All work and mo’ play will get you more than what you bargained for.
On Sunday, September 4th, UHall will proudly be the homestead of the Fort Knox Five crew and all things audible.
Nappy Riddem, made up of Rex Riddem and Mustafa Akbar, weave dub, reggae and ’70s soul into their new outing, One World Sovereignty, a worldly mix of sounds derived from the liberation music you might be used to hearing, and there’s no better way to ease into Labor Day than at their album release party.
Nappy Riddem | Rastar (Ursula 1000 Remix)
The duo joins Asheruand Blue Black (Unspoken Heard) and the FK5 DJ Set in a show that adds new dimensions to DC’s thriving (and nurturing) music scene. The Unspoken Heard reunites to mark the 10 year anniversary of their Soon Come LP.
Also, making their first ever appearance here in DC is Vibesquad. The Colorado-bred music producer adds to this Sunday’s party that elevates the soul, heartbeat and hips into a crunk state of being.
Chuck Brown came on stage like an exiled leader coming home and being reinstated. He was ushered by the group lead by Rob Garza and Eric Hilton—known to all of us as the Thievery Corporation. Brown received an emotional tribute by fans packed on the floor of Kastles Stadium last Saturday night. He’s known as the “Godfather of Go-Go,” a style of funk music cultivated here in DC.
This was mid-show, and by this time we were slain by Thievery’s exotic sounds, as well as those of openers The Funk Ark and The Arkives, and DJ sets from Volta Bureau.
Thievery’s new album The Culture of Fear is just another calling card that teases you to experience what really goes down when they perform live. The studio sessions compared with live performances are like day and night. Garza and Hilton stood on stage like imperial guards as Natalia Clavier, the first vocalist, came on center stage to add her angelic voice to “Lebanese Blonde.”
She got the crowds fists pumping in unison with the call, “How you feelin’ DC?” And our comeback: a lovefest of cheers.
Alright, alright. I’ve said my piece about how money I think Thievery Corporation is. They are—after all—headlining the show tomorrow at Kastles Stadium. But they’ve got good company, bringing music from all parts of the over- and underdeveloped worlds.
Eric Hilton, Thievery’s co-founder, is showcasing his side project, reggae/dub band The Arkives. House maestros The Volta Bureau will be there to strut their funky selves, too. But—being a true blue Fela fan—I must admit The Funk Ark has my mouth watering.
Led by keyboardist and producer Will Rast, The Funk Ark mixes African highlife, Latin claves, and American funk into an ensemble that could—at the very least—make the rhythmless homosapien toe-tap. Last month before they set out West to Colorado and Texas, Will and I talked about his passion for afrobeat music and how The Funk Ark came to be.
Fans of Thievery Corporation will be delighted to hear their new stuff. It brings back the days of the American downtempo movement—of which they are largely a part. Fear, their new album, is equal parts good for the mind, body, and soul.
From the District, Rob Garza and Eric Hilton have brought and, in some cases, institutionalized, world sounds locally. (The Arkives, Hilton’s brainchild, have a niche crowd at Patty Patty Boom Boom.) Thievery has taken Indian classical, some acid jazz, lounge, and little motifs of bossa nova, creating harmonies signature to their oeuvre. Since their debut, Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi, they continue to merge beats and acquire rhythms not unlike the practices of the band’s namesake.
Last Tuesday night at 9:30 Club was like a trip back in time to an alternate reality. Wanda Jackson and Imelda May brought the spotlight back to the ’50s—at least for the evening. They took us on a cross-generational ride, DeLorean style, to the roots of rock and roll music: rockabilly. And it was a damn good time.
Imelda May, who opened up for Ms. Jackson, is a Dublin-born throwback to the heyday of rockabilly. She had an edge more intimidating than a six-blade knife. With her four-piece band, May commanded the stage with feline intensity. She switched guitar for tambourines, tambourines for bodhrán and back to guitar. Her jazzy vocals set the crowd on fire and the band, well, they played hard like dirty kids in a sandbox.
It was hard to tell if any of them were breaking a sweat on stage. Al Gare, the upright bassist, looked as if he was tangoing with it. He plucked the instrument with a joyful fury and then slapped over and over to delight of the 9:30 crowd. The drummer, Steve Rushton, almost brought me to my knees. He tore through his kit like a caged animal. His solo was so good, it sounded as if he created chords through a stream of bass, snare, and hi-hat rhythms. And, yes, there was a guy playing salt-shakers—Dave Priseman—who would trade them in for hard-bopping flugel sets.
