenny Kravitz

(2011) Where Is Love? (from the Junior Marvin album Wailin' For Love)
Classic good-times reggae vibes

Nb. We at VOLUME highly recommend tracking down and listening to all of these songs listed above.

Interview and sidebar originally appeared in VOLUME magazine issue #016

18 December 2011

Playlist: George FM 'In The Pocket' Sun 18 Dec

15 December 2011

Live: Pork Meets Disco

Barrio and Old Mout Cider present
PORK MEETS DISCO
Free Entry / Kids Welcome / Courtyard Open
Pig On A Spit / DJs Spinning Proper Disco Music
Buy An Old Mout Cider and Eat For Free!
From 2pm Sunday 18 Dec
BARRIO
www.barrionz.com

13 December 2011

Review: Thrashing Marlin 'Donkey Deep'

THRASHING MARLIN
Donkey Deep
[Braille Records]

Reviewing this album is almost like reviewing the history of music - where should you begin? Donkey Deep is the fourth album from New Zealand group Thrashing Marlin, which is effectively the multi-instrumentalist duo David Donaldson and Steve Roche. The pair contribute all manner of musical styles and genres across this collection of fourteen songs, which vary from the country-folk opener Time Of Your Life to closing sing-along One More Time, which moves from a finger-picked acoustic guitar to Mexican-flavoured brass. The standout though, is Tangiwai Train, a raw, Nick Cave-styled murder ballad with all the necessary ingredients (death and damnation) delivered over a harmonica-laden, whiskey-soaked stomp; while the vaguely Middle Eastern Another Man's Grave sums up the darkness at the heart of this record. Deeply layered instrumentation, compellingly structured songs which straddle a variety of genres and deft, sophisticated lyricism make for a hugely enjoyable album which rewards repeat listens richly.

4 stars from 5

Check out the Donkey Deep album here...

This review originally appeared in the Waikato Times.

12 December 2011

Live: Jam

Fonk Presents
JAM
5 DJs - 2 Tunes - Back To Back All Night!
With...
Lowe1, CoopaBlu, Nyntee, SarahTonen & Average White DJ
Friday 16 Dec
At HONEY
(On The Rooftop!)
Free Entry

Playlist: George FM 'In The Pocket' Sun 12 Dec

08 December 2011

Review: Gilles Peterson In Brazil & In Africa

Various Artists

GILLES PETERSON IN BRAZIL

[Ether Records]

Various Artists

GILLES PETERSON IN AFRICA

[Ether Records]

While neither of these compilations are new releases, much of the music will be new to most of you. That's the way things are with compilations curated by Gilles Peterson, legendary UK DJ, label owner and talent-spotter. He has established himself as one of the world's most influential DJs - indeed, "taste-makers" - of the last twenty years, with a proven track records in exposing exciting music old and new. These two compilations, released on Ether Records in 2004 (Brazil) and 2005 (Africa), follows that pattern, each with two discs featuring a tailor-made selection from Gilles himself. The Brazil compilation's Classico disco does what it says on the tin, with tracks from Wilson Simonal, Sergio Mendes and Brasil '77, Mario Castro Neves and Tim Maia; while the second disc, Da Hora, brings the sound of the Latin nation's future, with DJ Marky and XRS (and the still-magical Moments Of Lust, with Vikter Duplaix), Drumagick, Spiritual South, 4Hero (with Patricia Marx) and Marcos Valle, alongside remixes from Edu K (featuring Bebel Gilberto) and Bruno E. The entire compilation sparkles like your stereotypical sun-kissed Brazilian beach scene, sambas nuzzling drum and bass while bikini-clad girls dance suggestively. The Africa compilation is also a joyful celebration, and tribute to the originators of Afrobeat. Disc one, Soul, features classics from Fela Kuti, Manu DiBango, Miriam Makeba, Lette Mbulu, Mulatu Astatqe and Oscar Sulley (with my favourite Afrobeat song, Bukom Mashie); and the second, Spirit, bringing together artists and remixers such as Masters At Work, Cesaria Evora, Carl Craig, IG Culture and Thievery Corporation. Though labels like Soundway have mined deeper into the musics of Africa, this selection covers all bases, providing the perfect introduction to the essentials. Indeed, both compilations are essential for fans of Latin and African music - and of Gilles Peterson. As usual.

