Violens

By Jenn Sussman aka DJ Belladonna

1. Miike Snow “Cult Logic” – I’ve been exploring dance and DJ music a lot more this year, and there are some interesting treasures to be found. Sweden’s indie-pop newcomers Miike Snow (band, not person) released their eponymous debut album in 2009, and its chock full of bright, shimmery dance pop gems like my personal favorite, “Cult Logic”. I’ve also unearthed several notable remixes done by the band of tracks by fellow indie dance peers Vampire Weekend, Peter, Bjorn & John, and Passion Pit – all worth checking out after this album.

2. Adele “Rolling In The Deep” – I was channel surfing the other day, and I came upon a video on VH1 (a rare occurrence, I know) for a song that had me riveted. Young British soul chanteuse Adele never quite made it onto my radar with her Grammy-winning 2009 debut album 19, but if her new single “Rolling In The Deep” is any indication of what’s in store on her as yet unreleased sophomore album, then I am already a fan. The girl has blues deep in her soul, and I’ll take her over Joss Stone, Duffy and Amy Winehouse any day of the week.

3. The Dandy Warhols “We Used To Be Friends” – Odd pop-rockers The Dandy Warhols have always been a favorite of mine, mixing tongue in cheek lyricism with rock grooves and pop sensibility. Formed in 1993 in Portland, Oregon with a foundation rooted more in Britpop than anything coming out of the Pacific Northwest at that time, most of the Warhols’ albums are pure quirky enjoyment. My personal favorite is 2003’s Welcome To The Monkey House, which also contains my two favorite Warhols’ tracks, “We Used To Be Friends” and “Scientist”.

4. Two Door Cinema Club “Come Back Home” – This indie dance groove from the 2010 debut album Tourist History by Irish newbies Two Door Cinema Club has quickly become a favorite of mine. There are strong post-punk overtones, rhythms and bass grooves that remind me of The Associates, The Au Pairs and so many other treasured bands from the DIY era. Even when I’m checking out the new, I’m always listening for homages to the old.

5. Violens “Acid Reign” – Speaking of homages to the old…I was a happy, happy girl when I took a listen to Amoral, the 2010 debut album by the New York-based Violens. Theirs is an old sound reflected through a new mirror (and that mirror is slightly cracked). Violens’ Myspace page bears the odd genre description of “gothic, pop and tropical”, but after a few listens of the album, you totally get it. Imagine if you will an unholy trinity of Adam Ant, Johnny Marr and New Order, writing songs in 2010, and you get songs like “Acid Reign” and the very Smiths/Antmusic-like “Full Collision”. Who but the Smiths would name songs “Could You Stand To Know?” and “The Dawn Of Your Happiness Is Rising”? Thank goodness, Violens would.

6. Veil Veil Vanish “Change In The Neon Light” – Perhaps one of the more surprising musical discoveries I’ve made in 2010 is that goth is coming back with a vengeance; and not just via the usual suspects, but thanks to newcomers. I spent a good deal of 2010 guest DJing at goth parties in New York City, and it inspired me to look for new darkness amongst the old. I found it on Veil Veil Vanish’s 2010 full-length debut LP, Change In The Neon Light. The goth scene has claimed “Anthem For A Doomed Youth” as its own, but I prefer the moodiness of the title track because of the strange, indefinable way it reminds me of The Cure’s “Charlotte Sometimes”.

7. Nine Inch Nails “Only (El-P Remix)” – Last week’s inclusion of a near-perfect NIN remix had me searching for more this week, and I was not disappointed. Underground, avant-garde rapper El-P has been featured on the playlist before, but not as a remix artist, and I was surprised to come across his treatment of a favorite track of mine from NIN’s With Teeth (2005). Found only on the maxi single of “Every Day Is Exactly The Same”, El-P takes the funky groove of “Only” and deconstructs it into something moody, spacey and dark, uncannily foreshadowing the sound of Reznor from Year Zero (2009). This was my “wow” song of the week.

8. Massive Attack “What Your Soul Sings” – There isn’t much I can say that I haven’t already said about Massive Attack on so many other playlists; their music is practically a part of daily life for me. This beautiful track from 2003’s 100th Window album popped up on my mp3 player this week, and I just had to share. Featuring vocals by Sinead O’Connor, the beautiful message of learning to love yourself in order to love others is resonating with me at this time of year.

9. Placebo “Running Up That Hill” – A challenge from a friend this week regarding cover songs had me thinking about one of my favorite covers of all time, this brilliantly conceived version of Kate Bush’s 1985 hit “Running Up That Hill” by androgynous alterna-rockers Placebo. The original is a favorite, too, but the contrast between the two versions couldn’t be more stark. Placebo’s version, from their 2007 Meds LP, is dark, vaguely dangerous, and extremely sensual; which is probably why it’s been used on the soundtracks of television shows with dark subject matter like The Vampire Diaries and Bones. I heard a great dance mix of the Placebo version a few weeks ago (in LIC’s Dutch Kills bar, of all places), but I have no idea who remixed it. Alas.

