music like dirt

Part one of “Listen To This“ saw Jez of Horse Latitudes/Brubekk, and Finger Magazine fame so shell shocked by my selections he started quoting Black Eyed Peas songs. Luckily The Jackson 5 saved the day, and now Jez steps up with 3 of his own choice selections.

Links: Brubekk - “EarthShaker” / Finger Magazine / Horse Latitudes music blog

HORSE LATITUDES (JEZ) CHOICE 1:

Hercules And Love Affair - “Classique2″ (MP3)

Myspace

Download: Andy Butler mix on Beats in Space podcast (March 21st) - visit for free download or subscribe.

HL (JEZ): I think it is telling that Larry Heard AKA Mr Fingers is the first friend on these guy’s myspace page. Talk about wearing your influences on your sleeve…but that’s not a negative, nor is it the sum total of their sound.

It starts with the lush thuds and bumps of a nice mid tempo groove and some old school cascading vocal samples, a sound Chicago would be proud to call its own. But then the bubbles of a wicked analogue-y hook come through. A hook that if you didn’t know any better would make you say “this band should be snapped up by DFA” - and you’d be right.

I chose Classique 2 purely because it had less downloads, and I like to fight for the underdog (some people just call that ‘being contrary’…) Athene rocks hard too, but this one for sheer head-nod-a-bility just pipped it. Thanks to Jaksoul for the nudge in this direction.

MLD: The opening thud thud of the 4:4 house drum, a burbling acid bassline, snatches of twisted vocal samples and I’m in heaven. Even better god’s thrown some classic Chicago house on the turntable.

Rock has been eating itself for 30-40 years now, and similarly this is a dance sound that could’ve been recorded at any point in the last 20 years, but when the source you’re supping from is as delicious as the glorious house sound of Chicago and Detroit, I for one wont be complaining. On the heavily treated hook lines it even sounds like they’ve dragged Inner City’s Paris Grey out of retirement just to provide a 5 word pleading end to the chorus’s “Do… You… Really… Want… Me”.

I’ve only heard a couple of tracks so far but the debut album from Andrew Butler’s Hercules And The Love Affair is already shaping up to be all over those end of year lists. With guest vocals from Antony Hegarty (of “and the Johnson’s” fame) - a man who provided the stand out track on the My Robot friend album last year - and the backing and kudos of DFA its difficult to see how it can fail. Aside from Bjorks mouth-watering new album featuring Timbaland and the Konono No.1 this is probably my most eagerly awaited release of the year (and to think i hadn’t even heard of it 2 weeks ago when Jez’s mail popped into my in box).

HORSE LATITUDES (JEZ) CHOICE 2:

The Cinematic Orchestra - “To Build A Home (Edit)” (MP3)

Buy: Pre-Order the new single “Breathe“ / New album from Amazon

Watch: Cinematic Orchestra - “All That You Give” (YouTube)

Cinematic Orchestra - “To Build A Home” (Live - YouTube)

Read: Interview with J.Swinscoe

HL (JEZ): A human and a piano can be one of the most devastatingly effective conduits of human emotion - bar none. Throw-in a sustain pedal, a tortured soul, and a quartet of strings and I’m practically blind with tears before the music starts!

When you think Cinematic Orchestra you probably think all clever outdoor festivals with beard stroking and silent Russian movies and people who read the Guardian and know more than you about ballet. Me too. The Cinematics went off to the ICA for a while back at the turn of the century and I lost interest. In fact the whole Ninja Tunes operation lost sight of the things that made them legends in the 90s. Sure, everyone has to make a dollar, but you’re not getting mine anymore.

Then this track slid across my desk (how we grow up…I’m not asking the DJ anymore, I’m asking the secretaries…:)) and it is one of the most beautiful tracks I have heard for a long time.

In fact I feel quite spoilt today. This morning I spent listening to Regina Spektor’s ‘Samson’ (seek and find) and now I sit and listen to this. Both tracks borrow heavily from Antony and The Johnson’s, and the tradition goes back before him to Billie Holiday (I’m thinking Strange Fruit) and back further… But a melody is a melody, a hook’s a hook and good lyrics are damn hard to find. Patrick Watson, the Canadian singer, is a perfect match for the music. I trust you will agree.

MLD: As I was both in attendance at the live soundtrack for the Russian silent movie, and by and large have been a Guardian reader most of my life I slightly object to the thrust of Jez’s comments, although I discount myself from the slander on the basis of my lack of beard or ballet knowledge.

Ninjatune have always existed with their feet on the dancefloor but their hands on their beards… that’s their charm. True, sometimes they stray too far into bearded territory, one memorable moment being at the interval to Cinematic Orchestra’s live “Man With A Movie Camera” score, when an wide eyed young man enthused to my girlfriend at the time how “it was breathtaking” only to be informed that she’d slept through the first half so bored had she been (for the record I enjoyed most of it).

2002’s “Everyday” album ranks as one of Ninjatune’s finest releases, if only for Fontello Bass’s tracks, and the colossal genius of Roots Manuva guest spot on “All Things To All Men” so no pressure for the new release then guys!
The fact - and Im afraid it is a fact, not just sloppy journalism - that this track sounds like Coldplay covering Anthony & The Johnson’s has ensured it a tough reception on Ninja’s very own forum. Someone suggested joining a Coldplay noticeboard and posting it as a leaked new track to see how many people noticed it wasn’t Gwynth’s hubby.

When it first leaked late last year I have to admit I wasn’t that impressed either, but once you strip away all the expectation and the music snobbery, and actually LISTEN as George Michael once said without prejudice, what you’re left with is an absolutely beautiful track, that will touch your soul (if you let it)!
Ninjatune have been giving away the radio edit of the track so that’s the one Im sharing. For the full length version complete with sumptuous strings pre-order the album.

