Tanya T6 – “Will You Be Home For Christmas:”

Getting ready for the holiday season, Tanya T6 just dropped her new single “Will You Be Home For Christmas” from her Holidays at Home EP. Honestly, would rather be listening to this than any Mariah Carey holiday jams, since they aren’t as fresh.

just what I needed.

Produced by Yoni Wolf of WHY?. From the LP Family & Friends.

Via Blowing or Blowing Up.

sorry i was talking to myself…

Via Blowing or Blowing Up.

Check out Winstrong’s track “Fi Mi Nation” here.

Featuring Jah Dan, M1 of Dead Prez, Haiku De Tat (Myka 9, Abstract Rude, Aceyalone) and more.

Taking the lead where Mad Lion and KRS-One left off with his blend of Dancehall and Hip-Hop, Reggae artist Winstrong is stirring up the Bay Area, building a reputation as a moving, high-energy performer and recording artist. The South American born artist is currently set to release Ghetto Hymns (M9 Entertainment) and features Jah Dan, M1 of Dead Prez, Haiku De Tat (Myka 9, Abstract Rude, Aceyalone) and more.

Winstrong has been delivering his brand of “singjay” (a combination of singer and deejay) for a minute. After migrating to the US in his late teens in 94, he started recording at Conscious Sound Productions (Ursa Minor) with Benjamin Grand Depaux and later recorded a Jazz-fusion album Noble Nature.

His 2008 debut album, Eye of the Storm propelled the devout Rastafarian onto the national music scene. The single “Sounds of the Gun” (aka “Boom Boom Blah Blah”) solidified his place in the Reggae music scene. He has performed with and is featured on compilations with some of the industry’s best, from Capleton, Sizzla, Prince Malachi, Tony Rebel and Black Uhuru’s Mikal Rose to Hip-Hop artists Wu Tang Clan, Snoop Dogg, Warren G and the bay area’s own Delinquents.

Born Winston van Ewyk in 1971 in Paramaribo, Surinam, Winstrong was raised in a family of musicians. His mother was a schoolteacher who always took the time to sing falsetto around family and friends. It was her influence that encouraged Winstrong’s love of music. “My moms used to tell everyone, “Dis kid has something…watch dis…”

“After featuring Win on some mixtapes,” explains partner of west coast label JtheSarge, “I wanted to do a record with him. Sarge explains that he met Win through a mutual friend Ishi Dube of the Humboldt County Reggae Stars. “I’ve always been a serious Reggae and Hip-Hop head, so when Win wanted to a Hip-Hop record on M9, I jumped at the chance.”

Success in the arts comes from those who are inspired by their past experiences, but are able to connect with people by staying in tune with their current surroundings and present feelings. Tabi Bonney has experienced success by following this same concept, and continues the trend on his newest album The Summer Years. Drawing on his childhood experiences of traveling the world, growing up in D.C. listening to Big Daddy Kane, and working hard for success, Tabi is feeling very good about life in general and especially about music. The excitement, the parties, the women, and undoubtedly the hard work that we all experience during the summer have become everyday for Tabi. Therein lies the inspiration for the newest release by one of the nations capitals fastest rising stars. You are now entering The Summer Years…Bienvenue.

Tabi’s new album due out this September, is executive produced by the legendary Ski Beatz (Jay Z, Camp Lo, Curren$y, etc) who he was introduced to, along with Dame Dash, by a mutual friend from Facebook. Referring to this project, Bonney says, “It’s 100% produced by Ski. Dame Dash is putting it out, I’m just happy man.” Now that Tabi has bigger names behind him, he’s still not veering from being himself or representing D.C. As expected when any artist begins working with a new producer, The Summer Years will have fresh elements from Tabi’s previous releases, however his cosmopolitan experiences will continue to drive his music. “Sophisticated, futuristic boom bap” is how Tabi refers to the new sound. “This one is Hip Hop. It’s more lyrical and the beats are a little harder. I can go in either direction, but messing with someone like Ski, even though he has range too, we just got into that zone.”