10. Depeche Mode “Goodnight Lovers (Hardjet Playground Mix)” – Ever since the release of Exciter in 2001, Depeche Mode has closed almost every single concert with this track. And so, I selected it to close out the last playlist of 2010, which is also my final playlist for The Whiskey Dregs. I hope that readers have enjoyed my musical musings as much as I have enjoyed writing them, and that everyone will continue to seek out beautiful music from yesterday and today.

1. Peaches “Boys Wanna Be Her” – Glam returns with a feminine vengeance on “Boys Wanna Be Her”, from Peaches’ provocatively and politically titled Impeach My Bush LP (2006). With a foundation riff sampled from AC/DC’s “Dirty Deeds”, this is one dance track you can definitely rock out to. I’ve never been a big fan of Peaches’ style, but I consider this to be a standout along the lines of “Fuck The Pain Away” and her killer version of Tone Loc’s “Wild Thing”, featuring Loc himself.

2. Massive Attack feat. Hope Sandoval “Paradise Circus” – Something of a 180 degree departure from the previous track but with a surprisingly well-matched flow, I’ve had this mesmerizing track from Massive’s 2010 release Heligoland in heavy rotation for months. Featuring vocals by former Mazzy Star chanteuse Hope Sandoval, “Paradise Circus” is moody, sexy and dark. Massive hasn’t been this good since 1998’s Mezzanine. For those who prefer their Massive Attack to be dancefloor-friendly, I highly recommend checking out the excellent remix of this track done by Gui Boratto, which is currently featured in a Lincoln MKX commercial.

3. Cibo Matto “Sugar Water” – NYC-based Japanese ex-pats Cibo Matto were one of those groups that critics adore but the average music listener doesn’t always get. I’m somewhere in the middle, appreciating some tracks and not feeling most others. One track that I dig for its unique groove and sexy vibe is “Sugar Water” from 1995’s Viva! La Woman LP, which received some decent college radio airplay that led to a performance of the song by the band on the very college radio-friendly TV show Buffy The Vampire Slayer. That’s actually where I heard it for the first time, and I remember thinking how unique the song was as compared to most of the music that was popular in the early ‘90s.

4. Portishead “Glory Box” – If you were in college in the mid ‘90s and you were chillin’ out, chances are very likely that you were listening to Dummy, Portishead’s groundbreaking 1994 debut album. While the elegantly depressed single “Sour Times” got most of the attention and airplay, the beauty of this album revealed itself with every successive track, like peeling layers from an onion. With the very first listen of opening track “Mysterons”, you knew you were in for a whole different experience, and Dummy didn’t disappoint. To this day, I listen to “Wandering Star”, “It Could Be Sweet”, “Biscuit” and playlist pick “Glory Box” on a regular basis. Singer Beth Gibbons has the kind of voice that would never have become known if it wasn’t for Portishead, but you can’t imagine Portishead without her.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiGVOvPmR3o&feature=related

5. Hooverphonic “2Wicky” – The DJ in me loves to follow “Glory Box” with this spacey, sexy single from Belgian trip-pop outfit Hooverphonic. Hooverphonic’s sound has evolved a lot since their 1996 debut LP A New Stereophonic Sound was released, more recently foregoing breakbeats and trip-hop for a more pop/electronica path. For me, early tracks like “2Wicky”, “Renaissance Affair” (from that iconic mid ‘90s Volkswagen Vapor Beetle commercial) and their cover of Depeche Mode’s “Shake The Disease” for the 1998 tribute album For The Masses are the essence of Hooverphonic’s sound, and the way I like to remember them.

6. PM Dawn “Even After I Die” – I’ve been a huge fan of PM Dawn’s lengthily titled 1991 debut LP Of The Heart, Of The Soul and Of The Cross: The Utopian Experience since it came out, and unfortunately it was one of those albums that gets completely overlooked after people have their fill of the smash hit single. For those who passed it by after the airplay onslaught of the infectious (and still amazing) single “Set Adrift On Memory Bliss”, you’re missing some seriously good and danceable music on the rest of the album. “Even After I Die”, a trippy, chill beat-driven ode to vocalist Prince B.’s spiritual crisis has always been my favorite track, followed closely by “Paper Doll” and “In The Presence Of Mirrors”. I used to spin these at Café Bar in Astoria, and people would always ask me who the artist was. It was always funny to see the reaction when I told them that the tracks were almost 20 years old.

7. Mos Def “The Boogie Man Song” – The consciousness, artistry and musicality of rapper Mos Def’s 2004 album The New Danger took me by surprise, and I hoped that it was a harbinger of a new era in hip-hop. That didn’t turn out to be the case, but it was the first hip-hop album since DMX’s It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot (1998) that got onto my radar and stayed there. I miss the sound and the innovation of A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde, Brand Nubian and Organized Konfusion, and if I can’t have those days back again then I’ll take The New Danger all day long. Mos Def utilizes the musicians from his rock band side project Black Jack Johnson to excellent effect on this album, particularly on tracks like “Blue Black Jack”, the extremely hard rockin’ “Zimzallabim”, and the brief and sensually haunting “The Boogie Man Song.”

