Ramsey Lewis - Wade in the Water (1966)

Big props to Nick* for sending this one my way. Why didn't I already know this tune?!

Here's a pure vibesing jazz instrumental from 1966 by the Ramsey Lewis trio. The tune is a recasting of a traditional ballad - Wade in the Water. This version's just chills.



*Nick "Uncle" Kelly. If he was on twitter I'd be linking him up right about now... Expect some guest blogs from Nick soon with more of these pure chill vibes.
-L

William Bell - I Forgot to be Your Lover (1968)

Some Valentines Day chills here from the American songwriter and soul singer William Bell.



Aside from this song being an absolute heart-break classic, it has been both covered & sampled on numerous occasions often to hilarious effect.

A lot of people will recognize the hook from the Dilated Peoples 2001 track 'Worst to Worst' however the most mind blowing interpretation of William Bell's undoubted genius comes courtesy of Billy Idol (I prefer William Michael Albert Broad) and his horrorshow 1980s offering 'To Be a Lover'...



-AL

D. Vassalotti - Book of Ghosts (2011)

D. Vassalotti's Book of Ghosts LP is some of the best straightforward pop I've heard in quite a while. Don't let the fuzzed out noise aesthetic convince you otherwise, this record is filled to the brim with killer guitar hooks and fun riffage from start to finish. There are even some borderline shoegazy moments for the 90's revivalists. This is what got me hooked:

http://www.mediafire.com/?l2krnm7lqtbp55o

Happy listening.

-A

Ciccone Youth - Into the Groovey (1986)

After Madge's much hyped SuperBowl appearance at the weekend, I thought I'd post this spectacularly detached cover from Sonic Youth & Mike Watts' great 1980s side project Ciccone Youth.

Sonic Youth were apparently fixated with the pop queen and used to play a distorted version of the original Madge track through an amp between songs during live sets - over time it morphed into this dark and ominous tribute that somehow manages to play out at the same tempo as the original, fusing Thurston's dispassionate and lazy delivery with unauthorized samples of the original upbeat disco classic.

The track comes from 'The Whitey Album' which consists of a bunch of ridiculous experimental tracks and blasé covers including Robert Palmer’s 'Addicted to Love', and another Madge tribute 'Burnin’ Up'.

enjoy...




-AL
[L: Allow me to introduce Adam (AL) as a new guest blogger! We may also be soon seeing Alex (AM) doing some guest blogs - so keep any eye out! Too many A's....]

M.I.A. - Bad Girls (2012)

the new MIA video kicking up dust (oh, puns) in Saudi is an ankle-deep statement on women's rights, great track and, if anything, a visually stunning middle finger to the man. orientalist? i'll leave that for the pundits to decide.



p

Fantasmes - Redgold/Sidetracked (2010)

Fantasmes is summery psychedelic hipster-shoegaze (but it's well done). as far as i can tell, these puerto ricans are still completely unknown. the album is self-produced/recorded and released by NY's Last Bummer Records.

def check 'Redgold'

p

Arthur Verocai - Na Boca do Sol (1972)

10,000 pageviews!! let's celebrate with some sexy brazilian psych-funkkk

p