Listen: Karima Walker – “Reconstellated” [2020]

Posted on December 5, 2020 by Very Warm

Shout out to my friend for putting me onto this upcoming Karima Walker record, Waking The Dreaming Body, out 2/26 via Orindal. The first single, “Reconstellated”, is a gentle, firefly-lit night meditation, gently pulsating with tape-loop synth, reversed guitar lines and stirring acoustic guitar. I can imagine shooting stars arcing across an open night sky and feeling at one with the Earth and its surrounding existential majesty on this song. Is that too much? Either way, if you like Grouper, Florist, Cross Record, Gia Margaret, or just feeling good, you owe it to yourself to get hyped for Waking The Dreaming Body.

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Listen: Paloma San Basilio – “Contigo” [1977]

Posted on December 2, 2020 by Very Warm

So I got a chance to check out Khrunagbin’s upcoming Late Night Tales mix a bit early and if you like any of the old groove stuff I post on here, you’re gonna want to check it out. For one, I hadn’t heard of a single track on there. Only artist I’m familiar with is Alice Coltrane. And with every track, I would get butterflies in my stomach because wow – these are some stellar grooves from all over the world. I have a huge soft spot for Brazilian music, so I wanted to share this song “Contigo” first. It’s just marvelous. There’s also a song from Russia (I’m assuming) that sounds like it’s from Brazil. WILD. Again, peep the Khruangbin Late Night Tales mix when you can. It’ll be worth it for new tunes you can weasel into your DJ sets.

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Recommended Albums: November 2020

Posted on December 2, 2020 by Very Warm

November 2020 yielded some really lovely albums that helped soothe the anxieties that have been accumulating throughout this year. Ana Roxanne, Domenique Dumont, Faten Kanaan, Jesse Kivel, WL all kept me polished and smooth, porous and formless. Luis Pestana fed into my doomsday daydreams, Mamalarky and Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin warped my reality like a funhouse mirror, and Badge Époque Ensemble and Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas got me on a groove. Does anyone ever read these little blurbs? Either way, there were some great records out this month that will definitely be making my Top 50 of 2020, which is coming soon!

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Listen: Grouper – “Thanksgiving Song” [2018]

Posted on November 26, 2020 by Very Warm

Pretty self-explanatory. Happy Thanksgiving. Think about Native Americans today and what we can do to help them.

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Listen: Faten Kanaan – “The North Wind” [2020]

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Very Warm

Got a late night tale for ya. Been really enjoying the new Faten Kanaan album, out now via Fire Records. Expect glacial, cinematic soundscapes that both tap the past for dirge-like melodies, but also peer into the future with technology used and mechanical sounds present. If you want a recent comparison, the new Anna Von Hausswolf isn’t too far off, but it’s not just all pipe organ, it’s all sorts of tones and textures I can’t even place them all.

I hadn’t really thought about her music since I saw her open for Weyes Blood in a church back in 2016. Noticed this new album and decided to give it a try – very happy I did. Easily one of my favorite releases of the month.

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Listen: Hozan Yamamoto With Sharps & Flats – “よさこい節” [1971]

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Very Warm

You thought I was done with the grooves? I am always on the hunt for the perfect groove, so don’t ever doubt me again. This time I’m coming at you with the 1971 album Beautiful Bamboo Flute by Hozan Yamamoto with Sharps & Flats, an album that pretty much sounds as it’s called: beautiful bamboo flute playing with a serious jazzfunk band stacked behind. On my first listen I was immediately getting Arthur Verocai band vibes, with heavy, fat bass & drums, nimble guitar and booming horns. Only instead of great vocals in Portuguese, you’re getting an ethereal, pure flute sound cutting through with grace. A more modern example might be Badge Époque Ensemble, where their flute playing takes some center stage. Either way, it’s totally wild and 100% worth your time.

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Listen: Katy Kirby – “Traffic!” [2020]

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Very Warm

Saw this getting shared around with high velocity on my timeline yesterday and after one listen, I realize why. Katy Kirby is a musician based in Nashville with a debut album on the way, Cool Dry Place via blog-fav label Keeled Scales. Her first single, “Traffic!”, showcases some real acrobatic vocal chops, executing flips, dips, spins and twirls through flaming hoops of steady indie rock instrumentation that change direction on the dime-like-cues that Kirby sets with her vocal melody. Throw in a little tasteful vocoder-like touch to the vocals and boom – you’ve got the tune, something that has officially kickstarted my enthusiasm for upcoming 2021 releases.

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Listen: Home Boy & the C.O.L. – “Money’s Funny, Change Is Strange” [1982]

Posted on November 19, 2020 by Very Warm

Oh hell yes. Now if you really want something funky, look no further than Home Boy & the C.O.L.’s self-titled 1982 record. With song titles like “Home Boys Revenge” and “Funk Yourself To Death”, you should know what you’re in for. “Money’s Funny, Change Is Strange” was the crown jewel of the album to me, featuring a wicked synth bass line, amazing (and more relevant than ever – “how can you get over if you got no game?”) lyrics, sax solos, vocoder, emphatic triangle hits, and killer rhythm guitar. The whole record is great and you should absolutely listen to it, but dig into the funk immediately with this cut first.

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Listen: Yuki Nakayamate – “Secrets (9 to 4)” [1982]

Posted on November 19, 2020 by Very Warm

Continuing my trawl through a trove of rare groove nuggets I recently pulled in. I’m obviously always drawn to Japanese records from the late 70s and 80s, and Yuki Nakayamate’s Octopussy definitely does not disappoint. Luxurious, high-class pop with world-class instrumentation and some flair for the creative. I know some people prefer “Silhouette Call” on the album, but “Secrets (9 to 4)” really blew me away. The dreamy horns and synth mixed with a kind of highlife beat were too much already, but the parts where a typewriter acts as an additional instrumental accent? Come on now – how is this track not more popular with city pop types?

If you’re able, seek this track + album out – you will not be disappointed.

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Listen: Harry Case – “Jam (At Your Party)” [1989]

Posted on November 18, 2020 by Very Warm

Recently came across a big trove of groovy records that I’ll hopefully be sharing on the blog. Just snagged a vinyl rip of this Harry Case album In A Mood, which I don’t recommend you look up on Discogs unless you’ve got a fat wallet. Instead, delight in the labor that some owner did and enjoy this hidden gem of jazz-funk with tightly-programmed electronic drum machine and lightning keys and guitar. I guarantee this is a party-ignition cut. I also recommend searching out “Ride Em Off” with luscious synthetic strings & guitar, awesome hand percussion and peak late-80s funk stabs.

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