8. EMF “They’re Here” – There are a lot of folks out there who got stuck on EMF’s iconic hit single “Unbelieveable” and don’t realize how good the rest of the band’s music was. In fact, most people don’t even know that EMF had another album after their 1991 debut LP Schubert Dip (two, actually), itself a really, really good album (with the exception of that damn “Unbelievable” song). In fact, nothing else EMF ever recorded sounds anything like “Unbelievable”. Pretty unbelievable, hmm? Well, believe me when I tell you that their 1992 sophomore release Stigma is one of my top ten favorite albums of all time. “They’re Here” is the opening track, and it sets the tone for a dark, energetic, rock/electronica hybrid album that most people didn’t even know existed. Muse fans, take note…recognize that sound? Yep, thought so.

9. Friendly Fires “Skeleton Boy” – Anyone who checks out my Dregs playlists on a regular basis knows that, well, I don’t exactly feature new music too often. If there was any new music around worth featuring, believe me, it would be on here (no offense intended, just my perspective). One of the rare exceptions on the indie dance front is the UK’s Friendly Fires, who were nice enough to put together a pretty kickass and funky set of tracks on their 2008 self-titled debut album. I came across “Skeleton Boy” while researching tracks for the Halloween playlists, and I’ve been bouncing around to it ever since. You should see the looks I get on the street, but if people could hear what I’m hearing they’d be bouncing, too.

10. IAMX “Think Of England” – I’ve become a big fan of Sneaker Pimps founder Chris Corner’s post-Pimps project, IAMX, and a big reason for that is his most recent album, 2009’s Kingdom Of Welcome Addiction. A few months back I had Corner’s spooky, sexy duet with the amazing Imogen Heap on the playlist (“My Secret Friend”), but I hadn’t taken a listen to the entire album until more recently. “Think Of England” reminds me from a songwriting perspective of a cross between Coldplay’s “Clocks” and the Eurythmics’ sound, though Corner’s vocals inject a different intensity and energy into the song than you’d hear from either of those bands. Corner has evolved tremendously as an artist since the Pimps days, and based on listening to the majority of his lyrics, he’s done it through a lot of darkness, personal pain and exploration of the taboo. Fortunately, the effect of that exploration is some really worthwhile music.

1. Muddy Waters “Champagne and Reefer” – Over the last couple of weeks in this column, we’ve gotten funky and sweaty, had the summertime blues, been tempted by Satan, and we’ve even been in outer space. So we’ve come back from partying and from space, only to see that the economy is terrible, our pay sucks, our taxes are going up, the MTA has already cut service and is threatening to raise fares again – and we’re in a rather dark mood. We’re kind of ready for any sort of escape possible so prepare your ears for this week’s playlist – songs about alcohol and drugs. And where else should we start but with the great Muddy Waters tune, “Champagne and Reefer.” I’ve written about Muddy Waters before for this column. After all the blues is the primordial ooze from which all the music we know and love comes from and was inspired by but what makes this song so memorable and so funny is that Muddy Waters is that this song openly advocates smoking weed – by extolling its virtues: “It’s good for your body” and it “relaxes your mind,” Waters sings. So give us some champagne when we’re thirsty and some reefer when we want to get high!

2. George Thorogood and the Destroyers “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer”—  The Delaware-based George Thorogood and the Destroyers do a loving cover of a great Bo Diddley song, expanding the song Diddley’s song by a full five or six minutes. But the story told within the song is something that anyone suffering in a tough economy will be familiar with: the narrator loses his woman and his job. Without a job, without money, he loses his place so he tries to crash with his friend and his friend’s wife. Unfortunately, his friend’s wife hates him and he has no place to stay – so what does our song’s wayward hero do: he goes to his favorite bar and gets drunk, drinking one bourbon, one scotch and one beer in that order night. Sometimes things can seem so fucked that the only reasonable solution is to get hopelessly drunk and forget. That seems to be a worthwhile lesson these days.

3. Howlin’ Wolf “Wang Dang Doodle” – Chess Records, the blues label run by the Chess Brothers had a multi-talented guy by the name of Willie Dixon, who was a songwriter, arranger producer, musician and a host of other things. It should be no surprise that Dixon along with Muddy Waters were the preeminent forces shaping the sound of Chicago blues, and in turn the rock music that quickly followed its influence. Willie Dixon wrote this song and it was performed by another great Chicago bluesman Howlin’ Wolf. At 6’6” and about 300 pounds, the physically imposing Howlin’ Wolf played a muscular and riff heavy, sleazy blues that will make listeners think of sweaty, alcohol soaked bars, fights and murderous thoughts. And his voice is by far one of the most unique voices in music history – it sounds equally battered by hundreds of years of alcohol, cigarettes, drugs and god knows what else. A critic once described the man’s voice as sounding like “heavy machinery being operated on a gravel road.” This stuff ain’t pretty and that’s okay because it’s lovably sleazy. The song is pretty simple as it details partying, drinking, carrying on, busting stuff up and fighting. That’s just about par for any Friday or Saturday night in New York City – and probably right up our alley! (If you’re curious, check out P.J. Harvey’s cover which ads a sexual tension to the song, which creates an entirely new context and interpretation to the song.)

