PALACE – Facebook / Twitter

Thanks must go to Beatnik online for tipping us the wink on Brighton based four piece, Palace. All three demos on their soundcloud page are worth a listen but the wistful bluesy “Veins” is the standout.

They state their main influences as “White Denim, Kraftwerk, Wu Lyf, Jeff Buckley, Foals, Wu Tang Clan and Nigerian Blues” although I’m not quite hearing Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s oeuvre in their gentle blues rock as yet. Their tongues were probably firmly in cheek when they claimed to end their sets with a loud letting rip song dedicated to Blackheath village! Sadly attempts to google it only bring up an Indian Restaurant.

RAYYS – Facebook / Bandcamp / Tumblr (influences)

As an instrument the Bodhrán doesn’t get much coverage on this blog, bar a brief mention in a retrospective on early 90′s Irish Marxist rappers Marxman. However the brush work of Bodhrán master Aimee Leonard provides the perfect understated backing to showcase the crystal clear voice of Rayys. She has a new single due soon but “I’m Coming Home” is a sumptuous first taste of someone destined to be a firm favourite.
There’s an untouched purity to the way banjo and bodhrán combine with Rayys voice although the cover art for the track is oddly available in both untouched and noticeably photoshopped versions.

For some reason the video reminds me of journeys back home to Carlisle on the train (perhaps it was shot in the Lake District)?

ALANA HENDERSON – Facebook / Making of the EP (video)

If your ears are in need of another gorgeous voice then Belfast’s Alana Henderson could be the perfect remedy. Her debut EP “Wax & Wane” showcases not just her vocal and songwriting prowess but also that the cello is not heard nearly enough in “popular” music.

THE UNCLUDED

If you ever wondered what the Mouldy Peaches would sound like fused with hip-hop, then wonder no more. In 2007, while on tour supporting his album None Shall Pass, indie rapper/ producer Aesop Rock wrote a fan email to folk singer and former Mouldy Peach, Kimya Dawson. A few years later they reconnected during the creation of arts-and-oddities blog 900Bats, which in turn sparked the pair’s collaborative musical efforts. After appearing on each other’s respective recent solo records, both found more worth pursuing within the group dynamic, and The Uncluded were hatched.

YOUNG FATHERS

On the subject of unlikely fusions, Edinburgh based Young Fathers meld TV On The Radio style art-rock with what sounds like Prince Be from Spandau sampling rappers PM Dawn. Set yourself adrift on the blissful falsetto vocals, raps and the eerily inventive video below.

MOHAMMED AL ALI

Performed at weddings and parties across the Houran region of the Middle East, Dabke combines Electronic beats, mejwiz (a double reed bamboo flute) and vocal chants to create a style of dance music like no other. “Mili Alay (Sway To Me)” is taken from a collection of tracks selected from cassettes and discs found at vendors in cities throughout Syria over the past 15 years.

JONNIE COMMON

My So Called Summer – Lead single available as a download via limited edition glass badge by Scottish artists Keny Drew and Showpony.

BODY IN THE THAMES

Body In The Thames is a single human male making musical type noises with analogue synthesizers and drum machines, sometimes ‘singing’ and making occasional use of guitar. He reserves the right to stumble blindly from one subgenre to another along a broad path that might be described as dance music.

BENIN CITY
Benin City’s Faithless, the first official single from Benin City’s debut album Fires In The Park, available to download on the 10th June.

ARCHIE BRONSON DUB

The Speedy Wunderground label have a predilection for fast releases… record it, mix it and get it out to the world as soon as possible. Their second release shows quality isn’t the cost for speed especially on the B-sde which finds rockers Archie Bronson Outfit getting dubbed out by label owner Dan Carey.

TIM BURGESS

Ex Charlatan Tim Burgess is also an unlikely dub vocalist but dub supremo Prince Fatty was let loose on Burgess’s “Economy” with fine effect.

