BDO rumoured to be in trouble

Photo: Rachel Murdolo

The Sydney Morning Herald reports the Big Day Out may be in trouble, following rumoured low attendance figures. 

"The Big Day Out is reeling mid-tour, plagued by detailed rumours that organisers have inflated attendance figures and that its owners, AJ Maddah and Texas-based company C3, are likely to face off in court as they face losses between $8 million and $15 million.

"Several senior music industry sources have also told Fairfax the touring festival's chief executive officer, Adam Zammit, was sacked this week with two shows remaining: Adelaide on Friday and Perth on Sunday. It is believed Mr Zammit's plane tickets to Adelaide were cancelled, but another source said he has since been re-hired.....

"One source claimed the only Big Day Out so far to achieve attendance of 30,000 was the Auckland event, run by promoter Campbell Smith. [Smith told the NZ Herald he expected a sellout crowd on the day of 45,000. TV3 reported the day after the Auckland event that over 40,00 people attended.]

"The Australian legs, promoted by Mr Maddah, achieved much lower numbers, believed to be around half 2013 attendance figures. Sydney is believed to have drawn 27,000, Melbourne 26,000 and the Gold Coast 23,000. Organisers are believed to have told media 35,000 attended in Sydney and the Gold Coast and have reportedly faced questions from the management of headliners such as Pearl Jam over their estimates.

....[BDO promoter] AJ Maddah responded on Thursday night, disputing several points as "nonsense", saying Mr Zammit had not been sacked, that he did not own 50 per cent of the event, the relationship with C3 had not broken down and that while crowd numbers were down, they were higher than Fairfax had been told. For example, he said, 31,000 people attended in Sydney.

He acknowledged the Big Day Out had struggled in 2014. "The event was a basket-case before I walked in and I did my best to try and make it a success,’’ he said.

SMH: "Rumours hit Big Day Out of major losses and potential closure"

Ring The Alarm playlist, Basefm, Feb 1

Lord Echo feat Mara TK - Put it inside my head
Timmy Thomas - Freak in, freak out
Donald Byrd - Love has come around - Combo re-edit
Soul generals - Granma's funky popcorn
Kashmere stage band - Superstrut
Marva Whitney - Unwind yourself
Vicki Anderson - I'm too tough for Mr Big Stuff (hot pants)
Gladys Knight and the Pips - On and on
Ohio players - Mr Mean
Jay Z - Show me what you got inst
Eric B and Rakim - Relax with pep
Damian Marley - Welcome to jamrock
Shaggy - Broadway
Luciano - Police and thieves - State of Bengal remix
Bitty Maclean - It's running over
Shy FX - Soon come
Andrew Ashong - Love the way
Nuyorican soul - Nautilus
Joe Bataan - The bottle
Bronx river parkway - Donde
Junk - 99c strut
Mad lion - Girlzzz
Wreck allstars - Hit em like this
Wrath of donkeyman - Donkey twist
Queens tag team - Can u feel it - Bentley mix
Dj Spinna -  Everybody get down - Superblast mix
Funkmaster Flex - Safe sex, no freaks
Brentford allstars -Greedy G
Sharon Jones and the Dapkings - Stranger to my happiness
Society's bag - Let it crawl

Mo Kolours debut album coming

Via One Handed Music: "Mo Kolours is back with a new single and the announcement of his debut album. The half-English, half-Mauritian producer, singer and percussionist displays dazzling inventiveness and joyous spirit on his first LP, available to pre-order.

First, listen to Mike Black, a mesmerising sufferer's song and possibly Mo's finest work yet. 

Mo Kolours' 18-track self-titled album is out at the end of March but you can pre-order the vinyl LP with a beautiful illustration by Miju Lee right here for just £12 + shipping.

We are also pressing a limited number of high-quality tees - the vinyl + t-shirt set is only £27 + shipping. Don't miss out!

Want to hear more? Watch the album trailer below, soundtracked by album cut Say Word, or pick up one of Mo's trilogy of EPs for OHM, all available as 'Pay What You Want' downloads on Bandcamp."

Banana Wine by Mo Kolours is still one of my fave tunes, free DL of it still up over here

Shirley Nanette

Out soon on Truth & Soul, who say: "In the early seventies, Hanc Swarn and Shirley Nanette collaborated to form Never Coming Back. Swarn had been on the road for five years, lending his guitar-backing talent to Earl Grant and his band.

While on tour, he wrote some tunes that were ultimately released on the "Never Coming Back" album. Al Nanette approached Hanc about putting together a record with Shirley, who was also keen on getting in to the studio. Luckily, Swarn already had songs to bring to the session. 

With the support of some talented local musicians, the album was recorded - mostly in one or two takes - in little over a week. Unfortunately, the album saw little exposure. Truth & Soul & Magnetic recordings is proud to present the re-issue of this long forgotten gem that was released in 1973 by Satara, a tiny label in Portland, Oregon. Only 500 copies were originally released. 

Needless to say, this tremendous effort by Nanette, who continues to sing and perform in Portland, has touched the hearts of many who’ve recently heard the album for the first time."

Single out now (listen below), album out on CD/LP, ships Feb 4. Audio preview of the album at T&S site.

Lorde wins two Grammys, NZ goes nuts

Lorde has won two of the four Grammys she nominated for at the awards in Los Angeles. Congrats! NZ is going nuts right now. It's a nice change from sporting-induced madness.

She won the award for best pop solo performance, and for Song of the year (with Joel Little). She missed out on Record of the Year, which was won by Daft Punk, and Best Pop Vocal Album award, which went to Bruno Mars for his album Unorthodox Jukebox. More at NZHerald.

Watch John Campbell interview Lorde's co-writer Joel Little, after the awards.

Lorde's excitement at winning best pop solo performance, as a gif. Thanks, internet

She and Joel join a list of Kiwi Grammy winners that includes Kiri Te Kanawa, Alan Broadbent, Flight of the Concords, and Kimbra. Read the full list here.

When NZers Jon Mark and Thelma Burchell won a Grammy in 2004 (best traditional world music album), the NZ media ignored them. Except for journalist Steve Braunias, apparently... From the NZ Herald, Feb 11 2004... " The Grammy win led the front page of the Times of Tibet, but passed without comment in New Zealand.