4. The Velvet Underground “Waiting for the Man” – It may seem clichéd but we can’t talk about drugs and alcohol without discussing the quintessential New York-based art rock band – the Velvet Underground. Sure, the Velvet Underground was never a huge commercial act like somewhat contemporary bands such as the Beatles or Led Zeppelin, but almost 40 years after their breakup, critics and musicians consider them among a group of the most interesting and influential bands of the 60s and early 70s. But what Lou Reed, John Cale, and Moe Tucker were best known for was for their provocative lyrics describing heroin use, domination, masochism and more. My drugs of choice have always been alcohol, caffeine and occasionally nicotine but I do know a few drugs users and the description of the desperate user waiting for their connect to come through so they could get their fix seems entirely apt. The song is also a bit of a historical piece as it describes parts of town which are rapidly changing, thanks to gentrification.

5. Steely Dan “Hey Nineteen” – Steely Dan is one of those bands that I’m honestly kind of strangely ambivalent about. Their slick, heavily jazz-influenced and polished sound of their 70s material hasn’t exactly lived up to the test of time. I sometimes wonder if the cult following they somehow built up during their pretty lengthy hiatus had more to do with some phony sense of nostalgia more than anything else. But what I will say is what I’ve always managed to admire about Donald Fagen and Walter Becker’s work was that they penned lyrics that concerned themselves with unusually dark themes for that era – many of their songs openly discussed drugs, alcohol, illicit sex, affairs and even crime. Lyrically, this is the stuff of gangsta rap songs and they managed to slide this in music that could readily be acceptable at a BBQ hosted by your parents. What makes this particular song interesting is that the narrator openly discusses drinking alcohol and snorting coke with a naïve 19 year old. Whoa, talk about decadently fucked up.

6. Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel “White Lines” – Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, Afrika Bambaataa, DJ Kool Herc, and several others were among hip-hop’s earliest, most respected and most legendary figures. Sadly, these days popular culture is increasingly fickle and there’s a sense that there’s a general ignorance musical and artistic history. Occasionally, I’ll catch the “Throwback Hour” on my local conglomerate radio station, mall and drug mart, and I find myself astounded by the fact that “Old School” has now inched into 2003. Since when is anything released in 2003 “Old School”? And worse off, is how there are musical listeners don’t seem to know that punk and hip-hop share so much philosophically and spiritually! If people knew this, then they wouldn’t be surprised to know that Grandmaster Flash and Fab Five Freddy were not only shouted out by Debbie Harry in Blondie’s “Rapture” but that they were both hanging out with Jean-Michel Basquiat and Madonna. But I’m ranting a bit. This song unlike the others on the playlist is much more of a cautionary tale – here it describes the disastrous effects of cocaine in terms that were pretty damn frightening in the 1980s. As an odd note, Duran Duran had a really strange and fairly faithful cover of this one back in the early 1990s.

7. Guns ‘N Roses “Mr. Brownstone” – Appetite for Destruction, Guns ‘N Roses debut was an amazing album on several levels – the first and most important being that Appetite destroyed hair metal acts such as Winger, Poison, Whitesnake, Skid Row, Lita Ford, Bon Jovi and several other hopelessly terrible acts with their unique brand of sleazy rock that threatened America’s “moral fiber” by showing how cool it was to be sleazy. Rock ‘n Roll was always supposed to inspire listeners to follow their base instincts – and Appetite for Destruction for the most part does just that. This song about heroin is a bit of a cautionary tale as our narrator starts doing dope for fun but when he realizes that the dope is fucking up his entire life, he can’t quit and the urge to use won’t go away. The description throughout the song manages to be wildly comical, pathetic and kind of scary in that way that Axl Rose perfected.

8. The Velvet Underground “Heroin” – This song is probably the most infamous and most-well known song about heroin recorded in modern history. The song starts off with a slow, drowsy feel and gradually speeds up, simulating both a rapidly increasing heartbeat and the experience of getting high before gradually slowing down and fading out. Like a lot of Lou Reed’s best songs, there’s a hauntingly ominous and nihilistic feel – as though this could be a fix that could lead to your death. I play this song from time to time and it always leaves me in a very weird, dark place.