HORSE LATITUDES (JEZ) - CLASSIC CUT:

Earth, Wind & Fire - “Kalimba Story” (MP3)

Watch: Recent AOL live performance of “Kalimba Story”

EWF - “Got To Get You Into My Life” (from Sgt. Pepper The Musical) - YouTube (Not EWF’s finest moment)

HL (JEZ): The Kalimba is a Zimbabwean instrument, a finger piano that makes the most ethereal sound you’ve ever heard. Used to create waves of repetitious trance like sounds, it is as much the sound of today as of when it was created. You can hear it in The Juan Maclean, Lindstrom and Prins Thomas, Joni Mitchell, Nine Inch Nails…and also in Earth Wind and Fire’s fifth album from 1974, ‘Open Our Eyes’.

Ramsey Lewis introduced Maurice White to the instrument when White was working with the Lewis band on the Sun Goddess sessions. White and the whole of EWF had a very Afro-centric roots based approach to soul and funk and this traditional African sound fit right in. I love the fact Maurice sings of how this ancient instrument will help him make “future music“. Damn straight people. This is still future music.

Of course the future for EWF was Boogie Wonderland and massive chart success followed by languishing in dollar bins all across the globe, but hey, in 1974 lots of people were optimistic I had ignored EWF for too long, when I chanced across this track. I think we all have. Head back to the early albums and you’ll uncover some gems. This album alone contains ‘Drum Song’ ‘Devotion’ and ‘Mighty Mighty’. Check it.

MLD: As the saying goes “There’s many a fine tune played on an old piano“, and so its equally true that there’s many a funky tune played on a traditional instrument. Recently I saw Ba Cissoko’s 21 string Kora Harp’s out Hendrix Jimi himself while their drummer played a huge traditional drum that made a great booming noise like an 808 at the bottom of a 30ft well. Now add to that the back catalogue of Earth Wind and Fire, thanks to Maurice White’s love of traditional African instruments (although the Kalimba was sort of “invented” by an Englishman in the 1920’s, based on the traditional Mbira).

“Kalimba Song” takes a very Sly & The Family Stone bassline (”Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”?) and perfectly mixes in the plucked sound of the Kalimba finger piano. On the basis of this I’ll be hunting down some early EWF asap, although with the exception of the Kalimba solo towards the end I have to ask if the track would be much different if the Kalimba channel on the mixing desk was faded down? (actually that’s a little harsh).

By all accounts Maurice did for the Kalimba what Rolf Harris did for the Wobble board placing it at the heart of the group, all over the early material, and giving it exposure it would never otherwise have achieved (although I can’t find so much as a sniff of Kalimba on Boogie Wonderland). Personally I just love the idea that a group like EWF would release a song about a Southern African finger piano as a single in the US, and reach number 7 in the R&B charts.

“Listen To This” is back with another chance to snoop into the record boxes of those with far better tastes than you or I.  This time around I’d like to welcome Jez from Horse Latitudes who’ll pick three tracks, and hopefully not develop an allergic reaction to my selections.   Aside from contributing to the excellent Horse Latitudes blog, Jez is co-editor of Finger magazine as well as being responsible for officially the 28th best tune of 2006 (well according to me anyway). With industrial strength brown nosing like that its hardly surprising he agreed to do this feature!

Incidently if youre a lover of lists, top 10’s and records to fall in love to questions check out the latest edition of Finger Magazine. Its got lists galore from dozens of musicians from Richard Hawley to Sven Vath, and Coldplay.

Anyway on with the tunes: First up my selections - 2 brand new and one oldie but goldie. In a slight change of format Jez responds with an opinion piece at the end. It seems my accidental choice of two remorselessly bleak relationship songs has given the poor sod the blues… thank god for the Jackson’s riding in to save the day. 

Pt.2 with three selections from Jez will follow in the next few days.

MUSIC LIKE DIRT CHOICE 1:

Stuart James - “The Food Between Her Teeth (Camberwell Hit Factory mix)” (MP3)

Download: More free Stuart James remixes on Myspace, 3 more MP3’s on Stuart’s own page or a dozen from his last.fm page.

Stuart James - “City On A Roll” (MP3)

MLD: Ever wondered what Mike Skinner would sound like if he’d listened to more Bragg & John Cooper Clarke, and less 2-step? Well wonder no more, the answers Stuart James. Hailing from South London he arrives armed only with acoustic guitar, wonderfully inventive lyrics, and a delivery style to leave Daddy Freddy wheezing like a red faced pensioner (Daddy Freddy on Record Breakers).

In fact the lyrics compel you to write them down, but don’t bother its bloody frustrating (actually do bother, then send them to me!)
On a separate Myspace to his original own name recordings Stuart offers up these “Camberwell Hit Factory” versions that meld his slam poetry style delivery to brilliantly basic beats and samples. The simplest keyboard line, a pulse, and a 4:4 beat are all that back an accusatory tale questioning an unknown man’s worthiness to be with his woman, culminating in the accusation that “you’re not worth the food between her teeth”.

“Does she make you melt
when you hear her voice
Do you give her time
Do you know she’s cool
Do you play her for a fool
Does she make you blush“

All the tracks on the Camberwell Hit Factory page are worthy of your time, as are the original acoustic versions. Definitely one of the ones to watch in 2007 (although Im those with their fingers on the pulse were saying that last year). Thanks go to Dan Le Sac for gently *cough cough*ing in Stuart’s direction.

MUSIC LIKE DIRT CHOICE 2:

The Cock’n'Bull Kid - “There’s a Mother In Our Bed” (MP3)

Visit: The Cock’n'Bull Kid’s Myspace / “There’s a Mother” Live on YouTube

MLD: Declaring “Morrissey met Neneh Cherry. They procreated. The end” on your website takes some bravado, but fortunately CocknBull Kid is well on the way to delivering on these rash claims. “There’s A Mother In Our Bed” sounds less like Mozza & Cherry and more like Grace Jones taking Jamelia down a dark alley with a strap on - but maybe that’s just me - either way it’s the ultimate Mother-in-law song, delivering viciously witty rebukes to her mummy’s boy boyfriend:

“I understand you want to put your mother first
wouldn’t ask you to choose between me and her
but to be honest id rather see her in a hearse…in a hearse“

The music matches up to the razor sharp lyrics, a looped “1.1.1.1.2.1.2” starts it off, while a joyously batty operatic chorus provides the killer “Why Don’t We just face it our relationship is very fucked up” hook. Her listed influences range from Morrissey to East17 and The Spice Girls, showing that while she may operate on the bleedin’ edge she’s not afraid of a good old fashioned pop hook or a healthy dollop of wit.
Check YouTube for a bizarre interpretative dance performance to Kate Bush’s “Wuthering Heights” featuring a horse’s head and a man who’s clearly never kissed a woman in his life - odd!