4 from 5 stars (for both)

Check out the Brazil compilation here and the Africa compilation here...

07 December 2011

Review: SBTRKT 'SBTRKT'

SBTRKT
SBTRKT
[Young Turks]

Finally there's good reason to get excited about pop music again. Well, some pop music, anyway. While many may argue, suggesting "post-dubstep" is a more accurate term to apply to the subject of this review; modern pop music is exactly what SBTRKT has aimed for on his self-titled debut, for Young Turks (home to other notable sound-of-nowsters, The xx). By and large he succeeds. Admirably, even. Unlike contemporaries and closest comparisons James Blake and Jamie Woon, SBTRKT aka Aaron Jerome (who had a handful of releases under his own name on WahWah45s some time ago) is undeniably accessible, with tracks like Pharoahs (which out-Basement Jaxx's Basement Jaxx) and the just-wobbly-enough Wildfire (featuring typically outstanding vocals from Little Dragon's Yukumi Nagano) far more digestible than anything from his peers' recent efforts (as excellent as they both are). The key difference is that Jerome makes room for his guest vocalists (also including Sampha, Roses Gabor and Jessie Ware) among his intricate arrangements, with the skittering, Timbaland-for-2011 beats only one part of the whole picture. With hints of dubstep and garage among these glitchy-yet-soulful grooves, SBTRKT has found a winning formula - and a label - which bodes well for the future of pop music.

4 stars from 5

Check out more from SBTRKT here...

Review: Adele 'Live At The Royal Albert Hall'

ADELE
Live At The Royal Albert Hall
[XL]

Do sales equate to quality? It's an age-old question for those from an independent background. Adele is a prime example. WTF? I hear you say. How can you sell ten million odd albums without being good? Fair question... kinda. I'm not suggesting Adele is undeserving of some success, but ten million albums? That's getting into Michael Jackson territory. Beatles territory. Elvis territory. Is Adele the equal of any of those folks? There's no doubt she has a handful of very good songs - Rumour Has It, Someone Like You, Rolling In The Deep, you've heard them - and a very real, girl-next-door appeal (the "she could lose some weight" calls hold no sway with me at all), but her singing range is limited, her lyrical content entirely one-dimensional and her between-song banter is far more entertaining than the songs themselves. I really couldn't imagine being the poor bloke her award-winning 21 album was written about - and he gets a fair few mentions during the course of this performance too - but that shared experience of "arsehole ex-boyfriends" goes some way to explaining her appeal. Alongside her fishmonger's wife's accent and personality. Good, without being great. Which is pretty much the definition of MOR.

2 and 1/2 stars from 5

Please click here for a list of the 12 Most Disappointing Facts About Popular Music, which puts a lovely bookend on the 'do sales equate to quality?' question. And prepare for serious disillusionment...

04 December 2011

Live: Strut

STRUT
With Jay Jeffrey & Nyntee
Rare Grooves and Boogie and Soul and Funk and House
From 10pm
Saturday 10th Dec
JULEP
No Cover Charge

Playlist 'In The Pocket with 90' George FM Sun 4 Dec

Review: Nuyorican Soul 'Nuyorican Soul'

NUYORICAN SOUL

Nuyorican Soul

[GRP Records]

Nuyorican Soul is the name of the musical project assembled by "Little" Louie Vega and Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez, aka production and remix duo Masters At Work. The self-titled album features appearances from Roy Ayers, George Benson, Vincent Montana Jr., Jocelyn Brown, Tito Puente, Jazzy Jeff, India and some of the Salsoul Orchestra. Original tracks (You Can Do It (Baby), with fluid guitar and vocals from George Benson atop a trademark MAW broken beat) crop up amongst covers of songs, often re-interpreted by some of the original performers (Sweet Tears, with Roy Ayers at his nonchalant best). Other notable tracks include the Jocelyn Brown-voiced epic I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun; an inspired and deeply respectful reading of Bob James' classic jazz-funker Nautilus (subtitled 'MAWtilus'); and the gorgeous disco floor-filler Runaway, featuring members of the Salsoul Orchestra - and lead vocals from Louie Vega's ex-wife, India. From hands-in-the-air house to laidback head-nod hip hop, slinky jazz to heavy Latin ibes and percussion - and plenty more besides, Nuyorican Soul is one of the most fully realised dance albums in the last thirty years. There is only one Nuyorican Soul album - and there may well be a reason for that. Essential listening.