9. Cypress Hill “Stoned is the Way of the Walk” – When we’re talking about drugs and alcohol, we can’t possibly forget about Cypress Hill. A fair portion of their songs discuss weed smoking so often and in such detail that listeners can seemingly get a contact high from hearing B. Real and Sen Dog’s rhymes. Some critics will tell you that Cypress Hill is pretty much the Cheech and Chong of hip hop – stoner rap that only makes sense if you’re stoned and seems ridiculous when you’re sober – especially after an infamous Saturday Night Live appearance where DJ Muggs smoked a joint on air. But on a certain level that’s a bit unfair. Not only were these dudes the first major Latin hip-hop act of any note, in 1993 their second album Black Sunday appeared as number 1 on the Billboard 200 with the highest Soundscan numbers of any hip-hop record of the time, and with their debut album still selling, they were the first hip-hop act to have two records on the Billboard 200. “How I Could Just Kill a Man,” one of their greatest hits, can still get crowds going and has some of the most hilarious lyrics about murder and gratuitous violence you’ll hear. This song from their self-titled debut album accurately depicts being fucked up with its somnambulant horn sample looped repeatedly over a slowed down Latin beat. B. Real and Sen Dog also sound like a half-step off, adding to the stoned out their mind vibe.

10. AC/DC “Love Hungry Man” – This song isn’t exactly about drinking or drugs although AC/DC’s original lead singer Bon Scott was known as an unrepentant and prodigious drunk who was known as much for his wild parties as he was for his fights and bad behavior. Sonically, AC/DC probably shares as much in common with many of the old time blues artists I’ve shouted out this week. AC/DC manages to be full of sleazy braggadocio, juvenile humor and power riffs. Certainly for me, hours of AC/DC have inspired many terrible late night ideas that have become amazingly embarrassing stories – and I’m sure that many other people can say the same. Now what this particular song does describe – and fairly accurately, too – is the mindset of the single man: constantly on the prowl for loving.

*Bonus*Special*Bonus* The Who “Who Are You” – This quintessential classic rock song has a famous lyric about passing out drunk in a doorway and having a cop wake the narrator up and letting our lucky narrator make an attempt home on the tube, no less! Interestingly, the Who Are You album was Pete Townsend’s attempt to fuse both punk rock and progressive rock together. Many of these songs are among Townsend’s most complicated – there’s some significant use of early synthesizers, layers of strings, as well as the typical rock instrumentation. Commercially, the album was a big hit on both sides of the pond although critically from what I understand, the album received some mixed reviews. Granted on a couple of songs, the sound seems garish and overly melodramatic but when it works there’s this cathartic rush of emotion and sound that’s overwhelming. I’ve had a few nights like the one the narrator in “Who Are You” describes and it gives this song a deeply personal feel for me – but why not end our playlist with a classic tribute to debauchery and madness, right?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZSjSSazgjQ

1. Eddie Cochran “Summertime Blues” – A quintessential summer song kicks off a playlist inspired by summer road trips, dancing on the beach on hot nights, and one of the worst heat waves on record in NYC. Early rock and roll great Eddie Cochran sometimes gets lost among more famous peers like Elvis and Johnny, but there’s no denying his impact on American rock in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Originally recorded by Cochran as a single in 1958, “Summertime Blues” has been covered by an incredibly diverse spectrum of artists, from The Who, Blue Cheer and Olivia Newton-John to Stray Cats, The Beach Boys and T-Rex. Cochran’s sound is something of a hybrid of the classic rockabilly strum-and-swing combined with surf rock undertones, an infectious combination that always makes me think of summer. A summer road trip just isn’t complete without The Best of Eddie Cochran in your speakers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItOCOeskC20

2. Bob and Earl “Harlem Shuffle” – Resist the urge to jump around after the intro to this classic American soul side, sampled in the ‘90s by House of Pain for that megahit of theirs. “Harlem Shuffle” is a classic from the AM radio days, a down and dirty soul single recorded in 1963 that was meant to be played in sweltering juke joints during the dog days of summer, when your beer bottle sweats but your feet can’t help but move. The Rolling Stones had a big hit with their cover of this track, recorded for their 1986 album Dirty Work, but no matter how many props the Stones get for their almost ceaseless homage to American blues and soul masters, their version just doesn’t work for me. If you want to shake a tailfeather, y’all, it’s all about the original.

3. Martha Reeves and The Vandellas “(Your Love Is Like A) Heat Wave” – The classic Motown sound is always a sure bet for your summer soundtrack, and almost no one did the Motown sound the way Martha Reeves and The Vandellas did. A contrast to the smoother sounds of 1960’s “Hitsville USA” girl group peers Diana Ross and The Supremes, Martha and The Vandellas offered up a somewhat grittier sound, mixing doo-wop, pop, blues, rock and R&B styles on smash hits like “Nowhere To Run To”, “Jimmy Mack” and their best known hit “Dancing In The Streets”, which has been covered by Van Halen, The Rolling Stones and, oddly, The Grateful Dead. It’s pretty sad to see what’s become of modern day Detroit, Michigan when you think back to all of the amazing music that was born there just a relatively short while ago.

