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The Soul of John Black: I Got a Good Thang

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I seem to have idiosyncratic taste in music as it is difficult for most people to recommend music to me. But Rick Saunders (of Deep Blues notoriety) is apparently just as weird as I am because when he tells me, “You’re going to love this”, I can be confident that he’s right. Recently, Rick turned me on to the Soul of John Black, and when I say “turned me on”, I mean it in a couple of different ways.

The first album from the Soul of John Black – which is the project of John Bigham who played guitar in Fishbone for eight years and has worked with the likes of Miles Davis and Dr. Dre – The Good Girl Blues is a sultry, sexy collection of music calling to mind a sweaty night in a low-lit juke joint… and what happens after. Rick’s review of the album is pretty spot-on to what I would write about it, except I would have added the phrase “panty-moistening” in there somewhere.

Check out the four-alarm-fire of a track, “I Got Work” (which would have fit right in to my slow jams post), from The Good Girl Blues:

 

The new album from the Soul of John Black, Good Thang, has more of the same with some sunshiney soul added in. If The Good Girl Blues was about seducing that special someone, songs like “Good Thang” and “Li’l Mama’s in the Kitchen” are the happily every after of the story. Though it’s the jump beat of kiss-off song “Oh That Feeling” that sticks in my head the most.

 

 

If you’re way out west, you can check out the Soul of John Black live.

Aug 19 – Quixote’s True Blue – Denver, CO
Aug 20 – River Run at Keystone – Keystone, CO
Aug 21 – River Run at Keystone – Keystone, CO
Oct 08 – Joshua Tree Roots Music Festival – Joshua Tree, CA

Everyone else can settle for finding his albums on MOG, Spotify, Bandcamp, Amazon and the other usual suspects.

The Soul of John Black Official Website

The Soul of John Black @ Bandcamp

The Soul of John Black @ Facebook

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July Video Challenge: Tracy Chapman, Fast Car and Telling Stories

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I went looking for the video for Tracy Chapman‘s Fast Car on YouTube, and to my deep dismay, the original, official one was not there, and nor was it at any of her official sites. A brief rattling of the Intertubes turned it up at an alternate location, but still, it was much like going to the bookshelf and finding a familiar, well-loved volume has vanished, leaving an empty space behind.

So here it is:

And, as a bonus, here she is in 2009, with Telling Stories:

Finally, on a related note, MTV turns 30 tomorrow, and there’s an interesting interview on the subject with original VJ Mark Goodman at Gothamist.

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July Video Challenge: Björk, Crystalline

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The latest dispatch from Iceland, directed by Michael Gondry:

http://youtu.be/wZhkfwrxNOc

The song is from her upcoming record Biophilia, scheduled to come out in late September. Also, you guys, it looks like this record will be EPIC, or at least the swag that goes with it will be. For example the Ultimate Edition Special Box Set will include, among other things, specially silk-screened tuning forks, each adjusted to one track on the album.

On the other hand, if you, like me, enjoy Björk but don’t have a need for astonishingly expensive tuning forks, it will also be available in standard formats. And, flagrant ridiculousness aside (tuning forks!!), I’m excited by the prospect a new record from Björk. I have a feeling it is going to be in frequent rotation as post-class chill-out music.

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July Video Challenge: Gerardo Mejia, Rico Suave / No Me Podran Vencer (Dj Napoles Tropical Mix)

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And now as a palate cleanser from the heavy business this morning, I present: Gerardo Mejia, Then and Now.

Then, he went only by Gerardo, and his hit was Rico Suave:

 

http://youtu.be/xeX9zoWSut8

 

True confession: I bought Mo’ Ritmo. I did so partially because I liked the music, partially because I have a terrible weakness for skinny boys with long hair, and partially because I was taking Spanish in school at the time and listening to it was a way to practice my translation skills.

Now, he uses his whole name and is an A&R exec with Interscope (he was responsible for bringing Enrique Iglesias to the attention of the label) but is apparently still making music, such as this one, entitled No Me Podran Vencer (Dj Napoles Tropical Mix), which features  Randell Salguero and was directed by the Shahkamrani Bros:

 

GERARDO MEJIA "NO ME PODRAN VENCER" TROPICAL MIX HD

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July Video Challenge: Pearl Jam, Jeremy

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I picked this one partially because earlier this week I woke up with the song lodged in my head, and partially because, having done some research (i.e. consulted Wikipedia) I learned that, post-Columbine, MTV stopped playing it. Also interesting: the video below is the official video, but it isn’t the original one.