JOHN TURRELL

Rounding off a triumvirate of surprising dub stars is John Turrell, best known as one half of British soul/blues duo Smoove & Turrel

Turrell signed to Big Chill last year and whoever handed his “Wrong Time” single to East London’s finest purveyor of tape echo Wrong Tom deserves a hefty bonus. Tom adds a loping reggae beat, tasty classic dub effects and transforms the whole enterprise into the sort of gem that were it on an obscure JA 7″ would be fought over by collectors.
On the subject of WrongTom, if you’re a reggae lover of any kind you’ll love his in-depth natter with David Rodigan for FACT TV.

Once you get started with the sunny reggae vibes theres no stopping so here’s one actually from Jamaica itself. The Selection Riddim provides an almost lovers rock backing for a host of the Islands stars. Capleton, Chaka Demus, Mr. Vegas, Lutan Fyah, and more all have a crack at the riddim but Alborosie and Sizzla are the pick of the bunch. Judge for yourself on Soundcloud.

BRASSICA

Brassica’s Microvictories was limited to 200 screen-printed, hand-stamped and sewn copies when it first came out in 2008. It’s now arrived in digital form but back then in between moaning about being sent Celine Dion CD’s I said: “It ranges from beautiful ambient electronica, found sound collages, almost pop-ish melodies through to the clattering “Welcome (a piss in the river)” with it’s driving bass line“.

LAURYN HILL
“We’re living in a joke time, metaphorical coke time
Commerce and guru men, run the whole world man”

The return of Lauryn Hill with her tax evasion induced new release sent me off on a nostalgic tour of the classic R&B female vocalists of recentish years. The interweb is awash with amazing reworkings of Missy, Janet, Kelis… oh and Miguel just because I bloody love that track.

Missy Elliot – Sock It 2 Me (Kaytranada Remix)

Kelis also returns while Cain offers a heavy harmonic milkshake remix

Sly5thAve- Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe (Kendrick Lamar) feat. The Clubcasa Chamber Orchestra

Miguel – Do You… (Cashmere Cat Remix)

The post A few of my favourite things appeared first on Music Like Dirt.

Aprils cup truly runneth over so here’s 50 of the finest sounds in handy playlist form. I say 50 because that’s the limit of the Why.com widget below. There are actually almost 60 ridiculously good tunes on the full Whyd playlist, and almost as many on Soundcloud if that’s your preference.

Follow the monthly playlists on WHYD.COM or SOUNDCLOUD

The post Top 50 tracks of the month April ’13 appeared first on Music Like Dirt.

With days to go, the threesome of Maxwell Harvey William Newsome III, Squire and vocalist  Kayley “Hell Kitten” Davies are hovering precariously at number 85 in the online vote, with only the top 100 making it through to the judged stage.

Can you spare one click to keep them in the hot 100, and give them a chance to showcase their debut EP “The Best Thing You’ve Never Heard“?

IT TAKES ONE CLICK TO VOTE
(ALTHOUGH YOU CAN VOTE ONCE A DAY IF YOU FEEL THAT WAY INCLINED)

Need more convincing..? Here are three good reasons to click once and send Sky Valley Mistress to Donnington Park.

1. THEY’RE FROM BLACKBURN!

In fairness, my antipathy is based entirely on a bad experience at a municipal dry ski slope in the late 1990′s (which now I think of it may only be near Blackburn) but seriously, imagine the hard grind of a blues influenced rock band in Lancashire!
I jest but if you do a google image search for “Blackburn and nightclub” the picture below is what comes up!
I’m just saying it might be nice if they could leave for a few days and play the Download Festival – Have a heart and vote here.

The Ex-Millennium nightclub (actually there are some really nice pictures if you click the pic)

2. THEIR WILFUL DISREGARD OF COPYRIGHT LAW

A vote for Sky Valley will encourage them to create more merchandise “influenced” by well known brands.
Without this you would’t notice how much the logo for a popular German herbal liquor looks like something Leni Riefenstahl might have filmed.
VOTE HERE

3. FREE MUSIC

“The Best Thing You’ve Never Heard” sits somewhere between R.L Burnside and the Alabama Shakes and the Download festival would be blessed to have them grace their stage.
What’s more the EP is available for free download (just click Download on the player). They even provided musical nourishment to the early morning Record Store Day queue outside one of Britain’s finest music emporiums, Piccadilly Records in the form of free CD’s! (pictured below)
Listen and download two more cuts from the debut EP and then VOTE HERE.