4 and 1/2 stars from 5

You can check out music from Nuyorican Soul by clicking on the song titles highlighted above, or by taking a look/listen here at Last FM...

01 December 2011

Review: Tru Thoughts 'Shapes 11.01' Compiled by Robert Luis

Various Artists
SHAPES 11.01
Compiled by Robert Luis
[Tru Thoughts]

Throwing shapes. Making shapes. Whatever. For me, the word 'Shapes' will forever be associated with semi-regular lable compilations from Brighton-based independent Tru Thoughts. For the past wee while they've been putting out often double-disc (and recently on vinyl, too!) selections of tunes old and new; and 2011 is no different, with co-owner Robert Luis again compiling a bespoke collection reflecting the label's eclectic musical vision. Brand new signings (Mark de Clive-Lowe, Anchorsong, Benji Boko) nestle alongside old hands (Quantic, Kinny, Hint), plus all sorts of other goodies, including previously unreleased tracks (which are actually quite good, not just outtakes), new remixes and guest appearances from Aloe Blacc, Bembe Segue, Tawiah, Skream and Mark Pritchard. Shapes 11.01 is divided into two discs, and disc one is the clear winner in terms of sheer "listenability". Standouts include Lanu (aka Bamboos' main-man Lance Fergsuon) and Megan Washington's quirky Roosevelt Blues; Belleruche's classy, stripped-back dancefloor-pleaser Northern Girls; the effortless soulful pop of Lost Baggage, from Kinny (currently working with De La Soul on their next single); Portada Del Mar, my faourite track from the Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno album Dog With A Rope - plus Dr Dre re-interpreted cumbia-style with Nuthin' But A 'G' Thing given a radical rework by Quantic Y Su Conjunto Los Miticos Del Ritmo. All of this alongside the hazy glitch of Anchorsong's Plum Rain and the thrust and impetus of Hidden Orchestra's duelling drummers on Dust; while, elsewhere, Tawiah teams up with Maddslinky for the future funk twist of Hiding Place, Tenor Fly adds toasting style vocals to Smerins Anti-Social Club's mad reggae version of the Dr Who theme, and Anthony Mills and Freddie Cruger's hit-and-miss Wildcookie collab contributes one of their better tracks with Serious Drug. Even if it purports to be more mellow, CD1 really is an absolute belter of a selection. Standouts on disc two feature Bembe Segue and Nia Andrews adding funky, gritty prettiness to Push (itself one of Mark de Clive-Lowe's most complete pieces of tough future funk from his recent Renegades album); a trip back to Lanu's self-titled debut album for Tru Thoughts with the funky breakbeat of Mother Earth, featuring Quantic (guitar) and Aloe Blacc (vocals); J Boogie adding a little club-flavoured beat-spice to Quantic and His Combo Barbaro's already fetching Un Canto A Mi Tierra; electro-styled bleep-funk courtesy of Beta Hector and their Jupiter Mission - which sounds exactly as the title suggests; a mad mash up of glam synth funk and dubstep with glitch-tech via dancehall on speed, thanks to Be Electric, from the also appropriately monikered Randomer; and Maddslinky and Skream seriously upping the wobble-factor with 50 Shades Of Peng. Disc two, while inarguably fresh and exciting, is perhaps just a little too ambitious and varied in its musical spread to consistently please these ears - but that could be splitting hairs. Either way, the "future music" found - particularly on the second disc - on Shapes 11.01 brings not just freshness and excitement, but also a certain sense of balance, to what is ultimately yet another compelling collection showcasing one of the most thrilling independent music labels ever to really give a shit.

4 stars from 5

Check out the Tru Thoughts site and sign-up to their newsletter too!

