TV on The Radio - Love Dog

It is no great secret that I love this band. I went to go and see them a few weeks ago at some corporate event down in San Diego and they absolutely blew the roof off the place with one of the most energetic shows I have seen in a long, long time. This cut off Dear Science is another great track to listen to on a mellow day and Gilles Peterson recently kicked off one of his shows with it, which just goes to show what an impact this 'art-rock' band has had on the musical hemisphere in 2008. I personally can't wait to hear more from them but I can do without the wife, who has been into them for time, telling me how right she was when she told me that I'd love the band.

TV on The Radio - Love Dog

Cro-magnon - Beyond The Summer

Japan's Cro-magnon are easily one of my favourite bands out there with a musical style that while being jazzy takes in everything from deep house to cosmic jams and all the while endearing themselves to everyone from Gilles Peterson to Prins Thomas, which is no mean feat. This cut from their Mellow Out & Acoustic CD that they recently released on Jazzy Sport is one of those tracks that expertly locks into a groove and holds it with a few key changes here and there that keep you interested - something for early doors or the messy afters. I was listening to Charles Webster's superb Presence album in the car yesterday and this is something that perfectly compliments it - I'm definitely in a mellow mood today.

Cro-magnon - Beyond The Summer

Best of 2008

Best Single


1. Yaw - Where Would You Be
2. TV on The Radio - Dancing Choose
3. Bullion - Get Familiar
4. Laughing Light of Plenty - The Rose
5. Pepe Bradock - Intriguing Feathered Creature

Best Album


1. TV on The Radio - Dear Science
2. James Pants - Welcome
3. Bon Iver- For Emma, Forever Ago
4. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
5. Flying Lotus - Los Angeles

Man of The Year


1. Shepard Fairey
// Barack Obama owes a huge debt of gratitude to Shepard as his graphic practically mobilized an entire army of people to get out and vote. //
2. Barack Obama
// Fairly obvious choice but he gets it for not wilting under the Republican pressure and hopefully he'll be the change we need. //
3. Graeme Smith
// For scoring tons of runs and getting right under the skins of the English and Australians with his tactics and aggressive lead from the front approach. //

Best Clothing Label


1. Rebel8
// I'm a strictly jeans and t-shirt kind of guy and everything from the graphics to the printing techniques to the quality of the overall product has struck a chord with me this year. Truly can do no wrong in my eyes! //
2. Stones Throw
// Bit of an odd choice but with the Parra and Brent Rollins shirts making their way onto the market there wasn't really much doubt that they'd be in here. //
3. adidas
// Everyone who knows me will attest to my being a slave to the trefoil. I do fear that they're going a bit off the boil but we'll see in 2009. //

Sporting Moment of The Year


1. South Africa beating Australia by 6 wickets chasing 414 to win
2. South Africa winning the Test Series in England
3. Spain winning Euro '08

Loud-E - Robolove

Loud-E is a Dutch DJ whose love and dedication to the disco cause is ten years deep and after rummaging through countless flea markets and warehouses he has unearthed some truly special records that make him easily one of the best jocks on the planet at the moment. I hear him play in Manchester last year on a rainy, windswept afternoon in a bar and he blew the roof off the place - cue early rave hands from all and sundry and an extremely messy night ensued from there forth. This is an edit of one of those gems that he has kindly released on Steve Kotey's Ambassador's Reception label to rapturous response in my front room and I'm assuming dancefloors the world over. This is an absolute bomb!

Loud-E - Robolove

KUMO is one!

I just realized that I have been posting here for a year now, and 370+ posts, 55000+ hits, 34 One Hundred Project entries and a couple of new friends along the way have made this a fairly successful start to my blogging life. This next year my goal is to finish The One Hundred Project and to take the plunge and stick my own edits and productions up here - I've snuck on a couple this year, see if you have spotted them - and hopefully get a bit of merchandise going. Most of all though, I'd just like to have a place where you'd like to come back and read every post. I'm also looking for contributors, so if anyone thinks they'd like to post here on Kumo then email me and we can make this an even better blog together.