The post Three reasons to help Sky Valley Mistress play the Download Festival appeared first on Music Like Dirt.

As a teaser for the album they’re offering up their new single ‘My Love‘ to DOWNLOAD FREE!! <—Nab it there.
Spread the word by visiting the Benin City Hype Machine page & tweeting your love for the track.

It combines two twin loves of mine, intelligent thought provoking lyrics and a stonking great brass sound. Main man Joshua Idehen delivers poetic reflections on his imperfect love over a sparse repetitive loop, while the brass section builds slowly with the kind of fanfare that usually signals the arrival of a head of state. Finally it explodes into a melodramatic climax that were the London Olympics still on would surely soundtrack a montage of British success.

MUSIC LIKE DIRT SESSION

Benin City were kind enough to record a session for the blog. Joshua Idehen (Vox), Theo Buckingham (Drums) Tom Leaper (Tenor Sax), Rob Peterson (bass), Rebecca Nash (Keys) and Faye Treacy (Trombone) crammed themselves into a comically small room in a glamorous corner of Walthamstow to perform “Crush”.

Co-incidentally the Charlie Behrens directed video for “My Love” was shot a few miles down the banks of the River Lea from Walthamstow.

Remixes of “My Love” from Nicolaas Van Reenen, Dan Le Sac and Paper Tiger are also available for free download, with the Paper Tiger mix edging is as the most effective (although to my mind the original version is the best).

The post Benin City: MLD live session & free download “My Love” single appeared first on Music Like Dirt.

1. RECORD STORE GAY

The inaugural Record Store Gay compilation was one of the highlights of last years Record Store Day and Irish shoppers will be able to buy a fresh collection of ‘gay anthems’ covered by the finest new bands this Saturday. All proceeds go towards Outhouse, a drop in centre offering support to the LGBT community in Dublin. 25,000 people visited the centre for advice in the last year alone and on Saturday most of the bands featured on the album will be playing from 1pm onwards. Listen to the release in full over on their Soundcloud page or download it on Bandcamp.

2. RANDOLPH’S LEAP – “FURTIVE GLANCES”

Randolph’s Leap have the “Furtive Glances” EP, copies of which will be available on very limited edition cassettes from Avalanche Records & Vox Box in Edinburgh and LoveMusic & monorail music in Glasgow.

3. DAN DEACON – “KONONO RIPOFF NO.1″

Limited edition 500 hand-numbered 7″ featuring two versions of the track as performed by two sets of dual drummers: Kevin O’Meara and Jeremy Hyman on Side A; Denny Bowen and Dave Jacober on Side B.

4. GOLDEN GUNN

The first single from M.C. Taylor (Hiss Golden Messenger) and Steve Gunn’s Record Store Day collaboration, “Golden Gunn.”

5. ADVENTURES IN DUBBING

To celebrate this year’s Record Store Day cassette label Adventures in Dubbing will be releasing a limited edition tape featuring two edits from the label’s alter ego Adventures in Disco. Both tracks are Italo Disco classics and have been chopped up and reconfigured. The A side ‘Dance on the Groove’ is a slow motion slice of sleazy disco while the B side ‘Tha Kee Tha Tha’ is one of his finest efforts and a guaranteed floor filler. There will only be ten copies of this cassette made and they’ll only be available to buy direct from the Adventures in Dubbing online store, so you’ll need to be quick if you want one.

6. VITAMIN STRING QUARTET PERFORM SIGUR ROS

The exclusive Record Store Day vinyl release of Vitamin String Quartet Performs Sigur Rós is available Saturday, April 20th. Find a participating store near you here: vsq.io/rcrdstda

7. PULP VS SOULWAX

8. 1920′s AMERICAN GUITAR RECORDINGS

If American Primitive Guitar begins with John Fahey and the Takoma School, then the actual origins of this sound is found within this collection of fourteen classic solo guitar performances. Recorded between 1923 to 1930, this set is the “Rosetta Stone” of style and repertoire tapped into deeply by Fahey, Basho & Rose, among many others. Sam McGee, Riley Puckett, Bayless Rose, Sylvester Weaver, Lemuel Turner, Frank Hutchison and Davey Miller are the rural artists included in this anthology. Each one of these showcases a particular technique and sensitivity sourced from the earlier 19th century parlor guitar tradition.