"Mark did make headlines yesterday [Feb 10 2004] - but only because of his dispute with New Zealand Listener journalist Steve Braunias, who published details of one of his royalty cheques in the magazine."

I asked Steve Braunias via Twitter earlier today about the royalty cheque - he recalls it was for the grand sum of US$52.75, but it cost him a lot more in court fines - "court ordered me to pay maybe $500 to a charity. Gave it to Cats Protection League!"

ADDED Lorde proved to be one of the most talked about figures on Twitter during the Grammys show, for her live performance, and her win of best solo pop performance... source: "these moments during the telecast of the Grammys drove the most conversation on Twitter"  TPM= tweets per minute

Ring The Alarm playlist, Basefm, Jan 25

Leon Haywood - If you're looking for a night of fun
The believers - Mr hot pants aka across the tracks
Sola rosa - Sol electric
Scritti politti - Absolute - version
Roy Ayers - Funk in the hole - Platinum pied pipers remix
Johnny Osborne - Budy bye - Kenny Dope remix
Vin Gordon - Steady beat
Cedric Im Brooks - Jah light it right
Bitty Mclean - I'm the one who loves you
Lord Echo - Digital haircut
Jake One and Mara TK - Look what you've made of me
Lee Feilds and the Expressions - Ladies
Pointer sisters - Send him back
Ike and Tina Turner - Somebody somewhere needs you
Chi-lites - For god's sake give more power to the people
Staple singers - Everyday people
Jean Knight - Carry on
Darondo - Didn't I  - Trishes edit
Brockaflower - Gotham
General Levy - Champagne body
Papa Levi - Mi god mi king
Billy Preston - It's my pleasure
Bassomatic - Funky love vibration
Shreikback - Lined up - disco mix
Laura Mvula - Green garden
Manu Dibango - Abele dance - 85 remix

Nostalgia 77 new album

From Tru-Thoughts... "Wax Poetics have just premiered Nostalgia 77's track 'What Do You Know', which you can download for free! Get it now over on their site: Click here.

'What Do You Know' is taken from the release of Nostalgia 77's 5th studio LP, 'A Journey Too Far' which is out on 10th Feburary (but you can check out clips of the tracks and pre-order it from the Etch Shop right now).

See what Wax Poetics have to say about the opening track on the album, along with Nostalgia's main man, Ben Lamdin, answering a few questions about the new release."

Haiti Direct

Haiti Direct: Big Band, Mini-Jazz & Twoubadou Sounds 1960-1978.
Compiled by Hugo Mendez of Sofrito (out January 27th, Strut). Free download of a tune below...

"Strut presents Haiti Direct, one of the first internationally available in-depth explorations of the vibrant and varied colours of Haiti’s music from the early ‘60s to the late ‘70s.

Haiti Direct celebrates the overlooked musical legacy of Haiti, going beyond Ra-ra and voodoo stereotypes to trace the development of a unique sound that echoed across the Caribbean.

At the dawn of the '60s, as Jamaica twisted American R’n’B into ska and reggae, and musicians from Cuba and Puerto Rico codified the sound of Salsa, Haiti gave birth to Compas Direct, an updating of the traditional Meringue rhythm, adapted with a new swing and complex arrangements.

The driving sound and irresistible beat of Compas swiftly dominated the French-speaking Caribbean as well as taking root in the urban centres of New York, Paris, Montreal and Miami.

As the decade waned, the big band orchestras of Compas-originator Nemours Jean-Baptiste and musical rival Webert Sicot gave way to new, smaller groups like Shleu Shleu and Les Frères Déjean. Raw electric guitars, wailing sax lines and driving percussion combined as the groups blended local rhythms with rock and jazz influences, producing a raucous, punchy and densely textured sound that paved the way for the next decade.

Into the ‘70s, the Mini-jazz sound had become a major force across the Caribbean and into mainland Europe and South America. Tabou Combo filled New York’s Central Park for a Summer concert and topped the charts in France, bringing the sound of Compas to a new and wider audience. They would eventually form one of the cornerstones of the Zouk wave in the '80s.

Compiled by Hugo Mendez, co-founder of the excellent Sofritolabel and sound system, Haiti Direct features classic material from the early days of groups such as Tabou Combo and LesFrères Déjean as well as rarities from lesser known groups - bringing together the sound of Compas with Latin workouts, psychedelic experiments and the Cuban influenced Twoubadou singers that continued to be a key part of the fabric of Haitian musical life.

Featuring in-depth liner notes and interviews with some of the musicians and producers that shaped the sound, Haiti Direct is one of the first widely available compilations to celebrate the unique and innovative sounds of Haiti in the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Haiti Direct will be available on 2CD, 2LP and digital formats. Part of the profits will be donated to the charity Partners In Health."

Team Dynamite: Shepherd's Delight CD

Team Dynamite follow up the highly successful digital-only release of Shepherd's Delight via Bandcamp last year with a physical release, because some people just can't get the internetz and want CDs, or our landfills aint done yet and we need more CDs clogging up the ozone. Or something.

The album is out February 7th, and features guest spots from Lui Silk (Homebrew) @Peace, tonga vaea and Che Fu. They've thrown in a bonus track too, not on the original digital release.

[dunno who wrote this press release bleow, but read it, it's gold]

"Team Dynamite's music will make you dance at a funeral. It'll turn John Kirwan into Jason Gunn. It's the kind of thing that should come in pill form with a little picture of a dove carved into it. Its music that sounds like it was made for summer. It makes board shorts actually look cool. It makes salt water taste good and played twice a day, it'll make your plants grow up to 3 times faster. Its the kind of music that makes you wanna hug the bus driver because he opened the door for you. It's feel good music.

The two lead lyricists of the group, Tony Tee's and Lucky Lance have a chemistry that sounds like the day Mario met Luigi. Their partnership reminds you a bit of A Tribe Called Quest or Outkast but with a a distinct New Zealand style that's easy to relate to. 

Hearing them swap verses is like watching a Walter Little pass to Frank Bunce. They're like the Samoan Bill and Tedd. Like a Bert and Ernie duet. Like the perfect double date for Salt N Peppa. Like the bushwackers on ecstasy. Like what Milo and Ottis would sound like if they could flow. Like Lethal Weapon without the mullets. Like Green Eggs and Ham. Or like Boom and Bap. They just go together.