Ski built the majority of the tracks for the album with Tabi in the studio and some of the rappers influence on the beats is clear. “On Jupiter” samples a song by Tabi’s father Itadi, a star musician in his home country of Togo, West Africa where Tabi was also born. Even without a sample from one of his father’s songs, Tabi is able to share his experiences and life in D.C. through his songs. Expanding on his development Tabi explains, “I know how to recall memories more maturely now. So even with a more hip hop sound working with Ski, I can reflect on, and bring out the influences I’ve experienced.” For Bonney, it’s all about “letting all of the different things I’ve done and seen in life come naturally; not forcing anything.”

The first single off The Summer Years “Parachute”, “is a real true story about being a guy and already having a girlfriend but running into to someone else that I like more, and then going with that person I like more” says Tabi. “Hip Hop & Love” (feat. Murs) is “about growing up on hip hop, and just remembering that first time that I heard hip hop music. An ode to what I grew up on.”

In 2006, after two years of teaching high school and a newly instilled discipline and work ethic provided by his previous endeavors, which included earning a Masters degree in Biology, Tabi Bonney released his debut album A Fly Guy’s Theme on his independent label Organized Rhyme. Tabi expressed himself the way he wanted to, with colorful use of D.C. slang and a unique delivery that radiated with people, just as it had in high school and college when he had 2 songs reach #1 on local radio stations. The first single off A Fly Guy’s Theme, “The Pocket” became the first song from a local artist to break through the glass ceiling formed by D.C.’s dominant Go-go music scene. Tabi’s self directed music videos were getting regular air time on national video channels like MTV Jams and VH1 Soul, but not because of big budgets or high profile features and co-signs. The videos were getting played because as Tabi explains, they’re “original and cool…As opposed to the same ‘you’re in the club poppin bottles.”

Like several other hip hop artists, Tabi has other business ventures including his video production company Cool Kids Forever, and clothing line Bonney Runway. Tabi has directed and produced videos for Raheem Devaughn, Wale and Go-go band Mambo Sauce along with the videos he’s directed for his own music. Tabi’s creative, international flair has seen him run (“Beat Rock”), rollerskate (“Syce It”) and bike (“Nuthin’ But A Hero”) his way through D.C., while the clip for “Cool and Fly” found him riding horseback in his birthplace of Lome, Togo.

“D.C. is a multi-layered city, and has so many cultures and nationalities that live here, that there are multiple ways to maneuver through it,” Tabi says. “So having these videos where I’m traveling through the city in different ways is a metaphor for that.”
 Building on the initial success of A Fly Guy’s Theme, Bonney released his sophomore LP, Dope, in 2009. The album, which featured singles “Cool and Fly,” “Duhh” and “Jet Setter,” is the first in a planned trilogy called Dope Meet Fresh…Fresh Meet Superstar. On 2010’s Fresh, the second installment of the series, Tabi evolved in a more musically sophisticated direction inspired by European pop acts like Lykke Li and Little Dragon, and the global accessibility of the Black Eyed Peas. The album came as Tabi’s career was taking off on a number of fronts. He had recently formed the CryBabies, a co-ed pop group with Grammy-winning Black Eyed Peas songwriter/producer Poet Name Life and singer Niki Jean, and has now joined up with Damon Dash’s rising Creative Control collective on projects like Ski Beatz’s much hyped 24-Hour Karate School.

The full version of this video is already out, but our love for teasers compelled this post.

This year sees the 30th anniversary of one of the UK’s most beloved and influential sound systems, Norman Jay’s Good Times. Instrumental in the development of the Rare Groove scene and the identity of Notting Hill Carnival, Norman’s influence on music tastes can’t be overstated. Hear what those close to Norman have to say about Good Times, from its beginnings to its status as a cultural institution. Good Time 30, an anniversary collection, is out now on Strut.

This Summer, Strut teams up with one of the most revered of all DJs, Norman Jay MBE, to celebrate 30 years of Good Times, the party that changed the face of the Notting Hill Carnival and zwhich has become a Summertime fixture at festivals worldwide.