28 November 2011

Playlist: 'In The Pocket' Sun 27 Nov George FM

23 November 2011

Live: TRUSTED FRIENDS

Jameson and Barrio Present
TRUSTED FRIENDS
Soul, Funk, Boogie, Disco and Rare Grooves
With SWEETPANTS and NYNTEE
And Special Guest JAY JEFFREY
From 8pm Saturday 3rd Dec
At BARRIO
www.barrionz.com

21 November 2011

Review: J-Boogie's Dubtronic Science 'Undercover'

J-BOOGIE'S DUBTRONIC SCIENCE
Undercover
[Om Records]

Undercover is the third album of original material from San Francisco DJ/producer J-Boogie, in a career which stretches two decades, countless remixes and a host of DJ and radio accolades. Spanning a diverse selection of styles, Undercover sees Middle Eastern-flavoured psychedelic hip hop (Salaam) and heavy cumbia rhythms (El Ritmo) nestling alongside languidly drifting reggae (Blue Mountain Dub) and '80s lazer funk (Magik). Regardless of genre, summertime grooves abound, with loads of Latin influences, big fat brass sections, guests like Lateef The Truthspeaker, Raashan Ahmad (Crown City Rockers) and The Pimps Of Joytime - and that indefinable sunny Cali sumthin sumthin. I've always preferred J-Boogie's slower cuts, and that remains true, with the two standout tracks here both deeply chilled: the nu-soul bump of Space And Time, featuring vocalists Gena Rene and Rich Armstrong; and the aforementioned Blue Mountain Dub. However, some of the songs suffer from being overproduced, with a slickness which seems to have squeezed much of the soul from the final product. Oh, and there is actually a track here with the chorus "There's a party on the roof / don't look now, I think it's on fire". Undercover maybe, but certainly not subtle, nor groundbreaking, for that matter.

2 and 1/2 stars from 5

See if you think if I'm being too harsh by checking out Undercover here - and cop yourself some free J-Boogie downloads (inlcuding the DJ Nu-Mark (Jurassic 5) remix of Undercover) here. Just steer clear of It's On Fire...

George FM Playlist Sunday 20 Nov "In The Pocket"

20 November 2011

Review: Kele Okereke 'The Hunter EP'

KELE OKEREKE
The Hunter EP
[Wichita]

Noel Gallagher of Oasis once famously described Bloc Party as "a band off of University Challenge". While he was trying to be disparaging, he was actually bang on - and Kele Okereke, the on/off frontman for the accused, did little to disprove that statement with his debut solo album, The Boxer (2010). His new, 7-track EP, The Hunter, continues in a similar, brainy vein. Yes, this is electronic indie-pop music, sure, but there's thought and heart in every groove. Again working with album producer XXXChange (Spank Rock, The Kills), Kele has crafted a diverse collection of tracks, with his keening vocals the common thread. Opener What Did I Do (featuring Lucy Taylor on vocals) sits comfortably alongside the pop-dubstep of Katy B, while Devotion blends New Order with Vangelis by way of Magnetic Man. Love As A Weapon begins with a glitch-laden, bubbling beat with gives way to a mesh of swelling samples and layered pianos, and closer You Belong To Someone Else sounds like an Eastern European accordian festival being raided by rave horns and fat bass drops. And Kele's retort to Gallagher? "They've made stupidity hip." No danger of that here, as The Hunter keeps listeners on their toes throughout.

3 and 1/2 stars from 5

Yeah, I know it's his official site, but it's the best place to check out his new EP. And hilariously dramatic/dramatically hilarious cover art.

Originally appeared in Waikato Times

17 November 2011

Review: Crazy P 'When We On'

CRAZY P
When We On
[20/20 Vision]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. While that hoary old chestnut may be a tired cliche, Crazy P are anything but, despite having spent the last thirteen years and five albums mining similar-sounding ground. When We On won't surprise anyone either - though Crazy P are more reserved here than ever, with their slow-burning disco funk pop stripped right back to the essentials. At first listen this does make some of the tunes sound a little sparse, or even underdone, but chief songwriters and co-founders Jim Baron and Chris Todd understand the strength of a song lies in what is not played as much as what is - and that it usually takes more than one listen to get under your skin. And these do get under your skin. Frequently. As does frontwoman Danielle Moore, still one of the most compelling performers in dance music. Oh yeah, they still on, alright.

3 and 1/2 stars from 5

Check out previews of When We On here...