I blame the union bosses. Don’t let them stuff our economy. Green fanatics and learners. Sorry, you’ve lost me. We’re coming back. IR Laws. Fair go. Blah Blah Blah.

The Antidote?

_friday funk_#8 - Melente - We came to party

Previously:
Friday Funk #7 - Talkin Loud and Sayin nothin - James Brown
Friday Funk #6 - Fight the Power - The Isley Brothers
Friday Funk #5 - Just dropped in to see what condition my.. - Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
Friday Funk #4 - The Watts Breakaway - Johnny Oti
Friday Funk #3 - Staussmania - Salinas
Friday Funk #2 - Your way too - Dragons
Friday Funk #1 - Green Day - Mo’ Horizons (12? remix)

Amon Tobin - Foley Room

In the immortal words of John Cleese, and now for something completely different.
Amon Tobin, a brazillian with Irish parentage (hurrah) released his 7th album on Ninja Tune in October. Foley Room is a departure for Tobin because the album is inspired (and named after) the foley rooms where sound effects were recorded for films.

Found sounds and field recordings are nothing new, but Tobin manages to weave them with a cinematographer’s sensibility. In fact, the album could be accurately categorised as sonic fiction, it features jazz, d’n’b, dub and ambient passages, all out to the backdrop of borrowed beats. (Please excuse that little self indulgence. )

Tobin’s earlier influences have not necessarily faded. Ennio Morricone’s influence can heard on ‘Keep Your Distance’. ‘The Killers Vanilla’ is a dancehall murder scene and ‘Always’ is carnival dub step. It’s surprising that Tobin hasn’t scored much since his debut with Splinter Cell – Chaos Theory. My reaction to the music is to conjure up images the music would be a soundtrack for.

A worthy dream is that life could be exciting enough to have an Amon Tobin soundtrack.

THINK: Burial with David Holmes sense of the cimenatic
READ: Tobin’s myspace and homepage
WATCH: Foley Rooms Trailers 1 & 2
BUY: Foley Room at Amazon

Friday Funk #7 - Talkin Loud and Sayin nothin - James Brown
I just had to include this Number 1 hit, not because it’s one of his best but simply because it’s where I scalped the first half of the borrowed beats intro music.

Previously:
Friday Funk #6 - Fight the Power - The Isley Brothers
Fight the Power is a 1975 protest song, inspiring the Public Enemy protest two decades later.

Friday Funk #5 - Just dropped in to see what condition my.. - Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
Originally recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis in 1967, apparently about an LSD experience. this version was released in 2005 having been recorded for a KFC add but never used.

Friday Funk #4 - The Watts Breakaway - Johnny Oti
The Watts Breakaway is apparently about a dance craze sung by a Greek Cypriot and one time preacher Johnny Otis, inspired by the low rent riot torn ghetto of the Watts Projects.

Friday Funk #3 - Staussmania - Salinas
Danniel Salinas penned this great track for the movie Blaxploitation.

Friday Funk #2 - Your way too - Dragons
Your way too was originally recorded in 1973 and forgotten until it was unearthed by DJ Food, and finally released in September of this year. Brand new retro.

Friday Funk #1 - Green Day - Mo’ Horizons (12” remix)
This Mo’ Horizons track sparked the idea for a Friday Funk Series. It was released just 3 days before I posted it, making the first friday funk feel fully fresh.

Just thought I’d share this tender moment with you - when I checked the traffic stats for this little whimsy of mine this morning, I was greeted by the figure 11111. That’s how many times you nice people have stopped by to check out.

Of course, I didn’t realise that the figure has other sinister meanings.

Thanks folks,
Means a lot to me.
G

Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon

Sometimes I decide that I won’t like an artist or band before I ever hear their music. Sometimes that’s because of their name, the album graphics, or just because everyone seems to be telling me how good they are. I’m not sure how I’m going with that, I haven’t been keeping a chart or anything. I haven’t really questioned it up until now, but sometime last week curiosity got the better of me and I decided to give Devendra Banhart a whirl.

I’m happy to report that I am pleasantly surprised that I was wrong. The face painted hippy with an Oompa Loompa name is actually quite good.

Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon is his eighth album, just so you’ll know. I can’t claim ( so I won’t) that I know what the back catalogue is like, but reviews I’ve read sound promising. But who has time to look back when there is so much to look forward to. Maybe one day I’ll check them out – I reckon ole Dev* is worth it

Smokey is a long album – 16 tracks over 66 minutes. It’s a great album to cook to, because the highlights come about 12 minutes in (‘Seahorse’), and lasts for 13 minutes. (If you cook for more than 25 minutes you need to take a long hard look at yourself.)

The next 8 tracks provide a pleasant backdrop to Lamb Shanks, maybe in a nice CabSav reduction. The last three tracks ramp up again, ending with another album highlight, ‘My Dearest Friend’ – leaving you with a warm and cozy sense of contentment.

*Apologies to any Michael Collins haters out there for the misappropriation of that particular abbreviation

THINK: Layla + Golden Brown = Seahorse
WATCH: ‘Sight to behold’ live in Poland
LOOK: SF MoMA to display Banhart Artwork
READ: A Banhart interview
BUY: SRDTC at Amazon