9. BRETON – “GOVERNING CORRECTLY”

The Artwork remix of Breton’s Population Density. The track features alongside a Busy P Remix of Breton’s Governing Correctly on this exclusive release for Record Store Day, limited to 1000 copies.

10. BLACK LIPS

Black Lips – Mama’s Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys – Willie Nelson & Waylon Jennings cover From the Black Lips / Icky Blossoms -Cowboy Knights RSD 7″

11. FANTASTIC MAN

Something different from Fantastic Man, Andy Hart and Max Graef for World Record Store Day. Out on limited 10″ on the 20 April, 2013. Hit up your local record store and pre order a copy.

12. TRANS-RECORDS

Trans-Records to release a split 7” for Record Store Day on April 20th featuring tracks from Sombear and Chris Walla, guitarist/producer for Death Cab For Cutie. The limited 1000 pressing 7” features Sombear’s debut single “Incredibly Still” and Walla’s “Never Give Up,” and will be released on Walla’s own label Trans- Records.

13. SYNTH OR SOUL

Black Milk’s Synth Or Soul instrumental project is also out on Record Store Day. Black Milk collaborates with illustrator Upendo “Pen” Taylor (Nike, Leroy Jenkins, Gatorade) for the music-meets-visual instrumental/art series Fuzz, Freqs & Colors (FFC). Synth or Soul is the first volume in the FFC series. The process for each volume starts with Black and Pen trading beats and sketches and refining their works along the way. Throughout that exchange, the music is shaped by the visual art and the visual art is shaped by the music.

14. PRIMAL SCREAM

15. EVERYBODY LOVES THE SUNSHINE

Kan Sano cover Roy Ayres “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” – available for UK Record Store Day shoppers.

16. ITALIAN LIBRARY MUSIC

Strut Records have a vinyl reissue of a hard to find Italian library music LP. The 1979 concept album “Desert” is composed and arranged by Antonio Vuolo and Elio Grande, originally was released on small Italian label, Cardium.

17. DALE EARNHARDT JR. JR

Get the Patterns EP feat. “If You Didn’t See Me (Then You Weren’t On The Dancefloor)” here: smarturl.it/patternsep The EP will also be available on vinyl as a Record Store Day exclusive on April 20.

18. THE UNCLUDED – “DELICATE CYCLE”

19. GOAT – “RUN TO YOUR MAMA (REMIXES)”

20. BEAT BOX: A DRUM MACHINE OBSESSION: V.2 TR-909 (A BOOK)

A 20 page book on the TR-909 Drum Machine, filled with everything from pictures to original advertising. The set contains 2 flexidiscs – one clear – one translucent orange with the sounds of the TR-909 and voiced by Schoolly D!

21. CSC FUNKBAND – “FUNKINCENSE”

22. DEATH WALTZ RECORDINGS

Limited pressings of much loved soundtracks with specially commissioned artwork.
Full details here.

23. NICK CAVE UNRELEASED

Animal X is a Recordstore Day exclusive one-sided 7” picture disc from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. This previously unheard track was recorded at La Fabrique in France during the recording sessions for the band’s acclaimed album Push The Sky Away, released this February on Bad Seed Ltd.

24. FELA KUTI

Knitting Factory are releasing this limited edition 12” exclusively for Record Store Day. Sorrow Tears And Blood is taken from the 1977 album of the same name (an attack on police and army violence against dissent that Decca refused to release).

25. JAMIE X EDITS

Jamie xx remixes Sunset and Reconsider from The XX ‘Coexist’ LP (4000 copies).