MUSIC LIKE DIRT - CLASSIC CUT:

The Jackson 5 - “It’s Great To Be Here” (MP3)

Watch: “Eat More Cereal” say The Jackson 5 on YouTube / “Killing Me Softly” on The Cosby Show (YouTube)

MLD: For anyone old enough to remember the dance Snoopy did when he was happy, this is what he must have been listening to, or at least its the reaction the track has on me. In my overactive imagination its the perfect end of set track, the music’s gone down a storm, the crowd are ecstatic, and it sends everyone home delirious. The beats, euphoric strings, fat bass, and MJ’s beautiful beautiful imploring voice crying out “Its Great to be Here“, hands are in the air, smiles are on faces and life simply doesn’t get any better.

Its difficult to listen to the track when typing as its not something you sit and admire, its a tune that lifts the spirit, warms the soul, and more often than not gets you on the dancefloor.
Released on the Jackson’s fourth album, which with the exception of “Never Can Say Goodbye” actually wasn’t a great success, but has since proved a gold mine for samplers. P’Diddly and Mariah Carey have pilfered from “It’s Great To Be Here” probably due to its inclusion on Volume 10 of the famous “Ultimate Breaks and Beats” bootlegs in the mid to late 80’s (It’s where I first fell in love with the track, and numerous others).

HL (JEZ): …I’d like to first thank the Academy, and my broadband provider for the fact that I’ve been asked here to review music on ‘Listen To This’. The call came and I was off scrabbling around the ‘Net trying to find some new blood to offer up as sacrifice. Drawing in favours and hanging around Hoxton corners, ears pinned back for a URL to be casually dropped…I thought it was hard to pick my own music choices, I find it much harder to review someone else’s…

Having found my own tune reviewed kindly on these glowing pages it would be churlish to commit to anything but the greatest praise for Music Like Dirt’s offering, but then again I may be neglecting my duties over at Horse Latitudes if I did.

I therefore have done my best to keep an open mind – and to steer clear of the whole “there’s no such thing as bad music” non-opinion pole dance…

Listening to the two tracks (’Mother’ and ‘The Food Between’) side by side I couldn’t help but wonder what the world had come to. Here I was listening to the Kylie & Jason of 2009. The lovers and fighters of the generation below me, and the role models for the generation below them…and I was left thinking like some insipid ‘Peas once said “Where is the Love?”.

Now I know it’s all about the sparse production. Pushin’ the plug-ins. Wrecking that soundcard and setting your PC speakers on fire. That modern yout’ take punk up a notch and it is attitude and t’ing that rocks, not just the words that are strung together.

But this is where I guess I come across as too old, and where the younger generation gleefully dance on my grave. I mean it’s right that I don’t get it isn’t it? There would be something wrong with the music if I loved it, innit? When Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue roamed the airwaves, criticizing the Mother-in-Law was unheard of. When I was a youth, girls wanted fellas who got on with their mums, it showed balance… or something…and they always respected the rule of the house they were visiting. I reckon The Cock n Bull Kid needs her head checking and her mouth rinsing. If she’s clever enough to drop the word “thus” she’s wise enough to know that the Mother-in-Law is better with you than against you. Believe.

And for his part Stuart James too seems to have a very distopian view of relationships. These two should get together a la Jason & Minogue, I think they’d make a stunning collaboration. Possibly with Wyclef on the production…

Which brings me to The Jacksons. Here is the love! Exactly what I’m talking about. Something to shake my rheumatic tailfeather to, and bathe in lyrics of love. Maybe I’m just in turmoil because CnBK & Stuart James seem to have a handle on the truth about Love. That The Jackson’s and Michael with his sweet turns were actually lying to us. Perhaps life and love - real life and real love are not really the subject of pop songs…

Perhaps these “love” songs are showing us what post-millennial post-teenage life and love is really all about. This is what you get in a world of 24 hour news, illegal wars, illegal searches, crumbling education systems and roaming Wi-fi mobiles phones. You don’t learn about love incrementally over 40 years. Like Milla Jovich in the Fifth Element, you get the knowledge of the World over night. In an instant. In a download.

Or maybe this is what the Supremes and the Shirelles would rather have been singing about, if they weren’t being handled by older male producers. Maybe if we always let the kids speak for themselves the truths they know will always shock us. Having not yet learned to curb their lack of enthusiasm…?

The more I think about these songs, the more I warm to the fact that they are unrestrained. That CnBK and Stuart James didn’t feel the need, in the world of digital music and downloads to limit their strong sentiments for a radio play that will never happen. I wish them both luck in finding a real love that they will enjoy, and I hope they can sing as strongly and as purely about that too. In the meantime though, I’ll be listening to The Jacksons with my old lady - while I hope CnBK and Stuart really do get together and make sweet music.

Part Two of “Listen To This” with Marcy from Lost In Your In Box. (Part.1 here)

I’ll let Marcy explain the concept: “This is how it works: MLD picked three songs and I picked three songs and then we each listened to them (hence the name) and wrote our reviews. I’m thrilled to be a part of it, and I must say I went out of my way to pick three tracks that I was fairly certain he wouldn’t choose for himself, and he certainly chose ones I’d never pick.”

Over to me with a hopefully more successful choice than my first track:

MUSIC LIKE DIRT CHOICE 2:

Glass Shark - “Clap Yr Hands” (MP3)

Buy: Glass Shark - “First Bite EP” from Puregroove

Watch: Glass Shark - “I Love My Disco Robot” (Video)

Download: Free Xmas mix, and more free goodies on Glassshark.com

MLD: Clap your hands, and say hit!