Jay set up his first sound system, Great Tribulation, in 1979 with his brother Joey which became Good Times Sound System in 1981, the start of a 30-year residency at Notting Hill Carnival. Norman changed the face of the music played there, introducing a range of gritty, soulful styles to complement the predominantly reggae-based sound systems. The move paved the way for the open-minded Carnival we know today, with Good Times still at its core.

From Good Times, Jay’s career burgeoned. He became a key DJ during the ‘80s London rare groove scene, hosting a series of legendary clubs – Shake ‘N’ Fingerpop, High On Hope (inspired by New York’s Paradise Garage) and famed sessions at London’s Bass Clef (later the Blue Note), all of which built his reputation for open-minded soulful selections spanning soul, funk, disco, early house, reggae and hip hop. Through his club nights, he was one of the first to introduce legendary US DJs like Tony Humphries, Louie Vega and Blaze to the UK. Further success followed – he was one of the founders of London station Kiss FM and ran the seminal Talkin’ Loud label alongside Gilles Peterson at Phonogram.

Jay’s tireless work as a DJ has earned him many accolades – he has appeared on the BBC’s Question Time, and received an MBE for his work in 2002, the first time any DJ had received such an accolade.

In the wake of his many achievements and the ongoing success of Good Times, Jay has enjoyed a series of essential compilation albums on React, Resist, Nuphonic and Azuli stretching back to 2000, as well as a recent spin-off album, ‘Good Times Australia’. Now, the maestro returns with a special 30th Anniversary collection for Strut, another bumper set of genre-hopping classic and rare Good Times favourites. Tracks include boogie rarity ‘Dreamin’ by short-lived band Zalmac and Fries & Bridges’ ‘Forever This’, a 4×4 belter featuring an early vocal by chart superstar Cee-Lo Green. Jay touches on independent hip hop with Basement Chemist, jazz grooves courtesy of Kira Neris and Attic Tree, skanking reggae from Jacob Miller and doo-wop soul courtesy of Little Anthony & The Imperials.

Norman Jay presents Good Times 30 is released on CD, LP and download. For the CD and LP formats, leading journalist and author Lloyd Bradley interviews Norman Jay for an extensive career-spanning sleeve note. The package also features rare and unseen photos from across Norman Jay’s career as a DJ.

strut-records.com
normanjay.com

1. MARK CAPANNI – I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES
2. AVERY SUNSHINE – I GOT SUNSHINE
3. TED TAYLOR – GHETTO DISCO (Edit)
4. ZALMAC – DREAMIN’
5. TERRI WELLS – WHO’S THAT STRANGER
6. LITTLE ANTHONY & THE IMPERIALS – I DON’T HAVE TIME TO WORRY
7. MARIO BIONDI – MY GIRL
8. JACOB MILLER & INNER CIRCLE – TIRED FE LICK WEED IN A BUSH
9. THE BASEMENT KHEMIST – EVERYBODY (L I F E)
10. J BOOGIE’S DUBTRONIC SCIENCE feat. GOAPELE and CAPITOL A – TRY ME (People Under The Stairs Remix)
11. ATTIC TREE – VOAR
12. CURTIS MAYFIELD – VICTORY
13. DANTE – FREAK IN ME
14. FRIES & BRIDGES – FOREVER THIS
15. THE DETROIT EXPERIMENT – THINK TWICE (Henrik Schwarz Remix)
16. ASHLEY SLATER – PRIVATE SUNSHINE

Norman Jay MBE- Good Times 30 Mini Mix by Strut

JNATURAL’S LOVE IS ON HIATUS

Executively produced by southland icon Aceyalone, J Natural’s debut LP Love Is On Hiatus is a rousing, jazzed inflected hip-hop album. Following in the tradition of uncompromising and strong emcees like Jean Grae and Medusa, Love Is On Hiatus features Aceyalone and Abstract Rude. Production is by San Diego beat maker Jeff Wonder.

Raised in Los Angeles, JNatural’s immigrant parents were strict but also so busy with careers in the medical field that they left her in the care of her grandmother and aunt. “They were very musical and wonderful story tellers,” JNatural recalls. Negating the cliché that all-girls Catholic high schools are breeding grounds for wild girls, JNat says that there were major benefits to not having boys around to distract her, not the least of which was that she learned to speak her mind.

