Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Primitive Sound System - Mixed Tape Sessions - Maxwell's Tuesday March 7th from 9PM-2AM

Hello Y'all,
This was the first year in about 5 years that I didn't get to spin on Mardi Gras, hell I'm fat every Tuesday so I figure I can do this, this week. The other thing that popped into mind while pulling Betty Harris' "There's A Break In The Road," Cyril Neville's "Gossip" and Curley Moore And The Kool Ones' - "Shelley's Rubber Band" was that a set of heavy ass guitar and groove was in order. I have no idea what the bands playing in the back sound like this week but I bet you that they all have a guitarist. So if anyone requests anything "interesting" this week that will be my answer. "Hold on, yeah this song has a guitar too. Will that do?"

Primitive Sound System Mixed Tape Sessions from 9PM - 2AM
Maxwell's
1039 Washington Street
Hoboken New Jersey
(201) 653-1703

The Mixed Tape Sessions:
No stone unturned and no vinyl format left unspun or unsung. Crawling, spinning and stumbling through the decades finding the connections between 50's - Now Instrumentals of all shapes and sizes, Funk 45's, Raw Soul and R&B, Soul, Gospel, Blues, Country, Latin, Brazilian, African, Dub, Rock Steady, Ska, Reggae, Indian, Jazz (of all types), Lounge / Moog, Hawaiian (slack key and Pop), Vocalists, Singer Songwriters, 50's – 70's Pop, Garage Rock, Psych, Surf and Drag, Soundtracks (OST), Comedy, 70's Rock, Prog, Punk, Hardcore, Hip Hop, Indie Rock, Noise and some Metal old and new. I'm mostly drawn to the instrumental side of life favoring the "B" side to the "A." Heavy as hell beats and exquisitely subtle moments side by side to entertain, educate and elate.

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OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS:
Sunday March 12th at 4PM at The Hoboken Historical Museum - 1301 Hudson Street, Hoboken, NJ
Dorothy McNeil reminisces about the Soul Club she co-owned in Hoboken, NJ from 1964 - 1975, The Club Zanzibar. I'll be spinning records of artists she will be speaking about and ones who passed through her fine establishment and some that just fit the mood. For more information call the Museum at (201) 656-2240 or visit them online at http://www.hobokenmuseum.org/

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Stuff I'll be spinning Tuesday:

Jimi Hendrix - "No Such Animal" (Audio Fidelity cat. AF-167)
More of a 60's Garage / Soul Instrumental but definitely when that really kicks. Hendrix is far more in the Billy LaMont / Lonnie Youngblood / Isley Brothers sound here but he tosses off lick after lick without ever losing his way. A steady pounding rhythm and sharp sounding organ give space to his chunky riffs which act at times like the vocals but occasionally a hoot and a holler can be heard giving it a bit of a party feel.

Iron-Knowledge - "Show Stopper" (Tammy Records cat. T-1043)
I just got this so of course I can't stop playing it. If you Like 70's Heavy Rock or its modern spawn known as Stoner Rock then this could be the best thing you have ever heard. You can feel the Armadillo in the lead vocalist's trouser with ever half ass lyric spit out of each groove. He should be commended because you can picture the stage presence ripped from the Aerosmith how to handbook with ever inane syllable. Of course it all opens with a guitar riff, but this one is weirdly slow handed and very very Stoner, the drums can almost be perceived as timid comparatively but don't you fret they will have their day in the Sun just you wait. We are dragged through mindless words and choruses of dancing, cocaine and possibly incompetence, though I can't be sure. It doesn't really matter as this is just a lead into the SHOW STOPPER! The blazing guitar solo...DUDE! Wait, what is this at the foot of Cock Rock Axe Slinger Mountain... the break. That's right, sleepy, tappy guy throws in a nice clean break just because he can. We are treated to another chorus of "Show stopper, show stopper," before it all comes to a very sudden end. Thank you Iron Knowledge for knowing that one day Stoner Rock would resurrect you from 70's Sir Lord Baltimore obscurity.

The BBC - "Upside Nwod (Down)" Mono b/w Stereo (Mega cat. 615-0091 (wht lbl promo))
"Upside Down" is not as Stoner as "Show Stopper" but the guitar is certainly handled with more skill and that never compromises the weight. The whole band here is in the pocket and crashes its way through some really nice changes including a deeply soulful organ solo that gives me chills. The BBC is The Bill Black Combo in disguise and personally I think they should have hid more often.