Musically the sound is driven by Auckland's most lovable horsey face, Haz Beats (Home Brew / Young Gifted & Broke). His style sounds something like Minnie Riperton and Mike Tyson's love child. It's smooth but strong at the same time. 

Its the kind of sound that will bounce perfectly off your garage walls on a Friday night. In the summer, its the music that will make you wanna shake your head to get the water out of your ears. It'll make you feel like there's sand in your speakers. Its so perfectly suited for summer it almost sounds like the high hats were sampled from two cicadas making love."

There's some live shows to plug the physical product...

AUCKLAND: Friday 7th February @ Galatos*
WELLINGTON: Friday 14th February @ Puppies*
RAGLAN: Saturday 15th February @ The Yot Club 

*tickets on sale now from www.undertheradar.co.nz

Mighty Mighty to close

Wellington venue Mighty Mighty has announced it will be closing down, later this year. The Dominion Post reports the closure, saying the owners only ever intended the bar as a short term venture. It opened in late 2006 and was planned as a two to three year venue.

The article doesn't go into any great detail as to the reasons for the closure, or if the new licencing laws with earlier closing times were behind the decision. The owner says "circumstances for the owners have changed" as the reason for closure. Interesting that they're closing, rather than selling up.

Related: San Francscio Bath House closes, undergo makeover

Kim Dotcom launches Baboom, debut album

Kim Dotcom performing at Rhythm And Vines. Source: Scoop

Kim Dotcom launched his music service Baboom on Monday (coinciding with the anniversary of his arrest in 2012), and the first music release available on the site is his own album, Good Times. Producers include Printz Board (Black Eyed Peas) and guests include Tiki Taane and Laughton Kora (formerly with the band Kora, who are now a 3 piece). If you wondered what the incredible voice of Laughton Kora would sound like skewered thru Autotune, here's the record for you.

The album/website launch/birthday party for Dotcom was due to be celebrated with a massive free party at Auckland's Vector Arena, capacity 12,000 (the previous venue Shed 10 was deemed too small), with over 25,000 people RSVPing for tickets.

The party was cancelled after it came to light it maybe conflict with Dotcom's plans to launch a political party to contest NZ's elections later this year. The outcome is Dotcom now has a mailing list with 25,000 names on it.

The press release for Kim Dotcom's album says that "The music celebrates Kim’s ever-present philosophy of inspiring people to feel good, have fun and live life to the fullest. Kim was inspired by the Trance and Dance tracks he listened to during his high-speed driving times on the German Autobahn."

Which goes some way to explaining the style of the album, reviewed by Gizmodo as "ear-wrangling electronica mayhem, still whirring and buzzing in my mind, squeezed into an hour-long playlist." The review is not all negative, with the writer finding at least one song to his liking. Go and have a read.

The Sydney Morning Herald reviewed Baboom, noting that "The long-term plan for Kim Dotcom's new music sharing service is to disrupt the industry, but in the short term it just looks like a way to showcase his own work. Baboom.com launched in preview mode on Tuesday with the founder's album, Good Times, used to show people what to expect when the site goes live later this year.

MegaUpload and Mega founder Dotcom's site intends to be a hybrid of Apple's popular iTunes and digital music service Spotify. "My idea is that artists should make their music available for free, and fans should only pay for it if they really like it,'' explains Dotcom in a video on Baboom."

The managing director of Baboom is Mikee Tucker, currently label boss of Loop Recordings, and the man behind Fly My Pretties.

Baboom plans to return 90% of each sale to the artists. The 'pay what you like' option will of course be familiar to anyone who has used Bandcamp, which has a very similar royalty rate.

It seems like Dotcom's Baboom may be a bit late to the party, when there are existing technologies already doing the job very well for musicians. Nothing I've seen yet suggests Baboom will be doing that job any better.

ArsTechnica say that "The new "late 2014" timetable for Baboom is the service's latest slip. At the January 20, 2013 launch of Mega, Dotcom said his music service would follow in June 2013. In November, he told Wired it would be "a few months" after January 20." 

Late 2014 would also coincide with NZ's election, if the Prime Minister declares the election date for the usual time, November.

Dotocm has talked in the media previously about wanting to create jobs in New Zealand, his adopted home. But the development for Baboom was outsourced to Portugal.

ADDED The same week as Dotcom soft-launched Baboom, Dr Dre unveiled Beats Music, a music service extending on his Beats By Dre headphones brand. The Hollywood Reporter says "According to the NPD Group, annual sales of headphones are now US$1.8 billion, and with 27 percent of the market, "Beats by Dre" still is the leader." 

Nick Pride & The Pimptones: "Rejuiced Phat Shake“

Nick Pride & The Pimptones have a new album out on Feb 14, titled Rejuiced Phat Shake, out on German label Légére Recordings (LP/CD/Digital).

The press blurb says "Newcastle’s finest funk and soul outfit Nick Pride & The Pimptones return with their second full length album Rejuiced Phat Shake, a collection of 14 smart grooves and a fearless blend of soul, jazz & funk tinged with rhythm & blues, disco, Latin, New Orleans Brass and Northern Soul.

After the strong impact of their debut album Midnight Feast Of Jazz (released in 2011 on Record Kicks from Milan/Italy) guitarist, composer, arranger and producer Nick Pride was determined to take his vision a step further towards connecting the grit and power of original soul music with the immediacy and joy of a cool, modern pop song. "I was always a fan of amazing pop songwriters like Burt Bacharach and Holland-Dozier-Holland, but on the other hand, being a dedicated musician, I love the raw energy of being on stage with a funk band."

With the Pimptones’ regular rhythm combo, a tight horns section and the additional presence of a soaring string quartet, the new album  Rejuiced Phat Shake is a well-crafted studio work, while Nick Pride was able to focus on his skills as a songwriter: "I am happy to have a rock solid foundation with my guys, it means we can try all this funky and diverse stuff in the studio, while also being a tight unit on stage.” 