It was around high school when JNat tried her hand at turntables and discovered SLAM poetry. By college, JNatural and her friends were staying up late night dissecting the lyrics of Freestyle Fellowship, Living Legends and Hiero and scratching out rhymes of her own.

In 2005 during a chance meeting with one of her icons Aceyalone at a Medusa show, she slipped him her latest CD. “He called the next day and asked me to come in to the studio to record and be part of the (SIS)tem, an all female group he was putting together.” In 2006, JNatural teamed up with producer/photographer Jeff Wonder to produce her first globally distributed project Escape From Babylon. In 2008 she released Sex Lies and Sextape mixtape, mixed by DJ Ray Ray Raw and featuring The A-Team (Aceyalone & Abstract Rude.)

All the while, JNat continues to develop her career in fashion. She was designer for Roxy/Quiksilver and the Director of Design for Fox Womens. She recently founded her own design consulting firm called. Currently, she is VP of Design and US Sales for U&K Fashion Ltd, a china-based fashion group.

Motor City Drum Ensemble Mixes New DJ-Kicks
Stuttgart’s Danilo Plessow Delivers An Eclectic Ode To The Beat
Motor City Drum Ensemble- DJ-Kicks (July 19, 2011)
dj-kicks.com

Motor City Drum Ensemble- L.O.V.E. (DJ-Kicks exclusive) by !K7 Records

“When did I fall in love?” Danilo Plessow, known to the world of dance music as Motor City Drum Ensemble, echoes the question. Wearing the kind of smile that indicates true love, first love, the kind of love that will never leave you, he gazes upon a city park. A bunch of kids are playing catch. He was their age when he fell in love for the first time: with the beat. So he started playing the drums. That beat is his companion to this day. Having morphed through all kinds of forms its recent incarnation is delivered to the public on his amazing, genre blending DJ-Kicks mix; a mix more than worthy of the series’ history of ruthless experimentation with, and re-definition of, the Mix CD medium.

His understanding of how the parts of a track can work has never been more apparent than on his DJ-Kicks mix. In 10 years, playing 80+ gigs a year, including such temples as Berghain, Fabric London, Rex and MOS, he’s absorbed dance history through hard and disciplined work behind the decks. Look at the opening selections of his DJ-Kicks mix to get a glimpse of his amazing ability to fuse totally disparate sound aesthetics into a coherent whole. He sets the scene and opens the party with the uplifting and inviting chants of Sun Ra’s “Door To The Cosmos”, then drops a groove of contempo Soul via NZ youngsters Scratch 22’s Remix of Electric Wire Hustle’s “Again”, which then just melts perfectly with Rhythm & Sounds’ machine dub of “Mango Drive.” Be prepared because this is just the beginning! Before you know it the guitars of Tony Allen’s “Ariya” tickle their way into the mix, its combination of collective chant and afro beat leading the listener into a joyful bliss. As you tap your foot the set dives into a tribute to one of the most influential urban centers of club culture: the Windy City. Between the driving soul of Peven Everett’s ode to love “Stuck” and the joined forces of Tevo and “Poppa” Rick Howard’s “Can Your Love Find Its Way” you find the master of Chicago house music: Mr. Fingers. It’s a beautiful homage to one of the main chapters in dance music history with the only “foreign” track ironically being an edit of Germany’s Bad Jazz Troupe.

Assembling the mix was a true journey for Danilo, painstakingly going through his collection, combining tracks, making edits—a quest in search of those “magic moments”, as he puts it. In this mix one prime example of these “magic moments” surely lies in that split second when the pads of Fred P.’s “On this Vibe” drop into the gorgeous Stone’s “Girl I Like The Way That You Move.” Moving on, Pablo Valentino, Danilo’s label colleague at MCDE with an equal disregard for genre boundaries, and his Creative Swing Alliance leads the listener into the proto-Afrobeat of Geraldo Pino’s “Black Woman Experience” followed by an absolutely mind-blowing edit of Philip Sarde’s “Le Cortège et Course,” a track that in the hands of Motor City Drum Ensemble sounds more like a techno classic than what it is: a piece from a 1972 movie soundtrack, César et Rosalie, starring Romy Schneider and Yves Montand. You want another “magic moment?” There it is beaming you right into the Minimal Nation of Robert Hood’s “The Pace!”