"Super Cirkus" - "Bubblegum March" (Super K cat. SK 9)
This song goes through so many changes in 2:24 it needs therapy. Easily one of my favorite Funky guitar driven instrumentals.

Blackrock - "Yeah, Yeah" (Select-O-Hits cat. 104)
The intro of Blackrock, although a bit moody, doesn't really foreshadow the early Parliament-esque sounds you are about to be pummeled with. The drums are sickly heavy and make me want to pound out the rhythm right along with them but really it is the guitar player here who goes for it and takes the spotlight. Screaming, head bobbing licks that get sweeter and sweeter as he fuzzes things up just float, dart and cut you in half without ever loosing the funky groove. I picture him being carried Christ like over the crowd before being gently returned to the stage still playing wildly where he suddenly fades away and it is debated for years whether he existed at all. Actually, I spoke with him on the phone once. He said it was just him and his buddies messing around in his families studio and called it Blackrock because at the time "that was the thing to do."

Joe Savage and the Soul People - "All Power To The People" Pt. II (Jacklyn Records cat. 1010)
Another brutal guitar attack finishes out this song that I bring quite often to play.

The New Establishment - "Slums Of The City"
For one reason or another I always have to play these three in a row.

I packed a lot of Garage records as well including some fine guitar moments like:

The Bubble Puppy - "Hot Smoke & Sassafras" (International Artist cat. IA-128)
Frijid Pink - "End Of The Line" (Parrot cat. 45-PAR-349)
The Rugbys - "You, I" (Amazon Records cat. AM #1)

I recently knocked off 3 Want List items all in the top ten of that list so I am pretty excited:

Eddie Floyd - "Big Bird" (Stax 45-246)
A clean copy of this bad boy has alluded me for about 10 years but thanks to my brother's keen eye and a very packed Smallchange box at the last record swap I now can spin until my heart's content. A pounding Al Jackson beat, throbbing bass and screamed horns are all lead by one of the coolest guitar riffs in any song thanks to Steve Cropper. Eddie Floyd sounds anxious, nervous and even a bit worried which just pushes this song to a whole other level. Pure perfection.

Mickey Lee Lane - "Hey Sha-Lo-Ney" (Swan cat. S-4222 H)
I have not only been wanting this FOREVER but also had to figure out what the hell it was. Weirdly about 2 years ago I stumbled across a CD copy of a compilation put out on Candy Records and THERE IT WAS! Oddly I had asked Todd-O-Phonic over the years (after hearing him play it in sets) what the hell it was. I would do my best to describe it but unfortunately with very bad results and never any closer to the answer. "You know it's garagey and party like." That's like describing friends of mine with, "Shaved head, weird beard, wears a lot of black... you know 'em." So you can imagine my surprise to find out that he was involved in said comp which of course he replied, "Oh yeah, great song." Yes, a great song indeed and thanks for the info kind sir. Another deceiving guitar line intros this Garage / Soul Party tidal wave. I have certainly overused the words "pounding drums" over the years but... that is exactly what you have going on here. Mickey Lee Lane has one hell of a raspy voice that is a perfect foil for the chorus which sounds almost sweet in comparison. This could go on for half an hour and I don't think you would bat an eye and you would certainly not get bored, maybe tired, but not bored.

Syl Johnson - "Take Me Back" b/w "I Take Care of My Homework" (Twinight Records cat. 116)
I am not a completest when it comes to collecting but in some cases the music is just that good. The Syl Johnson 45's released on Twilight / Twinight are all must haves. I don't know how or why I missed this one over the years but I did. "I Take Care of My Homework" is on the Collectibles Records comp I have so it's not like I didn't know the song and it is on every discography I have copied down over the years. Odd and no real explanation. Regardless, my good friend Stephen laid this copy on me for my birthday. Thank you sir. "Take Me Back" kicks with horns, tight drums and of course Syl's distinctive guitar and vocals. This one is slightly reminiscent of "Come On Sock It To Me" but that is OK with me. There is a short sax solo that is not really common to his records of this time and adds a really great element to the whole thing. Superb.