Ms. May had us hoopin’ and hollerin’ for the last few songs, and it just got even wilder in there. She got us geared up between songs when did her shout-out to “Wanda Jackson!” By that time—with Gare’s buzz haircut, Priseman’s shrugged salt-shaking gestures and Imelda May’s curlicue hairdo—we could’ve been extras in a Dick Tracy reboot.
When Wanda Jackson came onto center stage, the allure of the raucous band diminished. But not in a bad way: the Queen had entered the building!
Wanda Jackson, The First Lady of Rock and Roll, set the record straight. Last Friday, it was my honor to chat with Ms. Jackson. She was sweet as tea and gave me a little lesson on the history of Rock and Roll. We also talked about how she got started, her Oklahoman contemporaries, Jack White, and how the young folks love her so.
With a career revival in tow, a new album and tour—she’ll be in DC tomorrow at 9:30 Club, and of course we have a pair of tickets for you to win—The First Lady is set to bring you back home, to your roots. Because, the “party ain’t over.”
Did you know she sings in German, too?
Details for the ticket giveaway after the interview.
So you are known as the Queen of Rockabilly or the First Lady of Rockabilly—
[Corrects me] First Lady of Rock and Roll.
Oh, Rock and Roll. Thank you for clearing that up. So you do mind that moniker?
Oh no, I don’t mind at all. I just wish everybody would stop using the word “rockabilly.” You know, [rockabilly] just refers to the first rockers. So, I just prefer to be called, if anything, First Lady of Rock and Roll.
Amy Winehouse was the embattled darling of neo-soul/pop. She was found dead in her North London home on July 23 after a suspected overdose. Upon the her cross-Atlantic success in the United States with her first (and self-prophesying) hit “Rehab,” Winehouse has, sadly, joined a cadre of musicians who’ve – mysteriously – died at 27.
Our memories of her are by no means a silhouette. The year 2006 feels like yesterday when the tatted, raven-haired soul singer appeared in a dingy, brick-walled room with her institutionalized band mates. “Rehab,” produced by Mark Ronson, is a lovelorn, horn-driven piece that hit hard with music lovers internationally.
Her international rise with the album “Back to Black” made way for British soul artists like Adele and Duffy. Her lyrics were unrepentant and her personal reputation followed suit with stories upon stories of mental health and drug abuse.
I wouldn’t be worried one bit if The Glitch Mob played on the last days of Earth. I mean that in the least dramatic sense because the trio – Ed Ma, Justin Boreta, and Joshua Mayer – could very well numb the pain with their bass-heavy, muscular symphonies.
Plus, they’d be the first to tell you, they “can make the world stop.”
With an affirmation like that, I’ll reinforce that Wednesday night at the 9:30 Club, The Glitch Mob brought the mid-Atlantic to a cusp. DC endured one of the hottest evenings of the year. But inside it was like sanctuary. We partied like sweaty dancers in a Mississippi juke joint.
They came on strong with a mix of some old and new tracks. After their intro, which was like foreplay, they brought us to new grounds with “Warrior Concerto” from their new EP. True to its name, the “concerto” was a clash of synths, electo-guitars and percussion. It was an early climax but they had more for us to keep up with.
Not since the rapture has there been such contempt and dread for the eminent phenomenon happening this weekend in Los Angeles.
Carmageddon, the name as christened by Angelenos, is the planned shutdown of the 405 Freeway on July 16 through 18. Ten miles of the freeway’s stretch will be closed off due to the removal of an overpass bridge. Los Angeles is the automobile hub of the West. The last worry Angelenos need is having the road they both love and hate embargoed by the city. It may be just a weekend but no 405 will affect many business including LAX as well as bars in Santa Monica.
There’s a solution (or, at least an analgesic) for your traveling woes this weekend. Here are 10 songs that come from a funky, laid-back and anarchic playlist we here at The Vinyl District hope will raise your spirits some.
Joy Division – Isolation
With Ian Curtis’ sad, drifting bass-baritone voice it’s easy to be taken off the beaten path. “Isolation” swerves between upbeat instrumentals (synths and hi-hats) and somber lyrics. Still, Curtis paved a golden road for a new sounds in post-punk and alt-rock. Listen, but stay the course.
MiM0SA – Drippin
Since most people will avoid LAX this weekend. The Burbank, Long Beach and Ontario Airports will be there to save the needy jetsetter. From MiM0SA’s latest album, “Drippin” is Southern California travel music. It’s a bit of a jaunt to these dispersed airports, so don’t play it once. You can loop it so it sounds like one continuous jam.
Globetrotter and journeyman deejay DJ Nu-Mark took a moment to give us the lowdown here at The Vinyl District. Coming directly from Asia for a rare appearance, Nu-Mark will be part of The Big Boom 2011 at U Street Music Hall, Sunday, July 3rd. He’ll be joining Fort Knox Five, Asheru & Mustafa Akbar, See-I, and Rex Riddem to celebrate our independence.