26. SIR OWN - HOOKED – KON’S NITE TIME REMIX

One of the most talked about and sought after reworks in recent time ! Kon’s stunning remix of Cerrone’s ”Hooked On You”. Originally released back in 1981 and featuring Jocelyn Brown on vocals this updated version has been given the royal treatment by Kon and is now finally out as a limited 300 copy, marbled vinyl – one-sided 12. ps.

27. GZA CHESS BOX SET

Details

28. I SHOT REAGAN

To whet appetites for Get on Down’s upcoming Premium Edition Box Set of Non-Phixion’s classic indie hip-hop full-length The Future is Now (Summer 2013), this 7” – with both songs produced by Necro – is offered for Record Store Day as a tribute to the late 1990s indie hip-hop resistance. Featuring MCs Ill Bill,Goretex and Sabac with DJ Eclipse, the group retains a rabid fanbase to this day.

29. ASHLEY BEEDLE VS WARBOX

Ashley Beedle limited edition reworkings of reggae classics. Not the one below but it gives a flavour of what to expect.

30. 40 THIEVES

40 Thieves are back with a brand new mid tempo instrumental mover for Leng. ‘In Your Space’ is a cosmic jam that kicks over a funk filled bass line and heavy guitar licks brought together with some added cow bell and squelchy space efx. This single sided 10” picture disc is available as a limited edition release for Record Store Day, April 20th 2013 so visit your local store to pick up your copy!

31. EURYTHMICS REMIXES

The Conny Plank reWork sessions EP Featuring 2 Eurythmics Mixes

32. EL MICHELS AFFAIR -ENTER THE 37TH CHAMBER

33. MAYBE IM AMAZED

‘Maybe I’m Amazed’ taken from the 2013 remaster of ‘Wings over America’.

34. SWEET BABOO

The post Record Store Day 2013: So many things to buy! appeared first on Music Like Dirt.

Tom describes his remix as a “mess of synths, bleeps, and overlaid drum tracks” but keeps Winston Wright’s famous Hammond riff at its heart. To me at least the original is the sound of the Waltzers, stick it on and subconsciously I’m 15 and hurtling round with a disinterested youth whipping my neck back as he flicks the Waltzer into a spin. I’m not sure why I have this association… perhaps Cumbria’s funfair barons were reformed skinheads?

Some question whether Harry had his hands directly on the desk for “Liquidator” and the countless other “Harry J Productions” suggesting he was more of an instigator, arranger and entrepreneur. Drummer Carlton Barrett suggests the instrumental was originally meant for Tony Scott’s “What Am I to Do“ while Alton Ellis highlights its similarity to his own “Girl, I’ve got a date“.

Whatever the truth, it says “Harry J All Stars” on the label and that’s the name forever associated with one of the most well known reggae tunes of all time.

The unmistakable bass of the intro was also pilfered by The Staple Singers, after Booker T & The MG’s drummer Al Jackson visited Kingston in 1969 and was given two copies of “Liquidator” by Harry J. Three years later Johnson was horrified to recognize his opening refrain on the radio as what would become a soul standard “I’ll Take You There” was played.

“Liquidator” returned to the charts in 1980, and was also sampled on “Just Keep Rockin‘” by Double Trouble & The Rebel MC (now Congo Natty) during the short lived “SKAcid” craze of the late 80′s.

In 1970 he produced Bob and Marcia’s version of Nina Simone’s “Young, Gifted And Black” which reached the UK Top 5. The follow up “Pied Piper” made it to No.11.

Flush with the success of “Liquidator” & “Young Gifted & Black” Harry J opened his own 16 track studio on Roosevelt Avenue in Kingston. It was the most technologically advanced studio on the island (most others were 2 or 4 track) and a veritable who’s who of reggae passed through its doors over the following years. Bob Marley & The Wailers recorded their “Catch A Fire”, “Burnin’”, “Natty Dread” & “Rastaman Vibration” albums there along with the cream of early 70′s Roots Reggae. Later the likes of Grace Jones, the Rolling Stones and The Who recorded at Harry J’s.