The Del-Rays - Night Prowl

Wow! This is one of those records that I stumbled upon in a charity shop somewhere here on the East Coast and it is an absolute burner! Check that bassline, those keys, those horns and that absolutely firing groove that makes this an absolute winner in my book. I think this has something to do with the legendary Booker T of Green Onions fame and to be frank, if you're not dancing to this then you're dead or cloth-eared or both - easily my favourite find this year.

The Del-Rays - Night Prowl

Nathan Detroit - Znoid

This came out on Bear Funk in 2001 and is one of those records that has stuck with me through my travels from Asia to America, and was one of those records that would've been termed 'deep house' when it first came out but now it is firmly in the cosmic camp. I especially love the jangly - technical term that - guitar over the funky and loose percussion work. This is one of those records that could add a bit of a twist to just about every type of set out there. A proper DJs tune and one of those tracks that gets better the longer it goes on - turn it up! It doesn't hurt that Dan is one half of the Idjut Boys either.

Nathan Detroit - Znoid

Paul & Marc - Last Rites One Year Anniversary Mix

Here is a mix that Paul and I did for the Last Rites One Year Anniversary party nearly 20 months ago in February 2007. After having a rummage through his hard drive Paul found this and big Rob over at Northern Comfort, which is an ace blog that you should check out if you haven't already, has been kind enough to host it for us. Whenever I hear these records I get a bit excited and a bit misty-eyed with all the memories of easily the best 18 months of my life playing records in basements and bars across Mancunia. Heady times indeed. You've all heard these records before but don't let that stop you from cranking it up and raising a glass to the spirit of acid house while shuffling about in a slightly embarrassing manner around your front room. While you're at it, why not join the Last Rites Facebook Group or join in the fun on the message board where there are rants, raves and free music - basically it's fucking ace.

I'll post a tracklisting to this later.

Paul & Marc - Last Rites One Year Anniversary Mix

Kev Macca - Space Jammin' 3

East Lancs' finest , Kev Macca, has posted a great mix up on his Podmatic site that takes in just about every quality record that is floating about at the moment taking in everything from spaced out grooves to discoid thumpers to four-to-the-floor lushness all with an added bit of balearic cheek thrown in for good measure. Download the mix immediately, you need this in your life.

Download the mix here.

Blair - Hey Sexy Mama

This is another cut from the Blair album, which some people have unfairly decreed to be a one track album and it is anything but. Virgo Princess is a great piece of shimmering boogie and this track - albeit a bit jazzy -, Hey Sexy Mama, is probably my favourite cut off the album. Check the horns in the breakdown and the great vocal hook interspersed with a great slo-mo groove that pushes this record to being perfect for those small sessions with like-minded people getting down and dirty. Great track.

Blair - Hey Sexy Mama

The Congos - Congoman

I've only ever known the Carl Craig edit of this track that came out on London's Honest Jon's but a few weeks ago having a shuffle through a few record bins I came across The Congos' album, from where this cut is culled, Heart of The Congos and took a punt on it and what a record it is! Filled to the brim with great Lee Perry produced reggae conscious vibes that are all ripe for early doors/early morning sessions, this is one of those albums that will get serious needle time in mi casa and dare say it, the original version of this cut is better than the Carl Craig edit. Still that's not to say that the Carl Craig edit is bad by any stretch.

The Congos - Congoman

Blair - Nightlife

This is a stone-cold rare groove classic and one that goes for serious money when copies surface on places like eBay, Discogs and the like. I found a copy of the album hidden deep in the crates at Amoeba in Los Angeles for a shade under $30, which is an absolute bargain. Barney Perry was a guitarist for legendary group The Blackbyrds and the quality of the musicianship on this cut is absolutely first class. Nightlife has recently been re-released on a bootleg for cheap which you can get from here, and to be honest unless you're willing to pony up serious hard-earned for the original album then I'd go for this economical alternative. True Eyes Down burner.

Blair - Nightlife

KAWS

Right so I'll be the first to admit that the blog has gone to shit a bit recently with my job taking precedence and everything else getting put on the back burner. To be honest I haven't really been all that inspired and that is why I'm also thinking of changing focus and making this more along the way how it was going for a short time earlier this year with the emphasis shifting away being purely about music and more about trying to cover everything from art to music. I'm more comfortable with it being that way in all truth.


