RIP Billy Taylor

Another day, another legend gone - fortunately this one had a good long career. RIP to the great virtuoso Billy Taylor.

I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free


Here is Nina Simone's version


...and performing Perdido on the David Frost show with Duke Ellington

RIP Teena Marie

RIP to the dopest black chick who just happened to be white that the world has ever seen. During my childhood stint in the hood (childhood in Oakland, CA), I remember there being white girls like this. There was one I knew called Jamie; she lived in a house full of black people, was wiry thin with a tough mouth, and was one of the best doubledutch jumpers on the school yard --- she was way blacker than me, heck blacker than most of us. Teena Marie has a block pass (shit, black pass!) cause she built those blocks and is an important part of black history and heritage. Heck she was on Cash Money (Lil Wayne's record label) for a time!

I'm sure every hood in the US was blasting her on Monday while most whites just scratched their heads trying to remember who she was and what she sang. She was ours, through and through.


OOO LA LA LA



SQUARE BIZ


what you know about that FIRE AND DESIRE?


and ever her newer joints CAN'T LAST A DAY (feat Faith Evans)


True legend, there will never be another.

Electro-Crooners: James Blake

I'm claiming 2011 as the year of the electro-croon. I can feel it in the air. From Bon Iver's cry for help from the middle of the cyber-woods on Kanye's "Lost In The World" to Jamie Woon's insomniac's anthem "Night Air", 2011 is gonna be about the sultry sounds of sensitive and moody young men (and maybe some ladies) lost in the machine. Tron: The Musical, anyone?

For my Exhibit D, I present James Blake. While he's made a name for himself on thene as a promising young dubstep reversioner, it's his recent moody singer-songwriter turns that will likely blow him up in 2011. Check out the first single from his forthcoming LP, James Blake, a spaced-out and super minimalistic cover of Feist's "Limit To Your Love" that has major Antony vectors.



Keep your eyes and ears out for James (album 0ut February 2011) and other such dark ballads from little Hansels&Gretels lost in the fiber-optic forest. You just might save somebody's life.

Lil Wayne Performed 6'7 on SNL

On the fifth day of Christmas, SNL did give to us a very hot performance of Weezy doing (the best song of the end of 2010) "6'7". Normally live hip-hop is quite a snooze, but Weezy is bursting with energy and just look at how stoked the band is here! I could barely stay seated in my desk chair.



Looking forward to a 2011 full of Weezy at the tippy top of his game. Keep your nose clean, kid.

Jamie Woon - Night Air (LIVE)

As I mentioned in my best of 2010, Jamie Woon has been one of my favorite finds of the year. I'm looking forward to a lot more from him and his collab with Burial. Here is gorgeous video if him performing the track that pulled me in.



the album version

Camille's Best of 2010

2010 may have been a shockingly amazing year for music, but I unfortunately feel uncertain whether or not I would know. I had so much going on this year, I feel like I really lagged in the music department (and it shows in the amount of posting I've done on the blog). Thanks to OKSG and the few moments I could grab to jam new sounds into my ear, there were a few albums and tracks that got heavy rotation round these parts. Here they go...

Best Albums (in no particular order)

• Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - like everyone else says, great rhythms, brutal honesty, hilarity, the man is at the top of his game right now

• Gonjasufi- A Sufi and A Killer - utter psychedelic madness, like nothing else I heard this year. TOP HONORS!
  

• Mark Ronson & the Business International- Record Collection - people already know I am total Mark Ronson "stan fan", and the dude did the damn thing with this album. scrapped the horns and took a hard left into a different direction and the results are GOOOD! The return of D'Angelo, the return of Boy George, the return of Duran Duran. This album is epic. I'm just waiting for someone to churn out a 10 minute mega mix of Somebody To Love Me, it's begging for it.

• Erykah Badu- New Amerykah Part Two (Return Of The Ankh) - This album admittedly sounds like its mostly just outtakes from Part One, but there is enough funkiness and home truths (I'm a recovering undercover, overlover people, come on!) on there to have gotten it some hard spinnage over at my house

• Aloe Blacc - Good Things - Alright, I'm not gonna lie and say this album is solid all the way through but it really has enough going on that it wormed its way into my heart over the months I've been listening to it. Not enough people are successfully putting this kinda music out (sorry John Legend, that covers album was a BAD idea. stay in your lane, bruh.)

• Big Boi - Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Return of Chico Dusty - This is hip hop for that grown and sexy set, and I can't hate. I previously had doubts about Big Boi's solo abilities, but he put them to rest on this one.