So my producer HarrJ passed on. Many memories of that era when I recorded Breakfast in bed and spent many hours … m.tmi.me/RdG9K

— lorna Bennett(@lornavbennett) April 6, 2013

It didn’t take long for the studio to strike gold and in ’72 Lorna Bennett’s cover of Dusty Springfield’s “Breakfast in Bed” was a smash in both Jamaica and Worldwide. It seems likely the production was by Geffrey Chang on the request of Harry J who released the resulting gem.
The dub on the flip of the 7″ is my favourite, featuring toaster Scotty floating over Lorna’s heavily reverbed voice.

Shiela & Harry J;

Ever the wheeler-dealer Harry got red-hot production duo Sly & Robbie in to take the helm for Hylton’s follow up, a rendition of “The Bed’s Too Big Without You” and was duly rewarded with a place in the Top 40 and a Top Of The Pops performance.

Johnson was also involved in an early recording of the dancehall classic “Murder She Wrote“, using the “Fresh” rhythm. Recorded by Pliers under the moniker of Everton Bunner, it would later become a global hit when re-recorded with Chaka Demus on a different rhythm.

Back in 1968 while using Coxsone Dodd’s Studio One, Johnson produced The Beltones “No More Heartaches” arguably the first, but definitely one of the earliest Reggae tracks (as opposed to the previous Rock Steady sound). It went to No.1 in the Jamaican charts but 1969′s “Cuss Cuss” with Lloyd Robinson really announced Harry J’s arrival as a producer and has gone on to spawn countless versions on its rhythm.
Again here’s the B sides Dub along with a DJ mix of 8 different versions of “Cuss Cuss” including Horace Andy.

In 1977, as befitting a place where so much roots reggae was recorded, a few scenes from the famous movie “Rockers” were shot in Harry J’s Studio.

Rockers – Graduation in Zion by loustick

Heptones “Crystal Blue Persuasion”

As late as 1984 Harry J created the “Computer Rule” rhythm as an answer to the revolutionary digital rhythm “Sleng Teng”

Reggae & Dancehall specialist’s Sound Armada Radio put together a 1 hour tribute show packed with Harry J productions.

More:
A list of Roots records recorded at Harry J’s.

The post Harry J “The Liquidator” 1945-2013 appeared first on Music Like Dirt.

Britain is awash with the giddy joy of people celebrating the death of an 87 year old woman. With unseemly haste the Tory “Britain isnt working” slogan has morphed into a queue to “piss on her still to be dug grave“.

It’s not that I don’t understand the emotiveness Thatcher has always bred, I just don’t get the point.  Her death wasn’t at the hands of a baying mob outraged at the inequalities of her rule, it was at the end of a long, happy and prosperous life. Dance on her grave all you like but she lives on in Blair, Cameron, Labour, the Tories and a whole host of Thatcher-Lites.

If the Iron Lady has a positive legacy, it is perhaps to be found in the music her divisive and destructive time in office inspired.
So Margaret, thank you for the music, if nothing else.

Here’s a selection, starting with Lenny Henry introducing The Beat on TisWas Correction: On OTT (the late ‘adult’ version of Tizwas).


Elvis Costello – “Tramp The Dirt Down”
“When England was the whore of the world, Margaret was her madam”

You could compile a boxset of Billy Bragg’s Thatcher inspired material (notably “Thatcherites”) but nothing comes close to the beauty of “Between The Wars“.

Jegsy Dodd and the Sons of Harry Cross – “8000 Miles Away” – Falkland Islands commentary

I knew Adrian Sherwood & Keith Le Blanc had produced at least one Thatcher inspired work but thanks go to Craig in New Zealand for jogging my mind. The Enemy Within’s “Strike” samples Arthur Scargill on top of crunching electro beats courtesy of the Tackhead mainman. I can remember hearing it first on Coldcut seminal Solid Steel radio show in the early 90′s. All profits went to the “Miners Solidarity Fund”.
Tackhead also sampled Maggie on “Hard Left” featuring Gary Clail, while On-U Sound produced the Dub Syndicates “No Alternative but to fight”.