It’s the hottest band, not in NYC as you might think on first listen, but NC… North Cornwall. Before you phone DFA HQ to inform them they’ve sprung a leak - this isn’t the new LCD Soundsystem LP - but Glass Sharks main influence is pretty damn clear.
Squelching synths, hand claps, that bass guitar, and of course the cow bells, this is LCD, only less po-faced perhaps after they’ve had one to many beers and are feeling a little frisky.

“Put on your latex boots, I’m hot and in the mood“.

The lyrics may be aimed at getting you on the dancefloor and then into the sack, but they’re endearingly daft and delivered with tongue firmly in cheek. From bontempi hand claps to sing-along ahhhhh-ha-haaa’s, it will exercise the grin like an idiot muscles as much as those required when shaking your ass.
This is taken from a compilation of their first two EP’s (buy now @ Puregroove), and there’s not a duff track to be found. Think of this MP3 as a first glimpse of a glass dorsal fin approaching in the water, then holler Brody like “You’re going to need a bigger boat!”. Glass Shark are all set to be huge.

LIYIB: Now this track had me at its very first beats. It’s a simple song, actually, pretty straightforward. It never gets too complicated or overly layered with sounds or extraneous instrumentation. It’s got just enough to keep you moving and shaking, which is exactly what I like about it. It has a pretty clear message, too, which is basically, Let’s get it on, baby, on and off the dance floor!

One question: Is this some kind of play on the band name Clap Your Hands Say Yeah? I don’t hear any similarity in this song to anything I’ve ever heard by CYHSY, but I get the feeling I might be missing something.

LOST IN YOUR IN BOX CHOICE 3:

Beat Radio - “Mexico” (MP3)

Free: Download the entire debut album for free/nada/zilch - visit here

LIYIB: Beat Radio is one of my favourite bands right now. And I know, I know, this song just screams “indie.” But it’s everything I love about indie rock: the bouncing guitars and drums, the melodic hooks and meaningful lyrics, and the way it builds to a crescendo of feeling–approaching abandon without ever getting overblown.

At almost the exact midpoint of the song, there’s a drum smack that signals that the song is beginning its expansion, which it does until it decompresses at the very end. And the words convey a longing for what could have been, what was glimpsed but not quite grabbed onto, and what there might still be hope for, if you’re lucky enough to find your way back to wherever you were.

MLD: Oh god, the law of averages said that eventually someone would pick a record that no matter how hard I tried (and I have honest) I just couldn’t get into. That’s not to say its a bad record, in-fact I’d say its a good example of indie pop rock. Its got a nice Libertines-esque opening guitar riff, it’s upbeat, the vocalist is pretty good, and the melody is catchy, but I think the basic problem is…well… I’m not sure how to put this, but I just don’t really like Indie rock. If it was to vanish off the face of the earth tomorrow I’m not sure I’d notice or more importantly care (well apart from not being able to find Xfm, Virgin, Capital etc on my radio).

As I type this Im listening again just in case I finally “get it” but no. I can hear it doing well, I can imagine it being excellent live, and I can hear lots of great elements within it, but as it finishes I have absolutely no desire to listen again. It sounds like a hit anyway so I’m sure our paths will cross.

MUSIC LIKE DIRT CHOICE 3:

Yungun & Mr. Thing - “Forget Me Not” (MP3)

Buy: Yungun & Mr. Thing LP or Top of the Class 2006 (Best of UK HipHop) - £8 inc del

Visit: Yungun Myspace / Mr.Thing Myspace

Watch: “Forget Me Not” (YouTube)

LIYIB: Oooh, I love the way this starts. It’s oh-so-retro with that Motown-Smokey-Robinson-70s-groove-thing going on. The female background vocals and the falsettos, the tambourine and the big bass line all add up to a seriously infectious backdrop to his vocals. And he’s got such a deep, resonant voice. I just about melted when I heard it.

My only complaint is that I wish he sang more and rapped less. That’s actually my major issue with most hip-hop. Too much talking, not enough singing. But all told, I could definitely listen to this a lot more readily than “Wifey.” I like the words and the way he rhymes “forgot, right” and “flop, right” and “spotlight.” And his accent, well, I have quite the soft spot for a right nice British accent, what can I say?

MLD:
(In finest British accent) This should have been a summer smash in the vein of Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince’s “Summertime“. I’ve just become obsessed with the track all over again after it featured on the excellent “Top of the class 2006” UK HipHop compilation. It’s HipHop at its most poppy and accessible, but what’s wrong with that?

From the opening doo woppy “No, No, No” sampled female hook its impossible to resist, and once the dipped in molasses voice of Yungun comes in you’ll be floored. “Thought that I forgot, right” - The delivery across the whole track, and especially on the killer chorus is wonderful. I listened to this about 10 times in a row when I first heard it, and thankfully I haven’t crossed over to the point where I’ve overdosed on it yet.

Even on a grey cold rainy day in East London its summer when this track is playing, it achieves the audio equivalent of that cheesy effect in films where black and white changes to radiant colour, winter to summer, and sadness turns to joy.

It’s been a few months since the last “Listen To This” but after a few delays I’m happy to welcome Marcy from Lost In Your In Box. Check out her MP3 blog for far more regular postings than you’ll find here. Currently featured are the “fucking fantastic” Cassettes Won’t Listen, the Top 12 Country Song titles of 2006, and her latest contribution to the Contrast podcast.

Anyway over to Marcy for her first selection: (Part 2 to follow in a few days)

LOST IN YOUR IN BOX CHOICE 1:

Munck//Johnson - “Slavesong” (MP3)

Buy: Munck//Johnson 2nd LP or super cheap compilation featuring this song.