4. Stevie Wonder “Master Blaster (Jammin’)” – Originally released on Wonder’s 1980 record Hotter Than July, there are few Stevie songs that make me want to dance like “Master Blaster (Jammin’)” does. The overall sound of Hotter Than July was a bit of a departure from what fans of Stevie’s early days in the Motown pop hit machine and his evolution into a more funk-driven vibe were used to, deepening into reggae grooves and disco riffs and exploring African cultural and somewhat political territory on “Master Blaster (Jammin’)”. There’s also a cover of one of my favorite Motown soul ballads on this album, Tami Terrell’s “All I Do Is Think About You”, reworked here into a dance track as “All I Do”. Stevie Wonder is a flat-out musical genius, and “Master Blaster (Jammin’)” is a great example of what a fantastic songwriter he is.

5. Kool and the Gang “Jungle Jazz” – Most people are a lot more familiar with Kool and the Gang’s disco-era staple “Jungle Boogie”, but this DJ prefers the groovier, instrumental, and more percussion-driven “Jungle Jazz”; sort of a variation on the themes laid down in “Jungle Boogie”. Sample junkies will recognize the drum breaks in this track, which were looped by Brand Nubian on “Drop The Bomb” from their bangin’ 1990 debut release One For All, as well as sampled on the hit single “Don’t Walk Away” by ‘90s R&B girl group Jade. I’ve been known to mix all three tracks together for a little hip-hop history lesson.

6. The Cure “Hot! Hot! Hot! (Extended Mix)” – I think most people had the same reaction upon seeing the video for this track from The Cure’s 1987 release Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me – holy crap, what happened to Robert Smith’s hair? Good lord, who told him that would be a good look for him? Luckily the song is great, so after you watch the clip below it’s best to forget that it exists and just enjoy the audio from now on. “Hot! Hot! Hot!” was a surprisingly funky and un-Cure-like cut from the gods of guitar-based gloom from West Sussex, England, so starkly a departure from what had come before it and from the rest of the tracks on Kiss Me (x3) that it’s no wonder Robert Smith got confused about his style. Fortunately, the famously ratty hair, orange-red lips and creative control tantrums returned in time for the release of their 1989 masterpiece, Disintegration – and all was once again right with the world.

7. Soul Coughing “Soft Serve” – Soul Coughing’s lead singer and songwriter Mike Doughty is a quirky beat poet for a new generation, all slacker jazz cool, obscure literary influences, and meandering lyrics that go nowhere but somehow make perfect sense. I remember picking up SC’s 1996 release Irresistible Bliss on the strength of the record’s bouncy first single “Super Bon Bon”, but I wasn’t prepared for the depth of brilliant musicality that I received. This album helped to define my summer of 1996, with standout tracks like “Soundtrack To Mary”, my personal favorite “Lazybones”, and this track, an ode to a girl with “…the body like soft serve, drippin’ down in the June sun…”, which goes on to provide other similarly evocative summer-esque metaphors. Irresistible bliss, indeed.

8. X “Fourth of July” – Classic X fans tend to view X’s 1987 release See How We Are as a practically heretical sellout and a turning away from their West Coast noise-punk roots, and while it’s definitely a major departure from X’s original groundbreaking Los Angeles-era sound, the haters are missing something – See How We Are is an incredibly good, well-written rock album. A foreshadowing of John Doe solo recordings yet to come at the time, “Fourth of July” is pure storytelling set to music, an intimate view into the personal heartbreak of a man in an unhappy relationship, as he tries to get the woman he loves to take some small measure of happiness from watching the fireworks. This song always makes me reminisce about someone I met back in high school one 4th of July, and even when we fell out of touch for long stretches of time, for many years he would always call me on the 4th. It’s amazing how music-induced nostalgia can add a shiny glaze to tarnished memories.

9. Danzig “Dirty Black Summer” – Demon-obsessed former Misfits and Samhain singer Glenn Danzig scored big time with this gritty, Sabbath-style rocker from his 1992 solo record Danzig III: How The Gods Kill; punks liked it, Goths liked it, metalheads liked it, and even alt-rock loving teenage girls liked it. (Well, okay… I can only speak for myself on that last one.) What’s particularly interesting about Danzig’s post-Misfits/Samhain body of work is that it harkens back to the formative era of British heavy metal in the 1970’s, when metal wasn’t really “metal” as it later came to be known; rather, it was just good, solid, dark, hard rock. Granted, Danzig’s preferred lyrical subject matter usually deals with demons, women being accosted and/or ravished by demons, and Danzig himself acting as some sort of overlord during all the demonic activities, but at the end of the day, Danzig just made some pure, hard rock. And it was good.