Rejuiced Phat Shake presents a host of guest vocalists, each one chosen to bring in a different flavour. Like a Stax or Motown compilation of 7inch singles, the Pimptones “house band” remains the solid backbone while passing the microphone around in the studio. "Take Care Of My Love“ with Susan Hamilton’s voice and its irresistible uptempo Northern meets Motown beat and a cool hook is the first single from the album. Listen below...

Very Unofficial Remake of Purple Rain In the Sahara Desert Of Niger

Akounak Teggdalit Taha Tazouhai Trailer from plastic shaman on Vimeo.

Via Metal Postcard Records... "A little bit off topic for us - but we do love Chris of Sahel Sounds and what he does - and this looks like an amazing project…..

Chris writes: I'm writing to let you know about the new Kickstarter fundraiser I just launched of a Very Unofficial remake of Purple Rain in the Sahara desert of Niger:

A few years back, a friend and I were joking about the idea of adapting films to the Sahara. We thought that Prince's 1984 film Purple Rain would provide excellent material for a remake. The film itself is highly stylized and written for the artist. Some of the writing is kitsch and riddled with clichés. But the idea at the core - a fictional film very loosely based around the life and struggle of a musician - seemed the perfect model for an adaptation.

Last year, I began working with Mdou Moctar (the autotuned star of the Music From Saharan Cellphones compilations) and Jerome Fino of the French collective L'improbable to make this film a reality. Over three weeks in Niger, we started shooting, found a cast and crew, and most importantly, began rewriting the story from the perspective and experiences of Mdou and his fellow musicians.

Next month, we're headed back to Niger to complete shooting what we've titled Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai(English: "Rain the Color of Blue with a little Red in it"). The story follows Mdou Moctar, a musician who has just moved to Agadez, and his struggle to become a star in the winner takes all scene of Tuareg guitar music. The movie is full of musical performance, and features a number of Agadez's star musicians. There's a short trailer available here.

Akounak will have the honor of being the first ever movie shot in the Tuareg language (specifically, a mixture of dialects from Aïr and Azawagh). But it will also be one of the few fiction films concerned with the Tuareg music subculture.

While Tuareg guitar has been explored somewhat exhaustively in documentary features, most of these films have focused on the political origins of the folk music - not how it thrives today. Like my friend Drew Wilson says, this film is not about Kalashnikovs but "cellphones, motorcycles, and guitars."

The Kickstarter campaign features a bunch of rewards, including DVDs, vinyl records, limited edition cassettes, and tickets to free screenings."

New Souljazz Orch - Celestial blues

New Album Inner Fire by The Souljazz Orchestra  Fire (Feb. 25th, Strut)

"The Souljazz Orchestra returns with another essential mystical odyssey, their brand new studio album, Inner Fire.

Premiered on Wax Poetics, the first piece of music to be shared from the album sees percussionist Marielle Rivard taking the lead on an incendiary cover of Andy Bey's rare groove classic "Celestial Blues," first recorded with the Gary Bartz NTU Troop back in 1971.

In the spirit of the cosmic nature of the track, the visuals for the music video are culled from vintage public-domain NASA documentary footage from the early 1980s..."

Brockaflower preview!

Here's an exclusive preview of Arrival, a brand new track off Wellington combo Brockaflower's debut album Build It on Friday 24th January. Listen below to Arrival (feat Estere and Zoe Moon on vocals).

More info on the album and tour dates here.

Bamboos new album, Splore show

Funky Aussie cats The Bamboos have a new album out, titled Fever In The Road, and will be heading to our shores soon, to play as part of the lineup at the Splore Festival, 14-16 February. Led by expat Kiwi Lance Ferguson, the band have carved out a serious reputation over 5 albums. Thier latest album dropped in November last year.

"Bandleader Lance Ferguson and his nine piece Melbourne outfit The Bamboos have come a long way since forming in 2001. Initially inspired by the instrumental raw funk of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, they made waves internationally and were quickly labelled as one of the greatest funk and soul bands of our time. But while many would be happy to simply soak up the praise and keep on keeping on, The Bamboos have proven that they are more than meets the eye; over five acclaimed albums, their evolution in sound and style has consistently confounded and exceeded expectations, pulling the rug from under the feet of those who like to pigeonhole.

The band signed to respected Brighton (UK) indie label Tru Thoughts in 2005, where they remain a cornerstone of the roster. Across their five studio albums to date - ‘Step It Up’ (2006), ‘Rawville’ (2007), ‘Side-Stepper’ (2008), ‘4’ (2010) and 'Medicine Man' (2012) – the metamorphosis of The Bamboos has been full of twists and turns, and it continues apace. A seasoned DJ, solo producer (aka Lanu) and all-round insatiable music obsessive, Ferguson's myriad influences and passion for pushing things forward ensure that each new release is a discovery for devout fans and newcomers alike." 

DJ Jonathan Toubin - Night Train at Golden Dawn tonight

Jonathan Toubin and his record collection. Via Dust And Grooves

I first heard of Jonathan Toubin when his name came up on Dust And Grooves, a very cool site that interviews DJs and photographs them and their records. Dude has mad records. He hosts several regular parties in NYC, like New York Night Train, Soul Clap and Danceoff, and a James Brown night, with performances from Black Velvet (aka Charles Bradley doing James Brown).

He's escaped the NYC winter and is jetting round NZ and Oz, kicking off tonight at Golden Dawn. Come show the dude some love. Stinky Jim warms up from 7pm, Jonathan on at 10pm.

From Dust and Grooves: "Jonathan’s record room is a disgusting pit with unlabeled boxes of 45s stacked on top of each other and 12″s filed on a shelf with zero unifying organization idea along with random pieces of clothing.

"Jonathan goes into the room when he needs to DJ and listens to songs, puts together the records he’s taking with him to gigs and leaves. He’s not dwelling in his record cave fetishizing his collection. His records exist to be played. Jonathan isn’t collecting records, he’s collecting music and it just happens that the music sounds best on 45."

Hat tip to Murray Cammick for the video below...



via facebook.... "holy dooly! the new york night train is making its way down under for the first time ever!