The first video for the song was made by photographer Chris Cuffaro, largely at his own expense, and was summarily rejected by Pearl Jam‘s label, who were none too keen on releasing the song as a single.

Later, however, the label came around, and a new video was made, directed by Mark Pellington. The result is – strange. The inherent darkness of the topic of the song – a boy killing himself at school, loosely based on two true stories – is only amplified by the violent imagery, and also, Eddie Vedder at his most demonic. And, too, I had forgotten Vedder wrote the song from the POV of a bully. It won four VMAs, including Video of the Year, in 1993.

 

http://youtu.be/MS91knuzoOA

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July Video Challenge: Patrick Stump, Spotlight (Oh Nostalgia)

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This video, directed by Joe Wein, is packed full of delights. Among them are Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy), singing a song that is part of his new solo efforts; a girl with the most adorable skateboarding helmet ever; and also a dude doing backflips with a pogo stick.

 

Patrick Stump - "Spotlight (Oh Nostalgia)"

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A Selection from Helene Smith

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One of the driving reasons to start a blog is because you feel like no one else is saying what you want to say, so you have to do it your own damn self. But sometimes if you’re very tired and whine in just the right way, other people will practically write your blog posts for you. To whit, last night when I asked friends for suggestions of something to post about today. Our fine friend Andy Jody (drummer from Pearlene, James Leg, Oxford Cotton, Barrence Whitfield and the Savages, etc.) suggested simply “SOUL!” Soul is always a good way to bring in the weekend. And our new friend C.R. Humphrey (the talented man behind Old Gray Mule) followed up with the specific suggestion of Helene Smith.

 

 

 

 

There isn’t a wealth of information about Helene Smith on the internet, but Sir Shambling’s Deep Soul Heaven has a little for you.

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Hayes Carll Giveaway: Winner!

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The deadline has come and gone, and the winner of our Hayes Carll giveaway is:

Jason Brooks

Jason, I will be contacting you soon to find out where you want your KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories) vinyl sent for your ogling, cuddling and playing pleasure. Thanks to all who entered.

By the way, Jason’s choice for “favorite odd couple” pairing was David Frizzell and Shelly West doing “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma”.

 

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July Video Challenge: The Chances, No Escape

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Here is a video that actually was filmed on the beach (and the pier) in Santa Monica: No Escape, from The Chances. The video is by Eddie O’Keefe, the band is Julia Barna, Michael Runion and Sara Sinclair, and the tune has the pure sweetness of a summer crush.

Other notes: I’m especially fond of this one because Santa Monica is one of my favorite places; I enjoy the line about the city bus; and I’m now left with an abiding desire to go down the Shore to the boards and eat some ice cream while listening to the waves crash on the beach.

The CHANCES – No Escape from Eddie O'KEEFE on Vimeo.

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Guadalupe Plata: Como una Serpiente

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Take a little art punk, a little rockabilly, a heapin’ helpin’ of ’70s garage rock and a whole lotta blues. Shake. Dust liberally with cocksure swagger.

Now translate it into Spanish.

This is the music of Guadalupe Plata, and if you’ve been following this blog for very long, you know this is the kind of loud, ballsy, dirty-in-all-kinds-of-ways music I love (Indeed, sometimes their sound so closely resembles that of the Soledad Brothers that I’ve been unsure of which band I was listening to when Guadalupe Plata have come up in shuffle mode). The lead single, “Pollo Podrío”, gives a punch of rockabilly, but the album grooves in a few different directions, and even goes a bit Maggot Brain-y at the end.

 

 

Perico de Dios (guitar and vocals), Carlos Jimena (drums) and Paco Luis Martos (washtub bass) hail from Ubeda, Spain, and this is their second album (this and their first, a six-song EP, are both self-titled… because that’s not going to get confusing at all). They’re offering it up on Bandcamp in a name-your-price deal, and throughout the summer, all proceeds will go to help fund the Muddy Roots Music Festival Official Film Project. Now that is a good deal.

Guadalupe Plata @ Bandcamp

Guadalupe Plata @ Facebook