10. Hardline “Hot Cherie” – I had to throw this excellent rocker in for my metalheads, because if ever there was a group of people who know how to make the best of a hot summer, it’s them metalheads. Hardline was a very late entry into the pop metal music scene of the ‘80s and early ‘90s, and the release of their extremely rockin’ Double Eclipse album in 1992 went pretty much unnoticed as the American musical palette rapidly shifted towards grunge. This is a damn shame, because there were few hard rock bands in that era that were getting it done like Hardline was; and, they had a secret weapon – moonlighting Journey axeman Neal Schon. “Hot Cherie” cruises on a solid hard rock groove, recounting with atypical eloquence the prototypical ‘80s metal storyline of a woman who’s just too damn hot and how badly the singer wants to bang her. This is stripper rock at its most intelligent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uuN8AC3SQM

Fela Kuti

1. Heatwave “Boogie Nights” – Heatwave shares some similarities with several other 70s soul and disco outfits – they have one or two memorable songs that people remember fondly even though they’ve forgotten the band or artist behind the song. The first time I heard this song, some years back I was blown way: it starts off with a sleek, intro full of twinkling, dreamy xylophone, jazzy drumming and guitar work and beautifully sung harmonies (which continue throughout the song) before exploding into some funk full of fat, round bass tones, guitars played with wah wah pedals and slight reverb, and an otherworldly bridge section. This is all before ending much like the song began with a jazzy flourish. Unlike tons of other disco songs, this one has an exhilarating prog rock sensibility.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n00ss4o68nY

2. The Clash “This Is Radio Clash” – It’s almost an injustice that this version of this song, recorded in and released in 1981 never actually appears on any full length the Clash recorded. The B side was titled “Radio Clash,” offered a subtly different mix and a slight variation in the first verse of the song. The similarities in the songs created a lot of confusion between record label execs, Clash fans, critics and music lovers alike. In fact when Sony/Columbia released a re-mastered version of Black Market Clash, known as Super Black Market Clash, “Radio Clash” is mislabeled on the album as “This Is Radio Clash.” Ooops! But what I think makes this song so amazingly fresh, important and relevant is that it anticipates the genre mashing of artists such as Beck, M.I.A. and Santogold and Gorillaz by a full 20 years. What you’ll hear in this song is elements of space dub, old skool hip hop, funk and punk with satirical, politically charged lyrics. Simply put, its revolution and political consciousness you can shake your ass to all night.

3. R.E.M. “Radio Free Europe” – I’ve been playing a lot of early R.E.M. over the last couple of years and this particular song gets a lot of play on my iPod. Sure Michael Stipe’s lyrics are largely incomprehensible – and in many ways that’s part of the charm. Mike Mills plays perhaps the funkiest bass you’ll hear of all of R.E.M.’s entire discography as the bass it propels the song along towards its conclusion – a gentle fade out. But most importantly, this song has a hook that has always struck me as being incredibly catchy and danceable. Would it be surprising to learn that this song got some airplay on American Bandstand back in late 1983?

4. Fela Kuti “Water Get No Enemy” – Afrobeat is an often difficult genre to describe as it’s a genre that borrows heavily from American and Western forms of music such as rock, jazz, reggae and funk while managing to be distinctly African, and distinctly Nigerian – lyrics are often sung and chanted in a combination of Pidgin English, Yoruba and other indigenous dialects. Fela Kuti, one of the most controversial figures of modern music, is the genre’s godfather and legendary figure, creating the genre in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This shit is funky – the horns often sound like the trumpet call of the apocalypse, the bass will kick you in your ass and make you move. But much like Bob Marley or even the Clash, Kuti was a highly political artist and he freely spoke about the corruption, the crime and oppression that dominated Nigerian society while frequently mocking and ridiculing the powers in charge. Shake your ass, absorb the lyrics and sentiments, and then speak truth to power, ya’ll!

5. Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force “Planet Rock” – Afrika Bambaatta, along with cats such as DJ Melly Mel, Grandmaster Flash are the earliest known godfathers of hip hop. Sure, the outfits Bambaatta and the Soul Sonic Force wore for live souls and in the videos are laughably ridiculous, and the lyrics would be considered corny by today’s more cynical, violent standards. In one of the earliest known uses of sampling, Bambaatta samples Kraftwerk’s “The Robots,” to give the song a futuristic, almost post apocalyptic feel that seems both of its time and ahead of its time.

6. Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force “Renegades of Funk” – I found out about this song and fell in love with this song, thanks to two very different and disparate sources. Rage Against the Machine have a decent cover of the song on their Renegades album, with Tom Morello’s guitar screeching, roaring as Zach De La Rocha changed some of the lyrics in an attempt to make the song their own personal mission statement. A couple of years later, I stumbled on the original while watching the old WNYC TV show, the Bridge, hosted by the legendary hip hop producer and radio personality, Ralph McDaniels. Like “Planet Rock,” the song has a futuristic, post apocalyptic feel that is of its time and ahead of its time – although sadly, this song doesn’t hold up as well as “Planet Rock.” The handclaps throughout the song are kind of silly and the synthesizer sounds a helluva lot like the old Casios I used to play with in elementary school. Still, its funky and playful song with a positive message to boot! Go and challenge a fool on the dance floor, sucka!