12/31/10 - EDIT TO ADD :

• Duran Duran's All You Need Is Now is a true return to form and for that we can thank the good lads of DD and the fanboy enthusiasm of album producer Mark Ronson
  
  
• Caribou - Swim- In his ongoing quest to make sure I am always late to the party, OKSG (gee thanks, lil bro) only just dropped this gem on me the other day, but the fact that I am rushing back on here to tell y'all about it is a testament to the electro-goodness of this album. Get it!
  

10 Favorite Tracks of the Year (aside from songs on the above-mentioned albums)
1. Girl Unit - Wut (just slid in under the wire. thanks OKSG)
2. Crookers feat. Roisin Murphy - Royal T
3. Jamie Woon - Night Air
4. T.I. - I'm Back (unfortunately ironic)
5. Ski Beatz - Taxi f. Mos Def & Whosane
6. Cee-Lo - No One's Gonna Love You (cover of Band of Horses)
7. Homeboy Sandman - Parallel Perpendicular (i gotta grab this dude's whole album)
8. Gregory Porter - Pretty
9. Just Vyybe (Soul Power Mix) - DVA ft Fatima
10. Best Coast - Boyfriend (this track makes me feel like I'm in the 9th grade again - totally 90s alt rock/riot grrrl vectors. infectious!

Favorite Mixtapes/Mixes
Major Lazer X LaRoux
Yao's 20 Minute Phone Card Mix
MJ Cole Exclusive Fader Mix
Ayshay's Muslim Trance Mini-Mix (via The Fader)

2011 Most Anticipated
Jamie Woon's full length debut
Mark Ronson/Andrew Wyatt collaboration project
Lil Wayne - The Carter IV
original tracks from Yao (aka our very own OKSG)???
the return of Amy Winehouse?

OKSG's Best of 2010

As everyone knows the album format isn't the strongest these days, but still as a true fan of the format I've gotta acknowledge those albums that I feel were the best of this year. Here goes...

Best Albums•••

1. Flying Lotus- Cosmogramma
2. Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
3. Gonjasufi- A Sufi and A Killer
4. Actress- Splaszh
5. Mark Ronson & the Business International- Record Collection
6. Bilal- Airtight's Revenge
7. Erykah Badu- New Amerykah Part Two (Return Of The Ankh)
8. Suite for Ma Dukes- Miguel Atwood Ferguson



Best EPs•••

James Blake - CMYK
Girl Unit - IRL
Kavsrave- Quotes

Honorable Mentions•••
Anika- Anika
Teebs - Ardour
Caribou- Swim
Aloe Blacc- Good Things
Janelle Monae- The Archandroid

Best Tracks•••

"Just Vybe (Soule Power Mix)" - DVA ft. Fatima
"So Derobe" - Joy Orbison
"Tried For Love" (Hudson Mohawke Rmx)- Krystal Klear
"Ima Burn Em"- DJ Nate
"Can't Get Used to Those"- Dimlite
"Blackmagic" - Jose James
"Special" - Maddslinky ft. Omar
"Once in a While"- Lone
"Footcrab" - Addison Groove
"Square One"- Mosca
"Kaychunk" - Kyle Hall
"Heavy As Stone"- Mark Pritchard
"Smooth Skin" - Quest
"Lost Where I Belong" (Flying Lotus Remix)- Andreya Triana
"The Resistance"- Drake
"I Need Love"/ "Squark" - Roska
"MDMA"- Redlight
"Fuck Work"(Dam Funk Remix)- Cubic Zirconia
"Carry the Weight" - Machinedrum
"Average Fruit" - Quadron
"VCR"- Tyler the Creator

Best Mixe§•••

Ahu Fact Mix
BBC 1Xtra Deviation/ Soulful Beats Benji B 2010 09 26 Theo Parrish Special
Mike Paradinas 2006- 2010 Footwork Mix
Yao - Big City Bright Lights Minimix

Taylor McFerrin "Awake to You"

I thought I had posted this some months ago...From his Early Riser EP, 'Awake To You",a slow sultry burner, end of the night steez, I could totally hear Meshell Ndegeocello on this.

AWAKE TO YOU by Taylor McFerrin

When I feel...

I've had a real soft spot for these type of 'emotional footwork' tracks as of late. Here, U.S. producer Cedaa contributes his interpretation of a track entitled "When I Feel" by Clicks & Whistles for a new compilation called The Future Sounds of America.

download via XLR8R

On that same vibe, do lend your ears to this stirring arangement as well by veteran Chi footwork producer DJ Roc...



and if all this talk of this footwork business is leaving you scratching your head, let this well written article by Dave Quam be an introduction of sorts to you...

the pre sneeze

soon come.. stay tuned.......