Peter Gabriel wrote “Don’t Give up” with the plight of the miners, and the mass unemployment brought about by Thatcher’s policies in mind. He originally offered the female vocal part to Dolly Parton who turned it down, leading to one of Kate Bush’s most memorable performances. (Hat tip to Charlotte for the suggestion)

A couple of hundred revelers took Mogwai’s “George Square Thatcher Death Party” literally and partied in George Square, Glasgow on the night Mr’s T died. The Scots are not renowned for their love of Thatcher, due perhaps to the decimation of industry and their gas revenue paying to keep England on the dole through the 80′s.

Sinéad O’Connor – “Black Boys On Mopeds”

Is “Shipbuilding” by Robert Wyatt the greatest Thatcher protest song? Its certainly the only one to have a 30 minute BBC Radio 4 documentary on the history of the song (well worth a listen).

The Specials – “Ghost Town”

Pete Wylie – “The Day That Margaret Thatcher Dies!”
“She’s gone, and nobody cried”

Frank Turner – “Thatcher Fucked The Kids”

A little more Thatcher flavoured reggae from UB40 with “Madam Medusa” and “Iron Lady” by the Demon Rockers.
“Round her vacant features, Gilded serpents dance
Her tree of evil knowledge, Sprouts a special branch”

Head to Wrong Tom’s bible of funky reggae punky music “Skank Blog Bologna” for a typically indepth dig around Thatcher’s skanking legacy. This rewrite of Dylan’s “Maggie’s Farm” being one delight, although the Dub version is even better.

Maggie was even there at the birth of UK Hip-Hop, as Ricky & The Mutations 1983 “Thatcher Rap” must be in with a shout of being one of the earliest examples of Hip-Hop from these shores.

The Not Sensibles had tongue firmly in cheek when declaring “I’m In Love With Margaret Thatcher“, while The Exploited certainly weren’t..

Her description of Nelson Mandela as a terrorist even earned her a mention from Public Enemy.

Morrissey – Margaret on the Guillotine

The Dead Kennedys – Kinky Sex Makes the World Go ‘Round

Hefner – “The Day That Thatcher Dies”
“We will laugh the day that Thatcher dies, Even though we know it’s not right, We will dance and sing all night“.

The Blow Monkeys with Curtis Mayfield – “Celebrate (The Day After You)”

Crass – “How Does It Feel To Be The Mother Of A Thousand Dead”

Suggestions:

@musiclikedirt Excellent work.Can I nominate the 2nd Style Council LP in pretty much its entirety?

— Dev Sherlock (@d_e_v) April 9, 2013

How could I forget!!??

Captain Sensible maintained a healthy contempt for Margaret throughout his career, and recorded “There Ain’t No Thrilling Maggie Tonight” for BBC Radio 1. His Falklands tribute “Glad Its All Over” reached the charts and was performed on Top Of The Pops.

The post Margaret Thatcher Death Party: The musical influence of Maggie appeared first on Music Like Dirt.

Here’s a Soundcloud playlist with some of the tracks although there’s many more on Whyd.

A few videos from this months favs, including the mighty Public Enemy.

Lion Babe – “Treat Me Like Fire”

The Fat White Family – “Cream of the Young”

Ty – “Like You Never”

Jamie Cullum – “Love For $ale ft. Roots Manuva”

The post Top tracks of the month: March appeared first on Music Like Dirt.

Comedy meet music… Comedy Central meet Steve “Steinski” Stein, the Thomas Edison of remixing (and by that I mean he’s a true pioneer, not that he ripped off some English bloke).

While recuperating from surgery Steinski was approached by American comic TJ Miller  with the idea of creating a series of sound collages/remixes based on his Comedy Central show, Mashup.

The resulting works of genius are now available for FREE DOWNLOAD over on Steinski’s website.

The trademark Steinski sound effects and production techniques that had producers like Coldcut scratching their heads over where he found his samples (answer: he created them) are in full effect.
Thankfully the comedy is equally top notch, with works from Nick Vatterot, Sean Flannery, Erin Foley, Chris D’Elia, and Bryan Callen - to name but a few.

Here’s a selection but head to Steinski.com and tell him you love him (while picking MP3 delights from his pockets).