Download: More free MP3’s @ Myspace

LIYIB: I have to say that doing a feature like Listen to This - the chance to discuss in detail exactly why I love an individual song - is a music lover’s dream come true. And this particular song is so dear to me. Why? Well, first, the chords. The vocal harmonies are so dense, so full, and they sit atop a single acoustic guitar being plucked one string at a time. I think there are three people singing, but it sounds like so much more. And then there’s the way they vocalise each word. Sometimes a single syllable stretches over three notes. Another amazing thing is that his song was recorded live, yet it’s perfect in its intonation.

The lyrics are extremely compelling, too. In very few words, it describes the loss of faith and the utter despair of regret. It’s so bare, so exposed, just like your heart is after the realisation of the end of love. Uplifting it’s not, but affirming of how low one’s spirit can sink, it certainly is. You might want to save this one for a really dark day.

MLD: When I heard that this song was recorded live in Djursland, Denmark, my slightly over active imagination got to work. Conjuring up an ethereal picture of a dark misty night amongst the ancient Bronze age burial mounds of the Djursland area. Breaking through the eerily quiet night a distant yet beautiful female voice is barely audible… getting closer you’d discover Søsser - the vocalist on this track - in full voice unaware of the elements swirling around her.

With just a single guitar as backing its a deceptively simple song, but its amazing the emotion that can be expressed with just a slow plucked guitar line, and those multi-tracked vocals. Its not something I’d normally listen to but that’s the beauty of having someone else recommend you some tracks.
It does have to be said that its not a very cheery song, so don’t go asking Marcy to pick the soundtrack if you’re not in high spirits, unless you want a bad case of “I’m drowning here, and all you’re doing is describing the water“. (Jack Nicholson - As Good As It Gets).

No, in all seriousness, a gorgeous first selection.

MUSIC LIKE DIRT CHOICE 1:

Dark Art Magic - “Not Wifey” (MP3)

Visit: Dark Art Magic Myspace / Ras Kwarme’s Homegrown podcast

Live: Club L.A - Luton - Jan 12th 07

MLD: “Listen To This” was in danger of becoming a little bit like a love in where everyone sits around and applauds each others marvellous tastes (and where’s the fun in that)! So for my first selection I picked out a slice of UK Garage which I originally stumbled across thanks to Ras Kwame’s excellent “Homegrown” BBC 1xtra podcast (subscribe for 100% new UK black music).
While I had my doubts that Marcy was a hip hop or garage fan I do know she loves her lyrics, and on this track the words fly out, tumbling over each another as they squeeze into the 3 minutes. Luton’s Chris Jullien aka Dark Art Magic somehow manages to deliver his lyrics at an amazing speed, while managing not to sound in the slightest bit rushed.

“Push comes to shove you’ll probably end up being my youts mum… 3 years, 2 cars, 1 kid and a yard.. but you ain’t my girl“

Its essentially a love song, a garage LL Cool J “I Need Love” if you like but with commitment issues. There are songs that are sung to declare love and ask for someone’s hand in marriage… this isn’t one of those. At times you can hear the exasperation as he explains he loves her, but he doesn’t want “No Wifey“. She is however like his “vitamin B.. the strength that I need“, but at the same time she’s not really his girl. Confused yet?… If this was Trisha she’d be banging heads together and packing them off to her team of skilled TV councillors.

Its not just about the lyrics though, Chris has been a bedroom producer since he was 13, and he nails it with this track. A pitched up snatch of female vocal is sampled, and cut up to form the hook, this is perfectly complimented with melancholic keyboard chords. The beats skip and stutter to great effect too.
The song ends with an ultimatum to “his girl”, so until she records the answer record “No Groomy” we’ll just have to guess how it all turned out. On the basis of this track though Dark Art Magic’s musical future should turn out very well indeed.

LIYIB: So my first thought was, MLD picked this song because he KNEW I wouldn’t like it. Oh, I know that’s not true (I think), and it wasn’t quite right, either. Because even though I didn’t love it at first listen (actually, I still don’t), I do like it, although mostly for the music.
As you may know, I’m a lyrics person, so I listen very intently to the words. And they’re clever, I’ll give our singer that, but they’re not very endearing. I can’t say as I much care for this fellow, nor do I have much sympathy for his plight. In fact, if I were his girlfriend, I’d be asking myself, what exactly am I getting out of this relationship? Oh, I kid. I’m not here to judge his life choices or attitude, just the song, right? Except he IS the song. Hmmm.
I think what appeals to me most about it are the rhythmically complex and entertaining drums and little electronic chirpy riffs. And I marvel at how fast he spits out the words, even as I dislike what he says. That said, I’m wondering if I would run out and buy this or tell my friends, you’ve got to hear this? Probably not.

LOST IN YOUR IN BOX CHOICE 2:

Huski - “Easy Life” (MP3)

Buy: Huski LP

Live: Madame Jo-Jo’s - London 21st Dec 06

LIYIB: Ah, this song epitomises what I find most appealing about certain music. It’s got an upbeat, uptempo melody all right, but the words are disconsolate and searching and belie the happy-go-lucky instrumentation. The vocalist, Maple Bee (what a great stage name, btw), has this scrumptious, sexy voice that drips sensuality, yet she’s so very discontented. It plays so well against the synths and the pulsating drums, guitar and bass lines. It’s a satisfying sing-along for those days when you can’t seem to catch a break, when even getting out of bed seems to be more of a challenge than you can begin to meet. And I love that warbling whistle-like sound, whatever it is (MLD: sounds a bit like a theremin to me).

MLD:
Another track I’d never heard of, and a fine piece of slickly produced pop it is too. I’m not sure if this was ever released in the UK, but if the All Saints seriously wanted to revive their faltering comeback they should cover this and watch it fly to No.1 (and perhaps the album up to 43 - one song cant do everything!). It would suit them perfectly, but they’d struggle to match the original sultry honeyed tones of Maple Bee.

“Easy Life” starts in fine style with a church organ, and proceeds with a very up-tempo happy radio friendly sound, but at the same time there’s a disconsolate air to it all, with the lyrics, and Maple’s treated voice both expressing a kind of sad acceptance.
After doing a bit of delving it seems Ms Bee is a woman of many talents. She’s part of Huski, has a solo album that sounds a bit like Kate Bush doing Portishead covers, and also appears to be part of something called “Mediaeval Baebes” which the press release describes as a “provocative collective of beautiful maidens“. Its very popular with the Daily Express, and Classic FM, but I’m afraid I didn’t make it past the opening Pan Pipes.