In an interviewlast month, Archie “Zeebo” Steele from See-I told me that reggae has evolved. He ascertained that “reggae [sound has become] a part of the world…in general.”
See-I’s self-titled debut album is a constituent of the genre that’s just as widely embraced as rock and hip-hop. With street-wise guitar licks and horns that fire like gatlings, See-I has found a niche in late night party music. Reggae is not just about the underclass anymore; it can be life of the party. In this album, the band makes a formidable entry in the thriving Caribbean-funk music scene here in DC.
The album doesn’t lie. There are lots of musical influences in See-I. Pay attention to the band’s genre-bending effects.
The album starts off with a hip-gyrating prelude called “Dangerous.”See-I then shifts gears to dub with “Haterz 24/7” and “Dub Revolution.” Zeebo and brother Arthur “Rootz” Steele experiment with their church-choir harmonies and Jamaican “toasting” with “Soul Hit Man” and “Talkin’ About the Peace.” And then “Homegrown 2011” proves itself to be a full-throttle block party anthem.
Zeebo and Rootz are bandleaders par excellence. Growing up, their music teacher mentored Dizzy Gillespie. They have a gift for shifting the mood, taking you back to the olden days of progressive reggae. Joining them on this album are local powerhouses Imaniel Steele and Candice Mills. Steele lends his vocals to “How Do We,” a quiet storm groove that segues into a sexy instrumental jam called “The Inside Move.” Mills whispers sweet nothings in “Reign in 2 Light,” a smoky, trip hop-laced session that appropriately rings down the curtain. See-I’s band, featuring members of Thievery Corporation, Fort Knox Five and Thunderball, elevates the album’s sound with with curvy sax chords and underhand bass riffs.
The brothers have a tremendous amount of talent. Their range fluctuates between R&B, funk and reggae like a guitarist’s finger stroking a bottleneck. The Steeles work auspiciously. Under the musical leadership at Eighteenth Street Lounge—where they perform every Wednesday night—they can’t be misguided. They’re very particular about sound; Zeebo and Rootz prefer to bring the entire band to the studio to record.
See-I | Talkin’ About the Peace
See-I, defined, is a reggae jam band. The album, released by Fort Knox Recordings, is available today, June 28. It’s undoubtedly fun. See-I is a perfect “icebreaker” album for the season. Add it to your summer mix. Take it with you on a road trip. Entertain your houseguests with it. This is the band that I’d book for the ultimate summer pool party.
The 1968 riots were a near fatal blow to the District’s inner city. Residents lost their jobs, property insurance rates soared, and real estate developers fled. These were all the circumstances that could’ve been documented in, say, a Marvin Gaye album. There’s no doubt that the Adams Morgan-based band Father’s Children got Gaye’s spiritual guidance for Who’s Gonna Save the World.
King was killed, and there was anger, fear, and uncertainty among Americans. The morale of Chocolate City was melting. And Who’s Gonna Save the World is one righteous album that speaks of DC’s woes, soulfully.
Father’s Children had become a class act by the late 1970s after they released a self-titled “debut” album on Mercury in 1979. But the sextet had already been around to tell it like it was, in the studio.
Courtesy of the prestigious Chicago archival record label Numero Group, an afterlife for World now exists in record stores as of today. From Father’s Children’s “first” debut album from 1973 comes a tradition of new wave soul-to-funk bands that emerged in the early ’70s. While Earth, Wind and Fire and Stevie Wonder were in Los Angeles ushering soul music into funk motifs, Ted “Hakim,” Billy “Qaadir,” Nick “Nizam,” Michael “Malik,” Steve “Wali,” and Zack “Sadik” found their own voices of consciousness on the East Coast.
Co-DC Record Fair sponsor, founder of DC Soul Recordings, and friend of TVD Kevin Coombe gave us a little insider insight on this rare resurrected ’70s soul release. In 2006, Coombe was going through legendary local producer Robert Hosea “Jose” Williams’ (DB Sound) old “tapes” (master reels), shelves and shelves of which had been stored in his garage:
“Some covers referred to sessions I knew about. Some covers mentioned groups I’d never heard of. And some tape covers made me stop cold and wonder… One such tape referenced Father’s Children. The tracks it listed barely rang a bell with me. ‘Barely’ in that I did know of a DC-area group called Father’s Children that had released a 45 on DC’s Arrest Records label during the mid ’70s, and one of the tracks listed on the tape was the same as that on the 45.
