ORGONE @ Nectar Lounge 4/4/08

If you still don’t know who this group is…I give up. Please refer to my post on all things funk from a few days ago, and proceed to slap the hell out of yourself.

“Sounding much like a cross between The Dap-Kings and Breakestra (with whom they share several members), L.A.’s Orgone keeps the hotness of the recent retro-soul revival coming; lead singer Fanny Franklin fits in very nicely between Sharon Jones and Amy Winehouse. As befits the band’s name, Orgone’s sound is quite organic, rooted in soul, funk, boogaloo, and jazz, with a classic appeal that’s nevertheless contemporary…the entire album is one non-stop groove. If smooth, soulful funk with jazzy arrangements makes you sweat, you just found your new favorite band.” – XLR8R

“Orgone has provided all the elemental power to drive the funk/soul revival to new levels with The Killion Floor…Orgone will invigorate your groove spirit and get booty out of its little box and out on the dancefloor.” – KEXP, 90.3FM (SEATTLE)

GET TICKETS HERE (and tell me how it was, cause I’m going to the mountain this weekend)

Seattle’s Best Hip Hop Group is…

Its the P-H-Y-S-I-C-S…aka The Physics

Get Familiar

Their debut album “Future Talk” was one of my favorite releases last year (any genre, any town) and stays in heavy rotation. Spring/summertime will bring more spins of this record for its cool-out, crack a brew, holler at the ladies, backyard cookout vibe.

MC Thig Natural possesses such a great combination of infectious flow, intricate wordplay and effortless delivery that “rewind that” will become a regular part of your vocabulary. Producer/MC Just D’amato builds some seriously soulful beats that put you in a good mood all by themselves, and holds it down on the mic as well.

This record should be available at local retailers and I highly recommend you go buy yourself a copy. If they don’t have it, tell them to get it. Do it for yourself. Do it for the kids. Do it for the town.

Bringin’ the FUNK to yo salty behind…

Class is in session kids.

Seriously though, if you are not hip to the funky stuff look no further. Funk and Soul are by far my favorite genres of music (outside of hiphop) and I am about to bless you with some must have albums. You may have noticed that funk, soul and all things daptone are back in the mainstream and I am hoping they’re here to stay longer than the last few musical ‘fads’ that came and went.

I would argue funk is one of very few genres that are all-inclusive. You can bring a friend to any (good) funk or soul performance and no matter what their background or musical tastes, they will be gettin’ on the good foot like the Godfather of Soul before you can say “hit me!” Throw on a crackin’ breakbeat or drop the needle onto a classic .45 and just about everybody with functioning eardrums is gonna nod their head… how many styles of music can truly claim this?

Anyway, get some funk in your life. Here’s a list of some current groups and record labels to watch out for:

206 Hip Hop at the High Dive Friday 3/21

Grieves, Type, Rudy and the Rhetoric and Pirate Radio (CA).
Friday, March 21st@High Dive in Fremont.
513 N 36th St. Doors at 9pm, 21+, $8 Cover.

If ya didn’t know, Grieves and Type have been touring the Midwest/West Coast off and on for many moons now and are slowly becoming one of the NW hiphop scene’s main attractions. Not only do they bring a polished chemistry to the stage that will have you singin along in no time, but also a great sense of humor and aura of all around debauchedness. They just released an EP called “My Girlfriend Beats Me” and not only does it bang, it is fucking hilarious. Below is the video for the title track…

(Keep an eye out for cameos from local hip hoppers: Gatsby of Cancer Rising, Kublakai, Phil in the Blank, Barfly of The Saturday Knights, Rik Rude, DJ Swervewon, Neezie Pleaze, and many more!)

Grieves recently signed with Mac Lethal’s newly formed record label and will soon be off on tour once again, so catch em while you can…

Graffiti Rock! – This Saturday March 1st @ the Sunset Tavern in Ballard

Featuring the turntable wizardry of ‘The Elefaders’ and the funky stylings of ‘N/NW’

For those that don’t know…

The Elefaders put on an incredible set. Three djs on three sets of turntables creating live beats, dropping sick breaks and the cleanest of cuts.

N/NW always bring a high energy show and will drop a party rocking set sure to keep the Sunset jumping till the wee hours.

PLUS: DJ 100 Proof bringing the old school flavor on the tables and Big Rob dropping comic gems that fly higher over your head than a 747 at cruising altitude.

Graffiti Rock! – This Saturday March 1st @ the Sunset Tavern in Ballard

Featuring the turntable wizardry of ‘The Elefaders’ and the funky stylings of ‘N/NW’

For those that don’t know…

The Elefaders put on an incredible set. Three djs on three sets of turntables creating live beats, dropping sick breaks and the cleanest of cuts.

N/NW always bring a high energy show and will drop a party rocking set sure to keep the Sunset jumping till the wee hours.

PLUS: DJ 100 Proof bringing the old school flavor on the tables and Big Rob dropping comic gems that fly higher over your head than a 747 at cruising altitude.

My Introduction and (very tardy) Top 25 of 2007

Hi there,

I’m new to this blog thing. I was asked to join this here site and add my two cents regarding the music I like and know the most about: Hip Hop, Funk, Soul, Breaks, ect.

I am sure some of you are not Hip Hop fans, and that is perfectly OK. What I plan on doing is getting those that are fans of the genre (or curious enough to give my recomendations a chance) hip to what I would consider good hip hop. As many of you know, it does not get many spins on the radio or that reality TV channel that, for some reason, still has the word MUSIC in its name. I personally don’t listen to the radio, nor pay much attention to what is hot on the “streets.” I like good music to nod my head to, plain and simple.

So with that here is my hip-hop related top 25 of 2007…don’t be scuuurrred, you just might like some of it.

1. UGK ft. Outkast – International Players Anthem
2. Jay-Z – Roc Boys
3. M.I.A. – Paper Planes
4. DJ Vadim ft Zion – Got to Rock
5. Kanye – Flashing Lights
6. Nas ft. Kanye – Still Dreaming
7. Dj Jazzy Jeff ft. Rhymefest – Jeff n Fess
8. Little Brother – Good Clothes
9. Jay-Z – Party Life
10. Cancer Rising – Erryday Bidness (local)
11. Timbaland ft. Jay-Z & JT – Give it to me remix
12. Galactic ft. Juvenile – From the Corner to the Block
13. The Roots – Here I Come
14. Ghostface – Greedy Bitches
15. Dyme Def – Get down (local)
16. Devin the Dudeft Andre 3000 - Whata job this is
17. Nas – Surviving the Times
18. Galactic ft. Boots Riley – Hustle Up
19. Outkast – Art of Storytelling part 4
20. Talib Kweli ft. Kanye – In the mood
21. Brother Ali – Uncle Sam Goddamn
22. Nas – Can’t Forget About You
23. Pharoahe Monch – What It Is
24. Dj Jazzy Jeff ft. Twone Gabz – Hip Hop
25. Fabolous ft. Jay-Z – Brooklyn