Part two of the Scroobius Pip & Dan Le Sac “Listen To This” special. The first part (here) ended up like some kind of musical love in with all three participants gushing praise for the others choices… will it be any different this time? Surely someone will stink the place out, and pick Razorlight or Kasabian.

Don’t forget to check the Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip site for downloads, or visit Dan Le Sac’s Myspace for an inspired reworking of Gorecki’s Symphony No.3 re-titled “Sorrow” and while you’re there nag him to make it downloadable.

Don’t forget to leave a comment if you agree, disagree, or couldnt be arsed to read all the waffle and just skanked the MP3’s?

First up selection from Dan Le Sac:

LE SAC TRACK 1:

Vincent Oliver - “If Yellow Were Sad” (MP3)

Buy: Vincent Oliver EP

Dan Le Sac: The first time i heard this track i was cooking dinner, i was making the finest omelette a man can make, cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic and this crumbly mature cheddar i like. i remember the omelette because i burnt it whilst trying to get myspace to rewind back a bit, to hear this line that had caught my ear, “…adjust to rest on your sweet breast and on your torso moreso…” It instantly made me feel right, the image in my head formed so vividly, getting out the bath and lying on the bed with the wife until you dry, contentment lifting your spirits.

The track lyrically and musically covers the scale of relationships, humble begins of the acoustic guitar, the excitement of the orchestra tuning up, then the layers and layers of emotive noise. When the track finally reaches crescendo, Im always amazed how that tiny melody survives amongst the wall of sound. All this noise, all these layers of texture, i find it difficult to see how a vocal could fit this track, but it does, each lyric spurs titbits of memory to life, so much so I’m never sure which memories are mine or which are Vincent Oliver’s.

MLD: Starting off with just a plucked guitar refrain this track builds oh so slowly, creating a palpable sense of tension as if the conductor was teasing and toying with his orchestra. Allowing each player a short turn, but still constraining them, until at four and a half minutes in he can hold them no more, and signals them to explode into a cacophony of noise. Each instrument, every string, ever horn lets loose in a glorious but very brief final crescendo.

How Oliver got this sound I don’t know… Im assuming that he didn’t hire the BBC Philharmonic, but instead like The Streets “Dry Your Eyes” has a very convincing orchestral sample CD. It would be good enough with just the orchestral elements, but Vincent subtly weaves in his vocal, with fantastic lines like “adjust to rest on your sweet breast“. Vincent Oliver will be playing Reading in October with both Scroobius & Dan Le Sac, and if there were ever a good reason to visit Reading this might just be it.
The EP on Lo Recordings offshoot Loaf comes in a gorgeous limited edition only 300 ever made hand stamped art board type thingy. Get it at Piccadilly records or dubfrog.

Scroobius Pip: As soon as the vocal comes in this screams Syd Barrett for some reason. Tell a lie, as soon as the layered vocals come in. I like the atmosphere of this track. The layers of sound seem to really build up a wall of sound but when you listen its isn’t a busy a soundscape as you might first think.

Lyrically again I’m still getting a “pipers at the gates of dawn” vibe which is nice, particularly with the recent loss of Mr Barrett. Its rare to be able to balance/pull off a sound that has this much depth but still manage to keep a relaxing/ambient vibe but i think Vincent pulls it off on this track.

MUSIC LIKE DIRT CHOICE 1:

Kid Koala - “Slew Test 2 / Mosquito vs. Water Buffalo / Slew Test 3A” (MP3)

Buy: Pre-order the new album “Your Mom’s Favourite DJ” from Amazon.

Video: Fender Bender (YouTube) - this is sooooo good! / Basin Street Blues (YouTube)

7 minute Koala documentary (You Tube) - a must see

MLD: My younger brother firmly believes that the key ingredients to me falling in love with a tune are wiki-wiki scratching, and most import of all a 1950’s continuity announcer intoning Mr Chubly Warner style “This is a journey into sound” type phrases. Its a by-product of growing up hearing a constant loop of Coldcut, Steinski and their ilk seeping from my teenage bedroom, and here comes Kid Koala to reinforce his unjust claim. Its a symphony of scratching, has multiple stiff announcers describing the “recording process” and yes I can confirm I absolutely love it!

It goes from 0-190 in zero seconds, cutting up an obscure (at least to me) rock track or two with abandon, before switching to French accordion music, and back to a heavy guitar riff. It makes me want to sweep the dust from off my turntables, and get scratching. Catch Koala live if possible, what he can do with just a mangled trumpet sample has to be seen to be believed.

Scroobius: Ive heard Kid Koala’s name knocking about for years but for some reason have always had the idea that he was similar to Nightmares on Wax and Chemical Brothers of whom I’m not overly fond. I was pleased and surprised to find however that i was loving this track right from the start. A thinking mans DJ Yoda. A drinking mans DJ Shadow. And far more appealing to me than both.

Superbly using genres not normally mixed and scratched and creating a compelling sound. As some one who has failed at every attempt to do any “real DJing” i am always in awe of people who can fuse genres that were never intended for such (kudos to Mr Le Sac in also achieving this. And Mr Dibbs. And DJ Abilities. damn you talented types). A great track from start to finish and some one i will be looking into more. The only worry i have is whether this sound can continue to keep interest over a full album. I look forward to finding out.

Dan Le Sac: Kid Koala is a cunt, a truly talented cunt, i hate him. He is a cunt because he’s got the ability to be a twidly self indulgent scratch Dj at the same time as being catchy and completely accessible. This track show him off to his best, moving from emotive vocal chops, to cheeky accordion silliness, to beats and cuts any Rapper would be proud to spit over.He is a master of his art, better than Qbert or Mixmaster Mike because he remembers to give us a melody, better than Dj Shadow because he remembers to give us a dancefloor, and better than Numark + Cut Chemist because he isn’t a rich kid, playing at hip hop with his head up his arse. Dope!