Hood’s track is part one of a subdivision in this mix that, like the Chicago homage before it, works as a bow before the fathers. One after the other, the names making up the chapter this time are: Hood, Arthur Russell, Walter Gibbons and Aphex Twin, with Motor City Drum Ensemble’s aptly titled “L.O.V.E.”—Danilo’s beautifully seductive version of nocturnal soul music—sitting right there in company. In the hands of less talented compilers such lining-up of total heroes could result in a superficial “favorites mixtape” fiasco but thanks to Danilo’s impeccable intuition and architectural sensibility every choice he makes creates a natural link, no matter how huge the genre, era and geography gap he is crossing.

So, after the Selected Ambient Work “Actium” gives way to the wonderland that is Isolées remix of Recloose’s “Cardiology” we are slowly approaching the end of Motor City Drum Ensemble’s DJ-Kicks. Latecomer, a Moscow based multi-instrumentalist, singer and producer that was discovered by MCDE last year, induces a last moment of tranced concentration before the “African Chant” by contemporary Scando Jazzer Timo Lassy provides the listener with another plateau of musical high.

This personal and spiritual journey is then bookended by one of the high points in cosmic disco history: John Mason’s “Sweet Power, Your Embrace”—a track oh-so wonderfully representative of Danilo’s intentions and inspirations. It’s always a good sign when your hero gives you a call to express his enthusiasm about your choice—as Mr. Mason did in this case. It’s that moment when both sides are feeling honored: father and son, joined through the love of the music.

And so Motor City Drum Ensemble’s DJ-Kicks ends. The listener has gained yet another glimpse into the cosmos of Danilo Plessow’s inner world and the DJ-Kicks series has been the stage for yet another beautiful dance. With the next months holding an extensive tour schedule for Danilo, dancers around the world will be able to experience his gift as a selector first hand. That is, before he gets back into the studio to start working on his first album as Motor City Drum Ensemble as well as a live act. All this will prove, just as his DJ-Kicks is doing now, that there is no such thing as stagnation in the ever-evolving cosmos of Danilo Plessow!

MeLo teams up with Dr. Woo once again to bring smooth, sensual and eye capturing visuals to the musical landscape he has created. In this piece we step inside the dance studio with three talented females as they create an interpretive dance to MeLo’s Heartbeat. “Heartbeat” is a remix of Quadrons original track “Average Fruit” and is featured on MeLo’s timeless mixtape “More Merch.” An alternate remix version can also be purchased on iTunes.

MeloXtra.com
Twitter.com/Meloxtra

We have two words for all this: get it.

Oreo Jones links up with Jace of Circa Forever on the music video for his jam “Cordon Bleu”:

If you’ve been to an Oreo Jones show in the past 9 months, you’ve probably heard a crowd or two chant “WE GOING HAM BITCH!” Well, Milk’s Favorite Emcee is finally ready to kickoff the summer with the official release of “Cordon Bleu”, the first single off his upcoming album Super Model Death Dive, coupled with a music video directed by Jace. The track is a feel good summertime jam packed with punchlines, and the video proves to be as equally entertaining. Make sure you watch for your favorite Naptown indie scene celebrities as they make cameos throughout the video!

As summer gets into full swing with hot weather and even hotter women, Oreo Jones prepares to launch a full on assault on your eyes, ears, and mind with the numerous projects he has coming. Watch for a new mixtape from Oreo and Action Jackson entitled Black Fabios to drop sometime near the end of July in preparation for Super Model Death Dive which is slated to be released in late August. Oreo is also cooking up a new season of Let’s Do Lunch with guests DJ Limelight, Gunner of X103, Rob and Dave of the Melody Inn, and Wayne of Barfly just to name a few. Finally, keep your eyes peeled for a slew of new music videos to debut this summer. If you don’t know who Oreo Jones is, this summer is a perfect time to get familiar!

