By Jenn Sussman aka DJ Belladonna 

Santigold

1. The Revels “Comanche” – I doubt that too many people were focused on this song during the film Pulp Fiction, given the scene it was chosen for (Gimp, anyone?), but it’s a killer tune. When I hear it, I picture rockabilly rivalries – drag-strip knife fights, girls in denim pedal pushers and kerchiefs with switchblades in their bras, and dance battles a la West Side Story. The Revels’ sound was a precursor to what became the surf-rock genre of the early ‘60s; a rawer, rockabilly-derived sound that was more down and dirty than the classic surf-rock sound, yet still playful – sort of like surfing with a bottle of Jack in your hand. The Revels were never as well known as their surf-rock contemporaries Dick Dale, The Ventures, Duane Eddy or the Bel-Airs, but they’re definitely my favorite. 

2. Elis Regina “Roda” – I first heard this track on the soundtrack of the 2005 film Be Cool starring John Travolta and Uma Thurman, and I was instantly taken by the joyful energy of it. I had no idea what it was about since it’s sung completely in Portuguese, but it didn’t matter; the woman’s voice is a knockout and the arrangement makes you want to dance all night. Elis Regina was one of the most adored and best selling Brazilian artists of all time, on par with Carmen Miranda and Astrud Gilberto, and her collaborations read like a who’s-who of the upper echelon of Brazilian musicians, including such greats as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso. Her work in the heyday of tropicalismo and bossa nova paved the way for generations of musicians to come. As it turns out, “Roda” is about the inequalities between the rich and the poor and how everyone is the same in death, so everyone might as well have fun together while we’re alive. I’ll drink to that.  

3. Blend Crafters “Bad Luck Blues” – Last week’s playlist gave props to the genius of turntablist and rare records collector Cut Chemist, and this week I give some love to his Jurassic 5 partner in crime, DJ Nu-Mark. On their 2004 self-titled debut album, Blend Crafters’ turntable wizards Nu-Mark and Pomo mix sweet soul, jump blues and classic jazz riffs to create innovative hip-hop instrumentals. I mean, how often do you hear an old school blues cat like Blind Lemon Jefferson sampled on a hip-hop track? This is the beauty of turntablism when it’s done right, and both Nu-Mark and J5 partner Cut Chemist consistently do it right whether together or in their solo projects. Give the Blend Crafters album a listen, and while you’re at it go get yourself schooled on Blind Lemon Jefferson, too. You can thank me later.  

4. Menahan Street Band “Make The Road By Walking” – We move from a hip-hop instrumental to a soul instrumental by one of the new guardians of the classic funk/soul sound, Daptone Records’ Menahan Street Band. The emerging new soul scene has deep roots in Brooklyn and tends to be a bit incestuous given its size, and MSB is a perfect example of this – featuring members of Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, El Michels Affair, Antibalas and the Budos Band. Like many other members of the Daptone roster, MSB’s sound harkens back to classic ‘60s soul and afrobeat, but MSB’s arrangements have a certain quirkiness to them that attracts my attention. Jay-Z fans will recognize “Make The Road By Walking” as the main sample from 2007’s “Roc Boys (And The Winner Is…)”. Big ups to DJ Silvertone for spinning this one for me at Hell Gate Social on Saturday night.  

5. Dusty Springfield “Son of a Preacher Man” – Ah, the sweet sounds of the queen of northern soul. Originally part of a British folk music trio which included her brother, while recording an album in Nashville in 1963 Springfield was so impacted by the girl-group and Motown USA sound that she left the group and broke out on her own. Hit after smash hit put Springfield on the map as one of the greatest soul singers of her era, no small feat considering that she was white, female and British. The inevitable evolution of the popular music landscape during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s left Springfield’s career in the dust for over two decades, and Springfield herself battling substance abuse issues. I’m certain that it shocked Dusty as much as anyone that her comeback would arrive almost two decades later in the form of one of the most brilliant pop singles of all time, her 1987 collaboration with the Pet Shop Boys on “What Have I Done To Deserve This”. Her smoky, soulful voice endures the test of time and is best featured on this, her most well-known hit. 