- 01/16 Auckland, New Zealand – Golden Dawn
- 01/17 Wellington, New Zealand – Meow
- 01/18 Brisbane, Australia – Black Bear
- 1/19 Hobart, Tasmania, Australia – The Brisbane Hotel
- 01/20 Melbourne, Australia – Copa Cabana
- 01/22 Perth, Australia – The Bird
- 01/23 Sydney, Australia – Spiegeltent
- 01/24 Sydney, Australia – Star Sky Terrace
- 01/25 Sydney, Australia – Late Night at Paradiso Town Hall
- 01/26 Melbourne, Australia – Yah Yah's

Jonathan Toubin - NY Night Train by Dust & Grooves on Mixcloud

Soul Alldayer: Waiheke Island

Auckland Anniversary Weekend 2014 sees the debut of the Waiheke Island edition of the NZ Soul All Dayer, with an all-star line-up delivering some seriously soulful summertime vibes to one of the most attractive settings in the country - The Venue. Situated right beside Onetangi Beach, The Venue has a sun-drenched courtyard space out front and a sub-tropical 'hidden garden' out back, but the whole joint will be oozing soul for the 'Summer Series 2014'.

Featuring:
CHOCOLATE BOX DELUXE
And DJs All Day:
JAY JEFFREY
GREG CHURCHILL
SCOTT 'DOUGHBOY' TOWERS
GENE RIVERS
SELECTA SAM
KRIS HOLMES
KIRSTY HARGREAVES
CAMPBELL NGATA
NYNTEE

An all day celebration of soul music, the purpose of the NZ Soul All Dayer is to bring together like-minded lovers of real soul music while replicating the vibe and spirit of the original Soul All Dayers from the UK.

The events begin in the early afternoon and over the course of twelve hours a stack of hand-picked DJs reach deep into their crates to play many of the shades of soul music, from classic soul, rare groove, funk and boogie, to northern soul, proper disco and much, much more besides.

In keeping with many of the UK All Dayers, we also present live DJ/PA performances, and for the 'Summer Series 2014' we're delighted to play host to our 'Sisters From Other Misters' - Vanessa Stacey (Electric Wire Hustle, Sola Rosa) and DJ Ayesha (Bella Kalolo).

As is our way, we'll be giving away free copies of the 'Soultearoa Shakedown' fanzine, screening classic soul and Blaxploitation movies throughout the day, selling exclusive 'Soul Tiki' merchandise and playing more great soul and funk music than you can shake a jandal at.

So come n' Slip-Slop-Slap with us as we make this summer NZ's most soulful yet

Valerie June

Valerie June is opening for Sharon Jones and the Dapkings on their upcoming US tour, she sounds pretty damn cool..... check this tune out... mean guitar.

RIP Ronny Jordan

Jazz guitarist Ronny Jordan has died, aged 51. I was just recently listening to his collaboration with DJ Krush, picked it up at Real Groovy a week back. Sad news....

Obit from Phil Alexander at Mojo

"When Ronny Jordan turned professional in 1985, jazz guitar was not in the ascendancy. While the Acid Jazz label and scene had turned the spotlight on aspects of the classic Blue Note and Verve catalogues, few had revisited the work of seminal players such as Grant Green, Kenny Burrell and Wes Montgomery. Jordan, who was born in London on November 29, 1962, however was in thrall to these players and helped turn the spotlight back on them as his playing came to the attention of a wider audience.

Jordan first made his mark with the release of his debut album, 1992’s The Antidote, on Island Records – the label that had signed and supported fellow British jazz musicians Courtney Pine and Andy Sheppard a few years earlier. The record was defined by a modern, lithe version of Miles Davis’s Kind Of Blue classic, So What.

Jordan came to further prominence when he appeared on Gangstarr leader Guru’s groundbreaking Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 album in 1993. Fusing hip-hop with jazz instrumentation, the album became a cult classic in the UK and placed Jordan in the company of such players as Donald Byrd, Branford Marsalis, Roy Ayers and Lonnie Liston Smith. It also spawned the UK Top 30 hit, No Time To Play, which featured Jordan alongside singer DC Lee.

Jordan’s fine phrasing on No Time To Play helped propel it into the UK Top 30.

As a solo artist, Jordan would continue to enjoy an impressive career that spanned a further eight studio albums as well as working with artists as diverse as Mos Def, DJ Krush, Pieces Of A Dream and Jonathan Butler.

His death was confirmed by his family on Tuesday, January 14 when his brother and sister set up a Facebook page in remembrance of Ronny. Their statement reads as follows:

Dear Friends, Family and Well Wishers

It is with our deep regret that Ronny Jordan has recently passed away. We are still coming to terms with the loss of our brother.

We are taking steps to manage Ronny’s personal affairs and so we ask if you could kindly bear with us as we deal with his matters in the background. We appreciate that Ronny has got many fans around the world and so we ask that you keep an eye out for further announcements in relation to his funeral arrangements.

In the meantime, tributes to Ronny can be left on this FB page.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

With every blessings and love..

Rickey and Denise
Brother and Sister

UHP flashback

Upper Hutt Posse acapella rapping, with DLT doing the beatbox... guessing this is about 1988...

Top-selling vinyl albums of 2013…

Via Digital Music News - two of the top ten best selling vinyl are Mumford and Sons. Yes, people buy that on vinyl. Sigh.

"So, vinyl is popular… but what records are people actually buying? Here are the top selling vinyl albums in the US for 2013 based on Nielsen Soundscan data. Just for context, the top selling album sold 49,000 units.

[the top selling album across all formats was Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience" which sold 2.43 million in 2013 and is the only album that sold more than 2 million copies this past year. "20/20" is also the smallest-selling year-end No. 1 album since SoundScan began tracking music sales in 1991. Source: Billboard]

Interestingly, #5 was released in 2010 and #7 was released in 2008.

1. Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
2. Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City
3. Arcade Fire – Reflektor
4. Mumford & Sons – Babel
5. Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
6. Queens of the Stone Age – …Like Clockwork
7. Bon Iver – For Emma Forever Ago
8. Lumineers – Lumineers
9. The National – Trouble Will Find Me
10. Justin Timberlake – 20/20 Experience

ADDED: Via Mashable - vinyl album sales up 32% for 2013 in the US, while CD sales declined 14.5%. In units thats 165 million CDs, 118m digital, 6.1m vinyl.

