Caesar & The Romans - When Will I Get Over You & Baby Love (1969)

Some awesomely raw funk sounds from Caesar & The Romans - released in 1969 on Scepter Records. Props to Anne for the shout.

Check these warm, catchy, lo-fi offerings:



This one sketches out towards the end, but it's still an ace cover of the Supremes' classic 'Baby Love':



More great tracks over at Recordette Records' Soundcloud page: https://soundcloud.com/recordette-records

P.S. You could've bought the first one on 45 on ebay, but it ended a couple of weeks ago.

-L

The Appleseed Cast - Illumination Ritual (2013)

So I happened to stumble, courtesy of @Matt_Smi, over the fact that The Appleseed Cast have released a new album TODAY: Illumination Ritual. I'm just listening to it now, but here's a great review over at Pitchfork situating the release in the context of the band's development over the years.

Have a listen to Great Lake Derelict:



The Cast have come in and out of my life over the years - like an old friend - at once nostalgic and wonderful to hear them again. They remain one of the best shows I've ever been to: some years ago at 93 Feet East in London. Jesus, from a quick google it looks like that was 2004. Man...

Anyway I blogged some time ago about how phenomenally awesome these guys are. And, for my money, Steps and Numbers remains one of the greatest post-rock tunes ever written.

But my old bros from Lawrence, Kansas, drifted back into my life with their 2006 release, Peregrine, which had some beautiful tracks like Here We Are (Family in the Hallways) and stonkers like February.

So it's ace to hear more awesome tuneage coming out of these guys on Illumination Ritual. Buy it here.

-L

Mount Kimbie - Made To Stray (2013)

Here's an expansive, driving and beautifully melodic new track from London-based electronic duo Mount Kimbie. Made To Stray is from their hotly anticipated sophomore release Cold Spring Fault Less Youth, which is due to be released in late May on Warp Records. Pre-order it here.

Stupid anecdote: I once pretended to be in Mount Kimbie when I was back-stage at Field Day in London. All I wanted was some free merchandise, being the grifter I am.

What should have been a white lie turned into a clusterfuck when the guy asked if I'd do a quick interview. And when he wouldn't accept my polite refusals I just had to roll with it. What resulted was one of the most shambolic blags in my long grifting career: saying nothing and everything at the same time; giving NO information - because I had none - and giving my real name when asked, because I couldn't remember either of Mount Kimbie's names and it was clear I'd already gone beyond.

Luckily this guy didn't know them either, so it was plain sailing all the way to the merch. Although from his now lacklustre eyes it no longer seemed either of us believed I was in Mount Kimbie. I took the merch and hurriedly left.

Anyway - if you're reading guys, I'm so so sorry. For all concerned. And I like this track. ;-)

-L

Zinc ft. Ms Dynamite - Wile Out (2010)

And now for something totally different.
Club banger courtesy of Zinc with Ms Dynamite vocals. Bass line wowz.

-L 

General Paolino - Sikil Manga Jaiu (2013)

Props to Cerys Matthews for playing this on her BBC 6 Music show on Sunday. She pulls out some real corkers every week. Anyway I loved this rambling out-of-tune ditty from blind South-Sudanese musician General Paolino: Sikil Manga Jaiu - which means 'The mangoes we have here are the best'. Enjoy



Find out more about General Paolino and buy his album - released later this month - here!

-L 

Uma Bakah Group - Sape Kajat (2004)

apologies for the break in posts, we've all been busy in our own way. luke's getting married - whilst blogging/ridding the world of nukes - and i've been traveling a bit. just came back from two weeks of visiting family in kalimantan, indonesia. they belong to the Kayan tribe, a sub-group of the dayak umbrella. while cultural practices differ between different dayak groups (e.g. hierarchical vs. horizontal social organization, gender roles and tattoo culture), there are strong common traits and music is one of them, in particular sape music.

the sape is a guitar-like instrument played by different tribes in Borneo; the music, inspired by dreams, is rhythmic, repetitive, beautiful. the first time i heard a sape was late at night in the village where my father was born, deep in the highlands of central borneo. it was after nightfall, the air full of bugs, the traditional long-house lit up by a single electric light. suddenly an old man started strumming a sape and the room filled with transcendental drone melodies. here he is:

 

that was 2005 and by 2013 i'd forgotten about the sape. but then, last week, my uncle played this tune and it just blew me away

p