6. Johnny Powers “Long Blond Hair, Rose Red Lips” – Michigan born and raised Johnny Powers is a rockabilly legend, the only artist to have recorded on both the Sun and Motown record labels. Despite this, Powers never achieved the notoriety of Sun Records contemporaries like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash or Jerry Lee Lewis, and these days his music can typically only be found on compilations of rare ‘50s and ‘60s rockabilly. Nothing against Elvis, Johnny or Jerry Lee, but to me Powers has really got the goods; gin-soaked vocals, that rockabilly/jump blues swing, and a distinctive guitar style. Ironically, this song also has a connection to Cut Chemist – CC is a devoted rockabilly and jump blues fan and recently lent his crate digging talents to a double-disc rockabilly rarities compilation called Keb Darge and Cut Chemist Present – Lost And Found: Rockabilly, Jump and Blues. No turntable remixes to be found here, just straight up rare rockabilly classics, including this track.  

7. Koop“Koop Island Blues” – Imagine for a moment that you’re in Berlin in the 1920’s, it’s late, you’re having woman troubles, and you need a cocktail. You’ve just stumbled across a small, dark and smoky jazz club, gotten a table, and ordered a martini when suddenly the dark room gets even darker, the band begins to play, and a spotlight illuminates the silhouette of the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen. She begins to sing… and suddenly, your woman troubles have doubled. This song inspires the imagination to travel back in time. Koop is part of a small but well-known group of Swedish jazz/electronica fusion artists that includes Jazzanova and Kruder + Dorfmeister, and is also part of a larger genre that includes such Hotel Costes compilation regulars as Gotan Project, St. Germain, and Supreme Beings of Leisure. This track is from their 2007 release Koop Islands, which is a must for anyone looking for a chill, retro listening experience.  

8. Beck “Tropicalia” – Inventive, eclectic, mercurial, unpredictable, groundbreaking – these words only begin to describe the music of Beck Hansen. Rarely do you find an artist who has as many influences as can be heard in Beck’s music; everything from pop, psychedelia, Brazilian, blues and folk, to hip-hop, noise rock, jazz and lounge, and beyond. Everyone remembers Beck’s breakthrough ‘90s single “Loser” that put him on the map, but no one could have predicted the body of work he would craft over the next two decades. “Tropicalia” is my favorite Beck song, not only because the music is great, but because the lyrics evoke the works of my favorite author, Gabriel Garcia Marquez; images of slowly decaying tropical aristocracy, the inevitable march of time, and the frequent futility of love.  

9. The Specials “Ghost Town” – The British ska revivalist craze of the late 1970’s was led by The Specials, who took the attitude of punk and combined it with ska/rocksteady beats and an informed political stance, and created a musical movement that outlasted punk. The ska revivalist scene drew heavily on the fashion influence of Britain’s 1960’s mod scene and involved itself in social and political causes such as racial equality and workers rights. Specials songwriter Jerry Dammers also founded the famed 2-Tone record label, which was home to like-minded acts Madness, The English Beat and The Selecter. Unfortunately, as happens all too frequently with the dawn of a new era, the early 1980’s brought the ska revivalist party to a close and signaled the end of The Specials. “Ghost Town”, released in 1981 and perhaps their best-known song, was also the last single released by the original lineup.  

10. Santigold “Shove It” – Philadelphia native Santi White, aka Santigold (formerly Santogold), has a very eclectic musical background. She’s known as an indie/dance/electronica artist, but she’s also been a major label A&R rep, a singer for a punk rock band, and a record producer, as well as having either toured with, collaborated with, or written songs for Bad Brains, N.E.R.D., Jay-Z, Res, M.I.A., Bjork, RZA, Ashlee Simpson and Kenna, just to name a few. Her self-titled 2008 debut LP is a conglomeration of jittery synths, reggae-influenced pop, and a take-no-prisoners attitude, and she has cited everyone from the Pixies, Blondie, Grace Jones, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Devo to Fela Kuti, James Brown and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs as influences. Personally, I’ve always had very broad and alternative interests across genres and eras of music, but as the musical appetite of the larger mainstream audience has become more and more diverse, it’s no surprise to hear that diversity reflected through artists like Santigold.