Fresh Wax
Good day, boys and girls. Thanks for checking back after this most recent hiatus. I’ve been consumed with the toils of travel, pond hockey and the always-hectic height of cock fighting season over at my folks' place.
But alas, The Ear Hole is back and in dire need of a cotton swab or two. Let's see what kind of oily wax we've let build up over the last couple months.
DJ Format - Fabriclive.27
The handful of tracks that kick off this most recent DJ Format mixtape give the promising impression of a full-on hip-hop romp. But the cuts from Lyrics Born, Cut Chemist (listen below) and Format himself establish a groove that eventually tapers at the hands of some vintage soul and funk tracks which, while strong in their own right, tend to drag on at times, putting a monotonous damper on the cohesive feel of this mix. That said, if you're not listening to it straight through, there are some soul gems on this record, including Ms. Fitzgerald's unlikely Cream cover.
Cut Chemist & This Kid Named Miles: SNT (Live At The Peace Pipe '93)
Ella Fitzgerald: Sunshine Of Your Love
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Marula Soul
Speaking of compilations, I acquired this one on my recent trip to Madrid. Marula Soul is one of four house CDs from a small joint my brother frequented while living there. I'm not much of a lounge/club guy; maybe I would be if they all sounded like this. The fella in charge at Marula has an ear.
Jaguar: That's Your Problem Baby
Martin Buscaglia: Cerebro Orgasmo Envidia y Sofia
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The Limp Twins - Tales From Beyond The Groove
Brighton's Limp Twins (Will Holland and Russ Porter) dish out a distinct, poppy blend of funk, soul, folk and reggae. Holland, better known as the production mind behind Tru Thoughts' Quantic and Quantic Soul Orchestra, here lends bass, guitar and sax support to Porter's keys and witty vox. The product is an eclectic collection of catchy, soulful nibblets.
The Limp Twins: Living Well
The Limp Twins: Bitter And Twistered
Purchase Tales From Beyond The Groove
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The Slip - Eisenhower
Many have pegged The Slip's latest effort as some symbolic departure from their alleged "jam band" roots. True, Eisenhower rings a bit more indie rock than their past records, but they weren't really much of a "jam band" to begin with. The problem with that term is that it refers more to a group's following than its music. But if we were to attempt to ascribe a basic musical definition to our stereotypical jam band, it might read something like this: A group of musicians whose compositions predominantly involve simple arrangements, upbeat, tangential lyrics and -- especially when performed live -- lengthy, noodling pentatonic solos over two-chord vamps. Admittedly an exaggerated, stereotype-feeding generalization, but, indeed, one to which The Slip's music -- and that of many other so-called "jam bands" -- has never belonged. Anyway, while it does sound like the Barr brothers and their bassist buddy decided to throw a bit of an indie edge on their sound for Eisenhower, the clever arrangements and lush melodies are characteristic of whatever past incarnations one might choose to invent for this band. After a few listens, this shouldn't sound all that far-removed from The Slip, c. early 2000s.
The Slip: If One Of Us Should Fall
The Slip: Mothwing Bite
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Track of the day:
Ween: Hey There Fancy Pants
...just because it's been in my head all day.
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Bonus material:
My little home video of Brian Rolston's shootout performance from last Saturday's Wild vs. Stars game. You'll notice that the company I kept found his move rather amusing. Maybe you had to be there.
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