Summer From The Bronx

If you're like me, you missed Tools of War's epic Bronx parties in Crotona Park this summer and are still mad. Oh well. Here's an epic 20-year throwback--Man Parrish and Freeze Force's "Boogie Down Bronx"--to ease our considerable pain. If a popping cipher starts up in your living room, don't hold back.

FOUR MORE FOR WHITMORE

Happy Three-Day Weekend.

I am being ushered out the door as we type, so I'll leave you with this:

Samuel Jonathan Johnson - "My Music"

(A lovely, wafting-from-the-grill bit that finds our hero doffing his Barry White Riff-Off Artists of America cap, but I can't believe they thought this would be a good idea for a 12-inch single. It's all potential, no kinesis.)

And this rousing quote from ID4, to remind you of the importance of this Monday:

Good morning. In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world. And you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind. "Mankind." That word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. Perhaps it's fate that today is the Fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom... Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution... but from annihilation. We are fighting for our right to live. To exist. And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day the world declared in one voice: "We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight!" We're going to live on! We're going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day! - President Thomas Whitmore

STREET FIGHTING YEARS

I spent yesterday contemplating the minor acheivements of my first twenty-something years of life and reminding myself, 'It's your one day of the year to do nothing - enjoy it!' And then I spent the rest of the day reading Tariq Ali's quasi-autobiography, which more or less shat on what my conscience was trying to say. So the background music for the first day of my new uniform number is "Revolution (Time is Now)", a brilliant single on the Wackies label that is credited to Leroy Heptones/Leroy Sibbles. Actually I just checked online and apparently Basic Channel reissued this with three tracks: the Wackies instr, Stranger Cole's "The Time is Now" and Leroy Heptones' "Revolution." I don't remember there being three tracks on the original. I am getting old and I have no idea what is going on. Actually, now that I think about it, I probably just mistyped the title when I was digitizing it. At this point, you are probably so confused that the only noble thing would be to direct you here to a far more definitive re-telling of the Wackies/Lloyd Barnes/diaspora story. Back to my nap.

SAMPLE THIS! WAS ONE OF THE WORST NAMES EVER

-Do you like DJ Shadow?
-Do you like Beanie Sigel? (Bonus: Do you also like Keith Sweat?)
-Are you interested in lifting the skirt on hip-hop samples?

If you answered affirmatively to any two of the above questions--and if one of those two (or three) yessirs was to the third question--then today is for you.

A song by the Delfonics that feels spooky even without Bun B getting all pharmaceutical on yr ass.

A song by Colonel Bagshot that is about Israel, or love, or possibly both. This is one of the more sought-after titles on Marshall Chess' Cadet Records subsidiary, but I'm not sure why. (I think this was the case even before The Sample was identified.)

Tomorrow (or some time thereabouts): Dave mind-wrestles with the Olivia Tremor Control

HEY KIDS

Because I, Sasha, am a retard, I can't seem to post to more than one blog without losing my mind (or my keys). So, from now on, I will only be posting MP3s on my main site. Jeff, Hua and Dave will hold it down here—they have better records, anyway.

Peace!

We're shocked too

This is Mac Dre (as Andre Macassi), Mac Mall (as Mall McEnroe) and guest E-40 doing a little number called "Dredio." Because you may wake up in the middle of night, slippery with sweat, wondering what the kids are into. Some kids. Yes, they have officially thought of everything.

This is the Temprees' "You Make the Sun Shine." Because someone out there is wondering, "What is that sample for 'The Corner?'" When they are not wondering that, they are wondering, "In what alternate plane of existence is it a 'good look' for Common to share that he wrote 'Go,' which we will not even get into, after a night of going to the movies with pals John Mayer and Kanye?"

This is the UPC All-Stars' "Don't Get Discouraged." Because sometimes you may find yourself discouraged.

I Don't Know What I'll Do

Hey yall, nothing smart to say except I haven't posted in a long time and so here's a track from deep in my crates with some good memories. While everyone is rushing to revive the bad old 80s, I hope they'll bring back this sound. The group was called Touch, the label was called Supertronics, the time was the summer of '87, the place was DC, the club was called Tracks. Mixed by Timmy Regisford, sung as if the world will end, danced to in a bluesy bliss. Enjoy.

REFERRAL

I seem to be posting MP3s on my main site. I did it this time, and then I did it again. Maybe this site simply sit here, shiny and always new, happily taking tickets and pointing you back to the street, like a reverse usher. ("A reverse usher" sounds legally actionable, expensive, or slightly painful.) Or maybe they'll rock like twin Technics, one after the other.

I'm just making this shit up.

HEARD YA MISSED ME, WELL I'M WACK

Gotta step out for a minute—like that will feel any different!—so these should suffice until I get back. I intend to get more posty in May.

Some rappers you know over a rhythm you know.

New York's finest, latest: "Not Fucking Wit Dipset"

"Pam," the song recorded for, but not released on, Spiderland, as recorded live on February 22nd, 2005, in Lousiville, Kentucky. Also, the last parent to get a song title.

The qualms before the storm

Because time is bearing down on me hardcore, here's a song that I find completely and profoundly un-tethering. When I first heard "Siboney" by Connie Francis I thought it sounded like it was from the year 3000, or at least 2046, but not 1960.

killing it softly

Have you ever noticed that every single one of Pearl Buck's novels weigh in at about 300 pages? Even though, in all honesty, each one boils down to enough details, symbols, historical references, conflicts and intergenerational conflicts to fill out a thin pamphlet? Yeah, it's crazy, right?

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1. Jennifer Lara has a record you can probably find. I don't remember what it is called because it is across the room and I am, quite literally, buried under a stack of Pearl Buck's terrible and terribly long books.

2. This record is one of those shady Studio One 're-presses,' so it comes in a cardboard sleeve held together by providence rather than glue, a plastic inner sleeve that seems designed to annoy rather than protect, and a record that looks like it's been cleaned with a toothbrush, only instead of bristles there is a Brillo pad attached to the end.

3. Jennifer Lara also appeared on some of those nice Rhythm & Sound records on Basic Channel, then later Asphodel. "Queen in My Empire" is the one.

4. This is called "A Woman" and this is called "A Change is Gonna Come" (no relation to Sam Cooke).

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STAND BY PLEASE

At least one of us has technical difficulties. When the backlog is finally unleashed, you'll need a bucket.

Thanks for waiting.