SCROOBIUS PICKS 1:

Jackamo Brown - “Prayer for slow death” (MP3)

Visit: Jackamo Brown’s Myspace for 4 equally superb and totally free downloads, including “Lay Low”. Do it, no seriously!

Scroobius: Again, a track that holds its own with just guitar and vocal. To be able to stand out amongst the millions of “singer/songwriters” that have flooded the music industry since way before i was even concieved takes something special. Jackamo truly has something special. The raw quality should drag this track down but for some reason it doesn’t.

In a way i am drawn to the way that, due to the limited sound quality, the guitar piece and the vocal seem to flow as one and the same. The thing that i like the most about this track is that it isn’t by Jack Johnson, James Blunt, James Morrison or any of these other appallingly bland people that seem to be appearing with nothing more than a “J” at the beginning of their name and a mild knowledge of chords to qualify them to be forced upon my unwilling ears.

MLD:
According to his myspace profile, Jackamo spent many years living on a mountain top, studying philosophy, writing and when temptation took him ruining Jason Donavon video shoots by plugging in the fop haired popsters guitar (ok I made up the last bit). I like it when an artist builds up a myth around themself, eg Jack White and his sister/wife, but it can fall flat on its face if the music doesn’t match up. Why exactly should I read this hokum when the music’s this bad!?

Thankfully “Prayer for Slow Death” is nothing short of brilliant, reminding me of the first time I heard James Yorkston, and more recently the genius of Micah P Hinson’s first album. Jackamos deceptively simple guitar perfectly compliments his wonderfully melancholic voice. It all sounds steeped in history and bitter experience, but was in all likelyhood recorded in a suburban back bedroom somewhere, and the first take was probably ruined when his mum shouted that the lasagne was ready, and his jeans were ironed. Personally I prefer to believe the story about philosophy and the Welsh hills… and the music stands on its own whoever and wherever it was created. Another top find for Mr. Pip.

Dan Le Sac: You only have two choices when it comes to acoustic singer/songwriters, cunts who my mum like, Blunt, Johnson, who’s that new one? The clone of Chris Martin, catchy soulless empty vacant pap that people buy because is so inoffensive that they dont even notice they’re listening to music, just white noise for middle class white people. Or you can choose people like Jackamo.

I’m a sucker for it, lifted straight out of gospel and bluegrass, “Prayer for slow death” is a superb record, something about it doesn’t sit right with his background, suburban life in the London commuter belt shouldn’t be able to produce such a pure sound, but it does, I didn’t realise Robert Johnson lived in Essex. The lofi guitar and solemn voice intertwine around bleak lyrics to form something truly beautiful.

“Listen To This” is a simple concept. One music obsessed blogger recommends a couple of tracks to another audio junkie, and they do the same. My first ever pick was Scroobius Pip’s “First Time I Met Musik” which guest reviewer “Stop Me” called “relentlessly inventive… like Eddie Argos turning his hand to rap… packed with so many incredible lines that it’s difficult to get your head round“… in short I think he liked it!

Well this time around I’m pleased to welcome the man with the beard himself Scroobius Pip to “Listen To This” and offer him the chance to hopefully be equally effusive about my choices! Also joining Scroobius for this special two parter is Dan Le Sac, who’s remix of Scroobius’s “Angles” has been heavily plugged on this site before, and is a total cert for the music like dirt top 100 of 2006.

Check out the brand new Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip Myspace page for free downloads galore, and while im at it heres Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip “Angles” (MP3) again. (click dont right click).

Scroobius’s debut album “No Commercial Breaks” is out NOW. You can buy it for just £7 english pounds with free p&p! Visit Scroobiuspip.co.uk… 10 tracks..1 video ..bargain.
Look out for Part two coming soon, but first up to the virtual turntable, its Mr. Pip:

SCROOBIUS PICKS 1:

Adele - “Daydreamer (Demo)” (MP3)

Visit: Adele on Myspace for more downloads… her blog is a great read too.

Video: Lo-fi youtube of Adle singing “Daydreamer” to Lydonblue

Scroobius: I fall in love with this track each time i hear it. A beautifully unique voice that sounds like someone has got a map and folded it so that, for just a brief moment, South London and the Mississippi Delta have touched to create this sound. The lyrics are both witty and moving. Using modern turns of phrases and delivering them with effortless elegance. Anything more than a simple guitar accompaniment could of risked detracting from the vocal so the simplicity of the track as a whole is just perfect.

MLD: Another singer songwriter you say…and oh whats that she got her deal through Myspace… but hold on… wait a second… stiffle that yawn, Sit down and listen! Adele has no desire to be a punk rocker, and Daydreamer will quite simply steal your heart.

Apart from it being a damn good tune, the really beguiling thing about “Daydreamer” is that you can hear 18 year old Adele’s influences in her every syllable and phrasing. Theres folk obviously, but also a countryish twang, and best of all a large dash of Erykah Badu & Jill Scott. It could so easily sound awkward but for me at least its what makes her stand out from the acoustic pack. XL should consider themselves very lucky to have added her to their roster.

If picking tunes were a boxing match, Scroobius Pip would have landed a first round knockout with this one… I’ve listened to this a dozen times so far and it gets better every single time.
She claims that like every girl her age (and some boys) she was inspired by The Spice Girls so please feel free to insert some hackneyed word play about girl power, or getting what she really really wants right here, then stop reading this nonsense and go listen to someone with real talent.
Incidentally is the vinyl crackle on this deliberate? Its a nice touch if it is?

Dan Le Sac: I click on Adele’s page and said “nu-jazz, what the fuck?!” with reference to her choice of genre’s. But thank the creator this aint nu-jazz. This is soul, and i mean soul, her soul, right there coming out of the speakers. I hate female singer songwriters with a passion, all of them trying to find a catchy hook that’ll get them onto radio 1 and maybe a deal with EMI, this is truly first album material, those really good songs that people write when there not concerned with singles sales.