So without further ado I'd like to feature an artist who I am slightly obsessed with, KAWS. He's been working on the streets since the mid-90s and has pretty much cornered the market with his designer toys, urban vinyl if you must, some of which he sells through his website Original Fake and you have to be incredibly quick off the mark to buy any of it as it all sells out in a matter of minutes. The best introduction to the man and his philosophy is best said in this video that i-D Magazine did.



I absolutely love his companions and if you want one you'll have to scrape together your Christmas money and be prepared to live off dry bread and water as they cost an absolute fortune.



Here he is working on the streets of New York and Tokyo with commentary by Ron English.



I do enjoy the man's work and you should check his blog for more.

RIP Mama Afrika

RIP Miriam Makeba

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - The Dap Dip

Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings have been favourites of mine for a few years now, they eschew modern recording methods in favour of analogue equipment and with their sound that updates the 70s funk sound with aplomb. This cut taken off their first album is absolute unbridled fun, with great horns, Sharon's killer vocal and is a great dance record to boot. Play this one and watch the dancefloor burn.

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - The Dap Dip

Yes, We Can!

Download the excellent Obama mix by Z-Trip here.

$olal - Luna's Song - Robag Wruhme remix

This errs just the right side of being a record for a student with a lisp and pants that they've been shoehorned into and is all the better for flirting triumphantly with student danger. Robag Wruhme is an alias of Gabor Schablitzki who is also one half of one of my favourite production duos The Wighnomy Brothers, and what he has done with a fairly run of the mill but great alt-country record is the stuff of genius. As with everything produced by him there is a bounce intertwined with a kookiness that makes for a record that I can see myself coming back to in the years to come. This definitely won't be lost in the shuffle. If you're on the lookout for leftfield techno records that are as interesting as they have bite then Gabor is your man. Be sure to check the slice of perfection that is My Gloomy Head - seek and ye shall find!

$olal - Luna's Song - Robag Wruhme remix

Windsurf - 2 Light As Daylight

As the last days of what has seemingly been an endless summer, no complaints, wash over here in California Windsurf's Coastline album has been the ideal soundtrack. There is something very special about the combination of Dan Judd and Sam Grawe who effectively make the most balearic records this side of the, well, Balearics. This track in particular speaks to me as it isn't something I'd necessarily play out unless the sun was going to come at some point while I'm on duty but it is something that after a long night of reaching for the lazers would make absolute sense while holding onto someone you love surrounded by like-minded people. I think it is absolutely superb and I can't recommend their album highly enough - buy it!

Windsurf - 2 Light As Daylight

As an added bonus here is an interview with Sam Grawe on the always excellent Cosmic Disco. (And yes I knicked the image from them)

Tony Cook - On The Floor - Joakim edit

I first heard the original of this on Danny Tenaglia's Choice compilation a few years ago and was instantly drawn to it. It is almost b-boy house or electro funk as it was known back in the day, and is record that is distinctly American record to my ears. I don't know much more about Tony Cook or his other records but Joakim has once again stepped up to the plate (how American is that?) and taken the tune by the horns and twisted and turned it to within an inch of its dancefloor slaying life. Great record and one that will rock just about everywhere from Tokyo to Manchester. Strictly for the heads.

Tony Cook - On The Floor - Joakim edit

Barry White & The Love Unlimited Orchestra - You Gotta Case

This sweet little gem is from the original soundtrack from the 1974 film Together Brothers, which is a film about a group of kids helping find out who killed a popular police officer. The movie isn't particularly great but the soundtrack from the Walrus of Love is absolutely firing! This cut comes sprinting in at just under 90 seconds but in that time the energy of the record absolutely engulfs you. This is one of those b-boy classics where the likes of Jazzy Jay would rock two copies back and forth to get their dancefloors absolutely screaming. I don't say it often but this cut needs an edit, can you imagine the carnage if this went on just a bit longer? An absolute masterpiece from the sorely missed Mr. White.

Barry White & The Love Unlimited Orchestra - You Gotta Case