"The 6.1 million U.S. LP sales still represent only about 2 percent of total album sales, versus 57 percent for CDs and 41 percent for digital albums." Source

Linn Mori - Sail To The Moon teaser

From Cascade Records crew: "LINN MORI is a part of a talented new beat generation born in the 90's with a natural consciousness of hat true hiphop is! He's a beatmaker based in Tokyo, who uses exotic funk with long solo sax to create a generous new form of beat that pushes towards ecstasy. Welcome to 2 0 1 4 -LET'S GO!!!!" Listen to the album teaser below...

Linn Mori - Sail To The Moon (LP) 23 tracks
Release date: January 28th 2014 on ltd. cassette & digital
Pre-order now on cascaderecords.bandcamp.com/album/sail-to-the-moon
and www.cascadeshop.net/en/cassette/38-linn-mori.html

Sade x J-Rocc

Go grab this quick, it's damn good. Sade, bro!  

Sharon Jones live clips

Two live clips on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon from Sharon Jones and the Dapkings, taken off their new album Give the people what they want, out this Tuesday.  Above video is for the song Retreat, which has a great animated video for it. Sharon sat in the previous night with The Roots, watch that here (US-only).

The clip below - for Stranger to my happiness - also has a brand new music video, but unfortunately someone dropped the ball and it was initially only viewable in the US, via Vevo. HUGE disappointment for your on-US fans, Dapkings. Several days later it's now freely available on Youtube.

I know there's probably sound financial reasons for doing it exclusively thru Vevo, and making it US-only. But it defeats the whole idea of people sharing music they love, which is one of the great things about social media. Making it hard for fans to get at your music is frustrating.

I recently had a similar battle, trying to find somewhere to buy an MP3 off Caramel, the new album from expat NZer Connan Mockasin. The album is released thru UK/US labels, and you can buy the CD and the vinyl (with download code) in NZ record shops easily. But digital? 

I checked  and found iTunes NZ, Amplifier.co.nz, Juno Download, Bandcamp, and Beatport didn't have the MP3s available for NZ. I tried buying the MP3s off the US label's site, that didn't work either. I ended up buying it off Bleep.com. We're talking about an album that's been out since early November. The label hasn't even got it on Bandcamp. I know it's not the artist's responsibility for this stuff, but it is dead easy to make your music available ANYWHERE. If I can't easily buy your music, I will forget about you. That reflects negatively on the artist - no one blames the label for this sort of mess. 

Brockaflower debut album coming

"Following on from their self-released 3 track live EP, Brockaflower (Brockaflowersaurus-rex & The Blueberry Biscuits) release their debut album Build It on Friday 24th January. Preview a few tracks below.

With a reputation for energetic and infectious live shows the monster nine piece Neo-Soul, Experimental, Hip-Hop collective have spent the past year recording Build It at The Bluebarn studios in their hometown Wellington.

Featuring eleven tracks, Build It was written collectively by the band whose members include three of New Zealand’s most promising soulful vocalists Louis Baker (RBMA 2013), Estère and Zoe Moon Mahal with the band Ashton Sellars (guitar), Thomas Friggens (drums), Pat Stewart (bass, synth, mpc), Lorenzo Pradel (alto sax/rap), Blaire Clarke (tenor sax, flutes, throat singing) and Gareth Thompson-Darling (trombone/turntables).

With their self-styled chunk funk, expect to be seduced, lifted and moved. The Brockaflower family invites you to come exploring and stomp through the earthy organic and synthesized textures of what is the life of a Brockaflower.

“Musical inspiration from prehistoric dinosaurs and unique vegetables is something that definitely resounds through out the album”. – Estère.



‘BUILD IT’ album tour dates...

Thursday Jan 23rd Festival of Lights, New Plymouth
Friday January 24th The Sawmill, Leigh
Wednesday January 29th Bodega, Wellington
Saturday February 1st Rippon Festival, Wanaka
Friday February 14th Splore, Tapapakanga Reserve
Friday February 28th King St, Masterton

Tickets for Leigh, Wellington and Masterton available from www.dashtickets.co.nz and all good record stores.

Opensouls reunite

Opensouls reunite to play at Nixon Park, Kingsland, on March 22nd (source). They're playing both their albums (2006's Kaleidoscope, and 2009's Standing In The Rain) in full and Tyra Hammond sings some rare funk and soul too. Lineup includes Julien Dyne, Chip Matthews (Homebrew, Anika Moa) and Jeremy Toy (She's So Rad).

The performance is part of the Kingsland Karnival, details here. Also on March 22, @peace are having their album release party at Nectar Bar in Kingsland.

Bella wins the internet

Wellington singer Bella Kololo is in Sydney at present, playing live at the Sydney Festival. She posted the most amazing photo online yesterday, and I think she wins the internet with it, cos it's freaking amazing....

"I'M SPINNING OUT! The festival director came into my dressing and said some one wanted to meet me..........in strolled CHAKA KHAN!!!!! She asked for my albums, asked me to sign them for her and then invited me to sing with her at her concert. Dream come true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #cantbeleiveit #livinglegend #oneofmyFAVOURITEartistsofalltime #thankyoujesus" - Bella Kololo

ADDED ... and here's video of Bella onstage with Chaka... there's a comment on this video from Chaka too, it reads.. "Australia, thank you for a spectacular time this weekend in Syndey & Melbourne! Special shout out to Bella Kalolo!!"

Ring The Alarm playlist, Basefm, Jan 11

Minnie Riperton - Strange affair - Karim funk madness edit
Talking Heads - Psycho killer - Greg Wilson edit
Lee Oskar - Haunted house - Leftside wobble edit
Taka Boom - Dance like you do at home
Labelle - Moon shadow
Ann Sexton - You're gonna miss me
The Gaturs - Gator bait
Laura Lee - Crumbs off the table
Lee Fields and the Expressions - Ladies, Soul dynamite, Problems, Money is king
[Lee Fields and the Expressions - live in Auckland, Powerstation, tonight!]
El Michels affair - Detroit twice
Bronx river parkway - La valla
Mongo Santamaria - We got latin soul
Pete Rodriguez - I like it like that
Manu Chao - Merry blues
St Etienne - Only love can break your heart
Primal scream - Higher than the sun - The Orb remix
Scientist -Sunshine version
Prince Jammy - Stalawatt version
King Tubby - Bag a wire dub
Adrian Sherwood and Lee Scratch Perry - Kingston tower
Jackie Mittoo - Moonwalk
SOS Band  - SOS
Edwin Starr - Contact
Lee Fields and the Expressions - The right thing
Lynn Collins - Give it up or turn it loose

Adi Dick: Reworks

Some cool reworks from Adi Dick, check the tracklist below... "A collection of mashups and re-edits I’ve made over the years for Djing, some dating back nearly 10 years ago now… grab it while you can."