Gosh they’re dope. Love that the video is in 1080p. We wanna see the pores bitch! The synth work is so luscious on this track too.

Here’s a link for an older but fantastic release from Oreo Jones & 90 LBS.

oreojones.com
twitter.com/oreojones
facebook.com/yoOreo
soundcloud.com/OreoJones
youtube.com/LetsDoLunchwOreo

A song that describes you.

A song that reminds you of someone.

ParkNasty is here.

Yoni Wolf of WHY? and Alias Team Up for Remix of Sole and the Skyrider Band’s “Hello Cruel World,” Free Download Available Now via RCRD LBL

Lil B THEBASEDGOD, Xiu Xiu, Pictureplane, Sage Francis & more guest on forthcoming Hello Cruel World Full Length, Out July 19th via Fake Four Inc.

DOWNLOAD: “Hello Cruel World (Alias Remix feat. Yoni Wolf of WHY?) (mp3 via RCRD LBL)
STREAM: “Hello Cruel World” (single via Soundcloud)

While much was made of Sole aka Tim Holland leaving the Anticon empire he helped create, there’s a refreshing, new found confidence and focus not seen since his now-classic albums Selling Live Water and Bottle of Humans. Some proof of that can be found on the forthcoming full length Hello Cruel World, where he has assembled an army of the most exciting voices in indie culture to be apart of the new record, recruiting everyone from Lil B THEBASEDGOD, Xiu Xiu, Pictureplane, Sage Francis, Ceschi, and more. In addition, he’s enlisted former labelmates Alias and Yoni Wolf of WHY? for a remix of the title track “Hello Cruel World,” where Wolf’s trademark vocals provide a nice backdrop to the remix. The original version of the first single, “Hello Cruel World,” is now streaming on Sole’s Soundcloud page, a 3 song single + T-shirt bundle is out this week via Fake Four Inc. as well. The new album drops July 19th on cd, vinyl, and digital via Fake Four Inc., with the European release being handled by Equinox Records. With Hello Cruel World, Sole returns with the Skyrider Band for his first full length since the split with Anticon, and his third album with the Skyrider Band.

On the upcoming album, listeners will notice that Sole has adopted the most deliberate flow of his career–abandoning the freewheeling, hyper-timed assaults of his earlier work in favor of a biting clarity and all around accessibility. The record draws on the wealth of his newly found freedom, tapping into the positivity and ethics of a DIY tradition he has always known and embraced throughout his career – transforming his past cynicism into a call to arms and personal empowerment. The Skyrider Band itself has been similarly transformed; trading in their dense soundscapes and organic touchstones for an impeccable attention to detail and more studio-centric productions.

On Sole and the Skyrider Band’s last record, Plastique, Sole claimed, “I’ve been digging my grave since age 15.” Since then, he’s been hard at work converting his grave into trenches that span from California to Barcelona, and the bottom of the ocean to the moon. Hello Cruel World occupies these trenches, steadfastly refusing to be flushed into a niche.

Sole and the Skyrider Band – Hello Cruel World
Out July 19th on CD, LP, Digital via Fake Four Inc.
Tracklist:
Napoleon (feat. Xiu Xiu)
D.I.Y.
Hello Cruel World
Fire
Bad Captain Swag (feat. Lil B & Pictureplane)
We Will Not Be Moved (feat. Ceschi & Noah23)
Possimism
Home Ain’t Shit (written by Pedestrian)
Formal Designation 134340
Immortality
Progress Trap (feat. Sage Francis)
Vaya Con Diablo (feat. Isaiah Toothtaker, Mestizo & Ceschi)
Villon

Sole and the Skyrider Band Press Page
Official Sole Site
Sole and the Skyrider Band Facebook
Sole Twitter
Sole Tumblr
Fake Four Inc. Official Site
Terrorbird Official Site

So cute to be able to see Tanya T6 working in the studio. Would love to have that job. Of course, that requires having professional musical ability. So… Yeah.

Tanya T6 is such a sweetheart. We’re so excited about hearing her tracks take over the radio stations.