The minimal production is perfectly measured between subtlety and interest, she drops these harmonies in the second half that lift the track from great to awesome. I love the way she doesn’t finish her words, leaving them hanging for the listener to finish, it took me a couple of listens to assimilate her random accents but she is a child of her influences, her inflection takes from Arie to Badu to Spektor to Allen, which just serves to make Daydreamer more addictive.

DAN LE SAC CHOICE 1:

Saul Williams - “Black Stacey” (MP3)

Buy: Saul Williams album from Amazon

Video: “Black Stacey” (YouTube)

Dan Le Sac: Got to admit to a conflict of interest here, essentially Saul Williams and Mike Ladd gave Hip Hop to me, the gave me Lex, Def Jux, Big Dada, Strange Famous and all the Hip Hoppers that go with them. Saul Williams fuses life experience with fictious story telling and surrealism, but somehow he stays as honest as any man can be.

Black Stacey covers some emotions you dont hear often in hip hop, it bold, he talks about a black kid dreaming about being white, wanting what being white allows you to get, this isn’t an acceptable thing to say whatever race you are, but when faced with inequality you are always gonna see that green grass and want to call it home. But this track is by no means anti-black or a gripe about racism, its simply a train of thought about youth, emotions in the context of his life. Its about being proud and honest, that kind of pure honesty that you just dont get in your average hip hop track.

The beats, builds, string and piano just add layers to his voice, his combination of spoken word, rap and soul sang vocals take the track further through his influences. This track is a call to all, a message to say, be proud of what you are, but most of all just be what you are.

MLD: While there’s no doubting that Saul Williams is a lyrical genius, his music is sometimes let down by… well, his music. The man puts more ideas, talent, and skill into each individual lyric than some manage in an entire career, but musically he can struggle to match those high standards.

Coldcut had the right idea on their magnificent Saul collaboration “Mr.Nichols”. They kept the music subtle and let the lyrics take centre stage. It has to be said that “Black Stacey” is one track where the music matches the inventiveness of the lyrics, again possibly because its kept relatively simple. The beats work, and the flute loop at the end is a delight. Hip Hop that is both intelligent, and funky, in other words exactly how it should be.

Scroobius: Im kind of bias on this one as Saul is something of a hero of mine. This track is a really great example of an amazing writer choosing to ignore the opportunity for a self gratifying flexing of the intellectual muscle in favour of getting a story and message across via an accessible beat and piano piece. Still amazingly written. A beautiful combination of expressing a distaste for the both small minded racistist idiots and the faux black power “Ive watch Malcolm X five times but haven’t even heard of Farrakhan” types. He also attacks the current mainstream hiphop scene with great eloquence. A very powerful track from one of the great poets of recent years.

MUSIC LIKE DIRT CHOICE 1:

Cansei De Ser Sexy - “Music Is My Hot Hot Sex” (MP3)

Buy: Cansei De Ser Sexy’s album from Amazon for a tenner.

MP3: “Lets Make Love & Listen To Death From Above” (Myspace click dont double click)

Video: “Lets Make Love & Listen To Death From Above” (Youtube)

MLD: “Music is my boyfriend, music is my girlfriend
Music is my beach house, music is my home town,
Music is my hot hot bed, music is my hot hot sex”

As someone who’s spent the last 20 years and more money than I care to imagine filling every inch of my flat with vinyl, and now every byte of my hard disk with MP3’s I do like a good music obsession/music solves everything track. From the stone cold classic of Sterling Voids “It’s Alright“, to the slightly less serious “Music is my hot hot sex” I seem to fall for them all.
And how can anyone not warm to a group with such batty song titles as “Lets Make Love & Listen to Death From Above“, as well as injecting everything they do with an infectious sense of creativity and fun. Originally formed in Sao Paulo as a joke by a group of fashion students, film makers and illustrators, “Music is my hot hot sex” is a good example of the CSS sound, electro but firmly pop - all delivered with a wink and a grin.

For some reason this tune reminds me of the Russian faux lesbians tAtU, which as far as I’m concerned is no bad thing (the thought of the gasps of horror and indignation from po-faced Smiths fans when Tatu covered the Smiths “How Soon Is Now” brings a smile to my face even now). Hopefully CSS will go on to take the pop chart by storm, and prove once more that “creativity” is not just the preserve of indulgent electronic acts or angst ridden singer songwriters, but can often be found most in glorious technicolour pop. I’m off to see them next week so with luck they’ll deliver live too

Dan Le Sac:
When I saw Cansei de ser sexy where up for my listening pleasure I was quite chuffed. This kind of female vocal electro is definitely my cup of tea, people like Crossover, Miss Kitten, Soffy-O (tok tok) and Peaches regularly grace my stereo, and CSS tracks like Meeting Paris Hilton and Art Bitch have very much caught my attention of late, but this is were it all goes wrong, theres something about the track as a whole that irritates me, her voice seems to lose its edge on this track, becoming a sub-standard Americanised female vocal with far to much autotune and not enough passion.

Musically its interesting but doesn’t go far enough in any direction to pull me in. All that said, the track does have some redeeming qualities, the sentiment is perfect, i like that kind of blind devotion to music, and when the track builds a little and she drops her Brazilian Rap the track nearly ticks all the boxes, it shows what CSS can do, but this is not Cansei de ser Sexy’s finest moment.

Scroobius Pip: I was quite surprised to be enjoying this track. At first i felt it would be just another of the recent wave of electro based music that has quirky vocal but with little meaning. Now i do not mean that in a derogatory way. I simply mean that it has been done so well by the likes of Le Tigre, Datarock and even LCD Soundsystem that its now becoming a very tough genre to stand out in with any real longevity. Personally i dont know if this track does that. Again though, that isn’t meant as a bad thing. Although it didn’t instantly jump out at me, on repeated listens i have very much warmed to it. The switching of language helped me to focus more on the over all sound as opposed to the quality of lyric or meaning (which i must admit i have a terrible habit of doing) and, in-turn, made it grow on me more and more.