Download (320 kbps mp3)

Lee Fields tomorrow night

Lee Fields and the Expressions, live. Photo: Brooklynvegan

Don't miss out on some dynamite soul action! Tickets on sale now at Ticketmaster, Conch Records Ponsonby, and Southbound Records Mt Eden Rd.

Fiending for 45s Pt 1

I was out DJing last weekend, and the DJ on after me was telling me excitedly that he had this great 45 single that he'd been trying to find for ages. I hung around to hear him play it - it had the mad title of The Jed Clampett. How can you not love a funk song named after some fictional Hollywood hillbillies?

It sounds like this....



Discogs has some vinyl copies for sale, or you can buy a digital reissue of the tune over at Juno Download.

Over at Fleamarket Funk I uncovered a bit more information about the band, plus another tune of theirs, called Yeah, You Right (there's a free download of that tune too). The backing band are apparently the Cold Gritz, who later worked with the Black Eyed Peas (no, not the awful pop/rap combo).

From Fleamarket Funk: "It was recorded in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at Deep South Recording Studios. It’s produced by Ron Shaab & Cold Gritz. Now Ron Shaab has been involved with other records, Earnest Jackson’s “Hogwash” on Stone Records (which is a great little 7″ if you can get your hands on it), and a few of the Product Placement records used by DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist.

These records, Fried Chicken’s “Funky DJ” from 1976, and another one of Earnest Jackson’s “Funky Black Man” from 1974 (again on the Stone label), are both excellent and always fetch higher prices due to the PP connection. They’re great sides and if you haven’t heard either one, please seek them both out.

Here’s another curious connection: Cold Gritz. Cold Grits put out a scorcher, the cover of the Isley Brothers “It’s Your Thing” on ATCO in 1969. Allegedly, it would be Cold Gritz (who shared some members with Cold Grits) that would be the backing band on “Yeah, You Right”.

Along with super drummer Ronald “Tubby” Zeigler, the band consisted of Jimmy O’Rourke on guitar, Billy Carter on keyboards, and Harold Cowart on bass. The sister on the track was Geraldine Richards (aka Sister Geri), who handled the vocals.

The players would get in with Jerry Wrexler over at Atlantic and eventually make their way to Miami, Florida as studio and backing musicians. Ziegler went on to play with Stephen Stills, The Bee Gees, and a bunch of Country acts. They would also contribute to many TK (Henry Stone’s Label) releases under the various TK affiliated labels. 

The band itself, Sister and Brothers, released a few more singles, most notably “Ack-A-Fool” on the Calla Label which I’ve included in previous FMF Podcasts, and “The Jed Clampett Parts 1+2 ” on the Lucky Label and UNI again. So with that being said, this is one of those records I haven’t come across before, with a mysterious and sorted past. There is some alleged connection of Cold Gritz and a band called The Black Eyed Peas, which may or may not have had Sister Geri in it."

MUDD at Golden Dawn

UK DJ Paul Murphy aka MUDD is in town this weekend, DJing at Golden Dawn with the Maximum Joy crew, Longboss and Mr Powers (Scott Towers of Fat Freddys Drop). 8pm kickoff, $5. His label Claremont 56 has done some interesting releases, including Holger Czukay (ex Can)...

from a Q&A with Murphy, over at Testpressing.org...

How did you hook up with Holger, and how much stuff is there still to be released? Is he still making new music?

I saw Holger perform at the Roundhouse and he played a version of “Ode to Perfume” that I`d never heard before. I emailed him and we ended up releasing it on a 10″. Slowly over time the trust built up and he invited Ben and I over. He’s an incredible man. We still have two 12s of remixes of his old stuff to come out and we’re working on the Bison album together. He still has lots of new music to release, maybe 3 albums worth, which we will hopefully be releasing soon.

LISTEN: Holger Czukay & U-She - La Premiere (Mudd's Garden Mix) on Soundcloud

Xiomara - Electric Relaxation (ATCQ: A Tribute)

Amerigo Gazaway Presents: ATCO: A Tribute from Berkeley's own, Xiomara.

"Gazaway first got hip to Xiomara in 2012 via the vocalist's bare-bone soulful acoustic cover of Outkast’s “So Fresh, So Clean." "It was like love at first listen. Given my affinity for re-imagining classic material with a new and distinct twist, I was blown away by her voice and the sheer creativity of taking an Outkast favorite in the direction she took it with an entirely new flavor."

 On “Electric Relaxation", the project's first and only single (side B includes a new revamped version of the "So Fresh, So Clean" cover), Xiomara flips the ATCQ classic on its head. Interchanging lyrics and melodies through sultry blues-infused vocals, the singer successfully turns up the sexy on the 1994 classic.

Grab the free download of “Electric Relaxation” along with the revamped version of the singer's “So Fresh, So Clean” cover below."

Lee Fields live! This saturday

Lee Fields and the Expressions, live. Via Brooklynvegan

Lee Fields and the Expressions are set to play their first-ever show in NZ on this coming Saturday 11th January, at the Powerstation in Auckland. It promises to be a dynamite night of super soul! See here for more info. Opening act is Tyra Hammond (ex Opensouls). DJ support comes from Stinky Jim.

Lee Fields made his recording debut back in 1969, and since then, his career has had its ups and downs. A quiet spell in the 80s saw him get into real estate. "It taught me a lot, because I couldn't afford to get people in to work on the houses, so I had to do it myself, and figure it out." Fields became a pretty good handyman, fixing up houses. 

"The rough times make you appreciate the good times. When you have a period where things don't go your way, and you remain steadfast and strong and determined, when the up times come along again, every moment is appreciated - particularly opportunities like coming to New Zealand!"