Chris D’Elia’s not a fan of British gangster movies…

Jared Logan on feminism and advertising for girls…

Sean Flannery forgets he has cancer…

Erin Foley thinks you’ve probably got a cold, not flu!

The post Comedy Central remixed: The Steinski Mash-ups appeared first on Music Like Dirt.

Making the video for the 1st single

As a non-bearded Englishman Buddy Peace is something of an oddity for Sage Francis’ Strange Famous Records. The label is packed with such hirsute talent that the artist roster resembles a scene from the International Bear convention (and yet somehow Vibe magazine failed to mention a single SF act in their 20 coolest beards in Hip-hop list).

Buddy’s latest Strange Famous release pairs him with Rhode Island emcee Prolyphic, who despite his name has kept fans waiting five years for the follow up to 2008′s “The Ugly Truth“.  “Working Man“ tells a tale of family turmoil, cancer scares, lack of health care and unemployment woes set to Peace’s obscure loops and dusty breaks.

It doesn’t pull its punches, “Drug Dealer” talks about doctors pushing pharmaceutical products on his mother to treat her cancer, and why her ultimate decision was to refuse them. While “Six Feet High” tells the story of his father losing the family business in the New England Floods. The first single “Business As Usual” is available as a free download and races along with a bouncing beat that belies any idea the album might be an entirely sombre affair.

Peace has also remixed label mate B. Dolan’s “Fallen House, Sunken City” LP. Using acapella’s and psych rock samples, he mailed it to a surprised B.Dolan after they’d finished work on their “House Of Bee’s Vol II” album with the message “Thanks for everything, B. Here’s an lp I made ya. No big deal.”

On World Aids Day, Strange Famous Supremo Sage Francis released a single in aid of children he’d visited in South Africa, it somehow passed me by at the time but here’s Sage explaining the story behind the track:

“In January of 2011 I visited Durban, South Africa to help mentor and provide care for HIV-infected children. For me, it was a crash course education on their situation, culture, history, and various forms of treatment (or lack there of.) With a reported 5.6 million people living with HIV, South Africa has the highest HIV infection rate in the world. That is mainly due to misinformation propagated by the government as well as the people’s lack of access to education and proper medical care. With so many people dying of AIDS in this area, many children are often left to fend for themselves in overcrowded “orphanages”, many of which have no electricity or running water according to what I witnessed.

My trip to Durban and the surrounding rural areas was organized by people who were filming a documentary on a community of people who were receiving alternative treatment along with their normal ARV (anti-retroviral) treatment. I joined a group of national and international poets whose task it was to make a connection with the children and communicate their story to the world. Toward the end of my stay I wrote a song called UBUNTU (Water Into Wine) which I was initially hoping to release as a companion piece to the film. The documentary will probably do a much better job of explaining the vast array of emotions we all went through, but as it still isn’t completed I figured it might be best to just release the song now.

The artwork for UBUNTU is a portrait of Nonoti, one of the younger girls who made a deep and everlasting impression on everyone she met. We lost Nonoti to HIV-related complications earlier this year, so along with the children I name in this song, and all the great people I met during my stay in Durban, a special dedication goes out to her (R.I.P.)”

Download the song at: tinyurl.com/SageFrancisUbuntu - Name your own price. Proceeds will go toward helping the children addressed in it.

Finally while on the subject of Strange Famous and Buddy Peace, here are three oldies but goldies from the vault, most of which can be nabbed for free.

Firstly because I’m off to the David Bowie exhibition at the V&A later here’s “Strange Fame” which finds Sage Francis rocking over the Thin White Duke’s “Fame.” Then there’s the Buddy Peace remix of Rozi Plain’s “Humans”, as featured in 2012′s best tracks of the year. Rozi has one of the finest and most recognisable voices around and deserves to be a star.
Lastly the WarrenPeace mix that comes as a bonus track on Polar Bear’s “At Home With Polar” album (available on Speech Development)

Visit Strange Famous on their website or Facebook and if you want to help spread the word tweet your love on the Hype Machine!

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