The other songs, however, were a complete mystery to me. They also didn’t match the tracks recorded by a Mercury Records recording label group who also went by ‘Father’s Children.’ That group had released an LP during 1979/80. Plus, this tape was from long before that… So I marked the tape and filed it away again, but this time I made a mental note that it was important and, if given the chance, it should get out.
Yo, Les Paul’s got game! His Google tribute doodle gets a second day of play. Bloggers and music enthusiasts are scuttling to transcribe their favorite rock chords. And a new generation, feeding off the high fructose corn syrupy allure of Justin Bieber, is getting a real lesson in jazz history.
This revival of Les’s influence will inevitably reveal another giant who preceded him: Django Reinhardt. Reinhardt was a pioneer of a guitar sound known as Gypsy swing. It’s derived from the esoteric sounds of his ancestors but mixed with propulsive, groovy rhythms. The master guitarist has been commemorated by the likes of Woody Allen to Al DiMeola to Les Paul. He had great reverence for Django.
Paul used the swing guitar articulations as blueprint for his own daffy style. In the way a comedian weaves everyday observations into a standup act, Paul stumbled upon a fluffy little niche somewhere between jazz and country-western music. He made it a brand. Les Paul was lickety-split when he played. He left his fingerprints across a variety of acts, such as Rhubarb Red on radio and Georgia White in the barrelhouses. An innovator in multi-track recording, Paul made over six dozen singles and a stash of albums.
It is no small wonder Les Paul would get the web developer treatment with the Google team, he had a flair for the techy side of guitar. He developed new designs to allow his unique fingering to flow like whiskey.
Now that the world is on Day Two of Google’s tribute guitar doodle, how-to videos and writeups have amassed. Imagine the human hours amassed, too.
Now I’m about to clock mine. While most of you are on chords like “Stairway to Heaven,” I struggle through “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
NOTE: Les Paul would have been 96 years old on June 9th. That electric guitar of his lives on.
Fort Knox Recordings and The Vinyl District are proud to present Memorial Weekend Blowout at U Street Music Hall this Sunday night, May 29th. Get your summer started off right, and blow out that three day weekend with the best DC funk, soul, reggae, and dub beats.
On the thirtieth anniversary of Bob Marley’s death, I got a little history lesson from the “book of See-I.” See-I is the name of a DC-bred “party band,” including five members of Thievery Corporation, that got its inspiration from the likes of reggae, delta blues, Southern California funk, dub, and so on and so forth. Before his regular show at the 18th Street Lounge, lead vocalist Archie “Zeebo” Steele shed a little light on himself, his brother Arthur (“Rootz”) and their origins. See-I release their self-titled debut album via Fort Knox Recordingson June 28th, and they headline the UHall Memorial Weekend Blowout this Sunday night.
As a musician influenced by reggae, how has Bob Marley’s influence affected you as a singer?
I would definitely say he is one of our teachers. And a big influence on the way See-I look at music. “Rootz,” my brother, was the one that actually got into Bob Marley, first. In school is [when I discovered him]. I remember when I first recognized Bob Marley. I heard the song “I Shot The Sheriff.” I thought it was [originally] an Eric Clapton song. I was like, whoa!
You know, Bob Marley, to me, made learning interesting. I became inquisitive, asking questions I’d never asked before. He made me think about [circumstances] that I looked at in one way, stuff from different angles. Once I got his music, it was like living in an illusion until you start to actually see through the layers and get to [society’s] nucleus.
Fort Knox Recordings and The Vinyl District are proud to present Memorial Weekend Blowout at U Street Music Hall this Sunday night, May 29th. Get your summer started off right, and blow out that three day weekend with the best DC funk, soul, reggae, and dub beats.
Continuing our spotlight on the Memorial Day Blowout artists, Chip Watkins aka DJ Who, is what a journeyman deejay’s deejay is all about. A pop musicologist, as well, the DJ gave me the scoop on the Baltimore scene and yonder.
You’re pretty much a resident at the Mosaic.
Yeah, I’m still DJ there on Saturdays.
How did you and [the lounge] Mosaic come to be?
It was a project that we built several years ago. And it’s gone through multiple lifetimes. I’ve always been involved. It was pet project of mine.
Tell me about the world of DJ Who, Mosaic and beyond.
Well, at Mosaic we got about 900 people screaming and yelling every week. My people focus on all the social networking [to reach out]. I’m playing at the Starscape festival this year. I [played] with Afrojack at the Bourbon Street live, another venue [in Baltimore]. And Thievery [Corporation], I’ve worked with them from the very beginnings of all of the above, at a bajillion different venues and dance parties. We’re grown up together, a lot of us.
