Our man Del the Funky Homosapien has a career that spans two decades and 14 albums, the latest of which is Funk Man (The Stimulus Package). Ever the socially conscious artist, Del’s well aware of our troubled times on the album, and he doesn’t hold back discussing them. Bonus: the entire album is available for free right now.
Fancy a Fourth of July pre-party? Those in New York can check out The Wurst Boat Party. Yes, it takes place on a boat. No, it’s not an awful party, but rather, one of NY’s liveliest dance events. This time around Brennan Green and My Cousin Roy will be spinning the tunes alongside residents Robot Blair and David Bruno. Tickets are currently selling for $20 in advance and $25 at the door. They go fast, so snap one up now.
See you at the Skyport Marina on Thursday, July 2!
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Baltimore’s annual Whartscape fest is upon us, thanks once again to Dan Deacon and his Wham City crew. We haven’t heard much on the actual details of this year’s event, but we do know it’s taking place July 9 – 12, and at least some artists are booked. According to Whartscape’s official site, tickets will go on sale soon. Prepare for some exhaustively good times.
Whartscape ’09:
Dan Deacon w/ Ensemble
Ponytail
Future Islands
Double Dagger
Vincent Black Shadow
Adventure
Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez
Crazy Dreams Band
Santa Dads
Bird Names
DD/MM/YYYY
Child Bite
Air Waves
Boogie Boarder
EAR PWR
Teengirl Fantasy
Kokomo
Talk Normal
With their latest album, Nuclear Evolution: The Age of Love, released yesterday, the SA-RA boys are ready to share the love, as well as another track from the album. This time around, Erykah Badu stepped in to lend some vocals to the L.A.-based band’s jazzy, broken-beat number.
Zizek resident and cumbia mash-up specialist Villa Diamante dropped a bomb on the internet today in the form of a free triple album he’s entitled Empacho Digital. The Buenos Aires-based DJ and producer has grouped his bastard creations into three separate groups: Empacho Digital, which is primarily cumbia– and reggaeton-flavored remixes, Dubsteperismo (The Daleduro Influence), a smattering of dubstep mashes, and Rock AR a collection of tunes employing some of Argentina’s biggest rock outfits. Roughly translated as “Digital Stomachache,” the album more than lives up to its title by offering more than 40 tracks to devour. After you’re done listening, you just might be left feeling a little woozy.
Empacho Digital is available for free download now at Villa Diamante’s website.
In case coffee didn’t wake you up this morning, the Too Many Sebastians blog is currently hosting an excellent pick-me-up. Flight Facilities whipped up a mix of crazy club tunes, which you can download for free over at TMS’ site.
Here’s the tracklisting:
01 Krazy Haldhead – Sweet Night
02 Dahlback & Dahlback – Rolle Niva
03 Jump – Funkatarium
04 Joakim – Lonely Hearts (Loving Hand Remix)
05 Whitest Boy Alive – 1517 (Morgan Geist Remix)
06 Lost Valentinos – Serio (Weird Tapes Remix)
07 Cut Copy – Far Away (Hercules & Love Affair Remix)
08 Cassius – Rock Number One (Leopold Gregory Remix)
09 ZZT – The Worm (Erol’s Not So Cruncy Edit)
10 Beni – Maximus (Black Version)
11 Compuphonic & Kolumbo – Antimatter
12 Bag Raiders – Shooting Stars (Kris Menace Dub)
13 The Lowbrows – Dream in the Desert (Flight Facilties Remix)
14 Sally Shapiro – I’ll Be By Your Side (Tensnake Remix)
15 Louie Austen – Hoping (Herbert’s High Dub)
16 DJ Mujava – Township Funk (Crazy P Remix)
17 Metro Area – Miura
18 Surkin – Next of Kin (Todd Edwards Re-Kindled Mix)
19 Ian Pooley – Chord Memory (Daft Punk Remix)
20 Tiga – Far From Home (DFA Remix – Joakim Edit)
21 Bag Raiders – Turbo Love (Flight Facilities Feat. Louie Austen Business Class Lounge Version)
Who:Explode Into Colors
Where: Portland, OR
Although two members of Explode Into Colors met in a West African drumming class at Evergreen State College, this Portland-based all-girl trio isn’t making crunchy hippie music. With a percussion-heavy sound that recalls bands like The Slits, the band is another entry in the Pacific Northwest’s long history of angular post-punk bands with a pop heart. Signed to Kill Rock Stars, their debut album is already in the works, but in the meantime the girls will be releasing a series of 7-inch singles and curating local art shows under the Explode Into Colors name.
Listen: “Paper (Hot Sax Version)”
Three “Ps” best describe Explode Into Colors—post, punk, and Portland. The all-girl trio recently signed to Kill Rock Stars and is hard at work on a debut album. In the meantime, here’s an instrumental saxophone version of their song “Paper.” Photo by Stephen Sharrett.
It’s been a big couple of years for Atmosphere, what with the release of their sixth full-length, When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, and the reissue of 2002’s God Loves Ugly. Slug and Ant will wrap the summer up with a final tour in support of the latter, hitting various U.S. cities and many a festival, including Red Rocks, Lollapalooza, and Outside Lands. Eyedea & Abilities and Attracted to the Gods will join the tour at various locations.
07/23 Detroit Lakes, MN – Lakes Festival
07/26 Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls *
07/27 New York, NY – Webster Hall
07/28 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle *
07/30 Orlando, FL – Firestone *
07/31 Fort Lauderdale, FL – Revolution *
08/01 St. Petersburg, FL – State Theater *
08/02 New Orleans, LA – House of Blues *
08/04 Houston, TX – Warehouse Live *
08/05 Austin, TX – Stubbs *
08/06 Dallas, TX – House of Blues *
08/07 Kansas City, MO – Beaumont *
08/08 Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza
08/10 Sioux Falls, SD – Nutty’s Outside Theater *
08/11 Des Moines, IA – Simon Estes Riverfront Amphitheater *
08/12 Wichita, KS – The Cotillion *
08/14 Denver, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheater *
08/15 Santa Fe, NM – Paolo Soleri *
08/16 El Paso, TX – Club 101 *
08/18 Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues *
08/19 Los Angeles, CA – Palladium
08/21 San Diego, CA – House of Blues *
08/30 San Francisco, CA – Outside Lands Festival
* = w/ Attracted to Gods and Eyedea & Abilities
Image by Mike Davis.
Their glorious reputation precedes them. The Kanye West affiliation. The production work for the likes of Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, and John Legend. The Japan-only limited run vinyl EP pressings. Reuniting with Ubiquity after five years, the L.A.-based Sa-Ra Creative Partners deliver their sophomore full-length in the form of these 17 supercalifunky tracks. Wedged between sleaze and supernatural, Nuclear Evolution drops bombs on the sonic spectrum, from sun-bleached bossa nova (“Spacefruit”), glitchy instrumental funk romps (“Move Your Ass”), and boom bip Iceberg Slim fables (“Traffika”). With assists from Badu (“Dirty Beauty”), veteran saxophonist Gary Bartz, and newcomer Noni Lamar (“I Swear”), this megawatt thumper further cements Sa-Ra’s status as preeminent innovators of tomorrow’s soundscapes.