In the late 90s he hooked up with a group of young musical cats in Brooklyn who were avowed funk fans (like Gabe Roth), and recorded two albums, for Desco Records and Soulfire Records.

Many of the musicians involved with those labels went on to form the backbone of both Daptone Records, and Truth And Soul Records, the latter of which is Fields' current label. He recorded and released the album My World with them in 2009, and followed that up with Faithful Man in 2012. He joins a raft of great soul singers like Charles Bradley and Sharon Jones, who are getting discovered by a new audience.

"When I speak of soul music, a lot of people use the term in regard to the genre or the style, but when I use the term, I think of the spirit. So when I sing, I try to get as close as I can to the inner self, the place where you go within yourself where words cease, there's no words to describe that zone."

And how does Mr Fields keep on keepin' on, at the ripe old age of 63?

"Everything's allowed, but moderation is good for you," he laughs. "I don't smoke, and I try to be moderate with things like alcohol. I don't knock people who do smoke, or drink, or whatever, I ain't got no problem with it. But in my case, I decided to do things more or less in moderation some years ago, and I think that it's one of the contributing factors. I've still got a lot of energy on stage, and I want it to stay that way."

[Interview quotes: Lydia Jenkin, NZ Herald Timeout Dec 21, 2013.]

Stream: Sharon Jones’ new album

Via Consequence of sound: "Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings will release their new album, Give the People What They Want, on January 14th via Daptone Records. In anticipation, it’s available to stream in full via NPR.org.

The album was originally set for release last August, but was delayed after Jones was diagnosed with stage-one bile duct cancer. Following a successful operation and ongoing treatment, she’ll support the album’s release with a full-fledged North American tour this [Northern] spring."

Here's hoping we'll get to see her and the mighty Dapkings again in New Zealand later this year.

There's also a brand new video out too, for their song Stranger to my happiness, but it's blocked for viewers outside the US... stink one.

Murray McNabb posthumous album

Gianmarco Liguori. Photo: Lawrence Smith/Fairfax NZ

Sarang Bang Records to release last recording by Murray McNabb via Sunday Star Times... they also have a video including some snippets of the recording.

"[The] label now plans to release a series of vinyl records culled from the huge archive of McNabb's unreleased jazz recordings stretching to the 1960s.

The first album, slated for release early this year, was recorded in the months before McNabb's death and features McNabb on piano and keyboards, alongside drummer Frank Gibson and guitarist Neil Watson.

Sarang Bang Records founder Gianmarco Liguori said the final recording session for the album, entitled Every Day Is a Beautiful Day, was only days before McNabb's death.

"Frank picked Murray up from the hospice to record the last track, and he had all the IV equipment and his morphine pump and everything - he was almost gone. But once he got behind the keyboard, he was alive. He knew he had a few days to live. You can hear it in the music."

The album's seven tracks, totalling 61 minutes, are mastered and ready for publication, as is the cover artwork - a painting by McNabb. But rather than "dumping" the tracks online, Liguori is determined to do the music justice by giving it the full deluxe packaging of a vinyl release, complete with "large-format photos, liner notes - the works". 

He is seeking funding assistance from Creative New Zealand, but was turned down in their latest grants round. "These things will come out, but it will just be a bit slower if the funding doesn't come through."

After Every Day Is a Beautiful Day , Liguori has another five albums of McNabb's music lined up, recorded as far back as the mid-1960s with a range of collaborators, including Australian saxophonist Bernie McGann, trumpeter Kim Paterson, guitarist Martin Winch and Liguori himself, who played guitar alongside McNabb in the instrumental ensemble Salon Kingsadore.

Sales of New Zealand-made jazz records are typically small, but Liguori said there are international markets to be tapped in Europe and Asia. "Unusually, Murray had quite a fan base in Japan. That's where he used to sell most of his CDs."

Previous post: RIP Murray McNabb

Iggy Pop L.E.S. - N.Y.C. 93

Iggy Pop gives a guided tour of his Lower East Side neighbourhood, circa 1993 - been floating round the nets for a while. He talks about the music they hear as they walk around, from Latin, to Rap. At the end of the piece the interviewer asks Iggy his thoughts on rap and Ice T in particular, and they have a fascinating conversation on Ice T's Cop Killer song, and Iggy's own run-ins with the law as a young fella.  Source

Ring The Alarm playlist, Basefm, Jan 4

Brenda Russell vs Souleance  - A little bit of love (Free DL)
Chakachas - Jungle fever - Greg Wilson edit
De la soul feat Chaka Khan - All good
Freddie Cruger - Bap yo head
Ryuichi Sakamoto - Riot in Lagos
Linton Kwesi Johnson - Victorious dub
Fat Freddys Drop - Midnight marauders dub
Delroy Wilson - Get ready 12" mix
Lord Echo - Haircutdub (free DL)
The Family - High fashion
The Delegates - Pygmy pt I
Johnny Hammond - Summertime/the ghetto
Herbie Hancock - Wiggle waggle
Temptations - Zoom
Elvis Costello and the Roots - Cinco minutos con vos
Snap - Sidewalk city
James Brown - Stone to the bone
Estere feat Oddisee - Flashlight
Mala - Como como - Theo Parrish remix

Gilles for Mandela

"Gilles pays tribute to the late, great, Nelson Mandela with this extended mix from his earlier tribute on BBC 6 Music. One hour of carefully curated songs of hope, freedom and future."

Tracklist:
1 – Simphiwe Dana – Zundiqondisise
2 – Dollar Brand – Ishmael
3 – Sathima Bea Benjamine – Music
4 – Hugh Masekela – What Is Wrong With Groovin
5 – Harmonius Serenade Choir – Lyo
6 – Gil Scott Heron – Johannesburg
7 – Letta Mbullu – Mahlalela
8 – Protest Meeting – Amandla
9 – Hugh Masekela – Stimela
10 – Miles Davis – Big Time
11 – Miriam Makeba – Soweto Blues
12 – Maze featuring Frankie Beverley – Mandela
13 – Abdullah Ibrahim – Did You Hear That Sound?
14 – Vusi Mahlasela – Kuzobenani Na?
15 – John Wizards – Jabu Ley

Favela DL

"A short trip through a few of my favourite Brazillian joints." - Question