7. Siouxsie and the Banshees “Hong Kong Garden” – I vaguely remember them from my obsessive MTV viewing back in the mid and late 1980s with their hits “Kiss Them for Me” and “Peek-A-Boo.” I recently re-discovered Siouxsie and the Banshees when I came across a copy of the Once Upon a Time: The Singles compilation at my local library. Certainly, Siouxsie and the Banshees are important because they’re that so-called bridge between punk, new wave and goth but they also made incredible, inspired music. The guitar work is amazing as it varies between sounding like a ringing gong and the familiar U2/early 80s guitar solo. And although the lyrics are at times ridiculous, I love Siouxsie Sioux’s voice which can be playful, seductive, haunting and frightening all simultaneously. The song ends in a flurry, leaving you panting for more.

8. Muddy Waters “Got My Mojo Workin’” – Modern music as we know it and love it, owes a great debt to the two quintessentially American music genres – jazz and the blues. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten deeper into the blues and have become a huge fan of the old bluesmen Howlin’ Wolf, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters. What I love about “Got My Mojo Workin’” just like rest of the genre is its frank discussion of dark themes – sex, drugs, alcohol, obsession, sin and anything else you can think of. I’ve heard different versions of the song on a number of different compilations throughout the years but each version maintains that same playfully, incorrigible, lusty spirit. Muddy Waters was larger than life and I think there’s a little bit of him in all of us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOqPM3IX6Nc

9. T-Bone Burnett “Palestine, Texas” – I somehow feel that I have to preach the good word of T. Bone Burnett, as he’s one of those multi-talented musicians that musicians love. Throughout his lengthy career, he’s toured as a member of Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue, followed that up with a solo career before concentrating on producing artists as diverse as BB King, kd lang, Roy Orbison, Elvis Costello and others. 2006 saw the release of the True False Identity, Burnett’s first release in some 15 years or so. The song through its searing guitar riff evokes a hot, sweaty, burned out and paranoid wasteland with lyrics that start off with an oddly childlike and puzzling nursery rhyme – before satirizing George Bush. The song like the rest of the album is challenging and an intense experience that must be listened to and forces you to pay attention.

10. David Bowie “Fashion” – I’m going to finish this playlist along the lines I started – with some rousing funky stuff. Much like all of Bowie’s work, the song of is full of surrealistic lyrics that manage to be simultaneously ridiculous, playful, frightening and odd. I love all of Bowie’s work but I find this particular period – roughly 1974-1984 – to be the most challenging, amazing stuff yet. Play this song along with “Golden Years” and TVC-15” and tell me how these songs don’t sound as though they could have come out today – or that they’re not better than roughly ¾ of the barely inspired nonsense called music out today.

Sweet 7 inches

1. Perry Farrell “Song Yet To Be Sung” – There’s a pretty good chance that in some alternate reality, Perry Farrell is God. The man is virtual shaman, a charismatic performer who consumes the energy of his audiences and manages to give it back tenfold. I’m a huge Jane’s Addiction fan, but I’ve never seen them live (a major regret); however, I did get to see Perry’s side project Porno For Pyros in 1997. I had VIP/backstage access thanks to a co-worker who was related to Perry, and at one point in the show I went backstage to use a restroom and bumped into the man himself, dressed in long, flowing, red robes and wearing a golden headdress. With the energy he radiates, it was a bit like having a vision. Whether you prefer dreadlocked and corseted Perry from the Psi Com/Jane’s Addiction days, shamanesque Perry from the PFP days, or the electronica- influenced spiritual version of Perry that released the Song Yet To Be Sung LP in 2001, odds are you’ll dig this track.

2. Cut Chemist “The Garden” – One of the most skilled and eclectic turntablists on the planet, Cut Chemist is best known as a member of L.A. conscious hip-hop act Jurassic 5. There’s a diversity in Cut Chemist’s sampling that is unmatched by almost anyone, with the notable exception of frequent collaborator DJ Shadow. “The Garden” is one of Cut Chemist’s more melodic, stripped down offerings, found on his 2006 masterpiece The Audience’s Listening. The song features a sped-up vocal sample taken from Astrud Gilberto’s “Berimbau”, a stunning song in its own right but re-imagined with simultaneous joy and tension through C.C.’s artful use of scratching, acoustic rhythm guitar, and a strong drumbeat used as counterpoint to Gilberto’s trademark lazy, breezy delivery of Brazilian lyrics. I always get a huge reaction when I spin this track at gigs. Simply stunning.

3. Thievery Corporation “Sound The Alarm” – Washington D.C.-based chillout kings Thievery Corporation really got my attention with their 2008 release Radio Retaliation. Their trademark mélange of reggae, acid-jazz, dub, and world music was underscored this time by harder beats and an insistent political message; something that ordinarily turns me off in music, but somehow works when channeled through celebrated vocalists like Africa’s Femi Kuti and Brazil’s Seu Jorge. Opening track “Sound The Alarm” orders an attack on your senses and sets the tone for an album that becomes ever more gorgeous with each song; a rare feat in this era of increasingly disposable music and the return to the cult of the all-powerful radio single. Also highly recommended is 1997’s Sounds From The Thievery Hi-Fi, which contains my favorite Thievery track “Shaolin Satellite”.

4. Jurassic 5 “I Am Somebody” – In 2002, L.A. rap crew J5 dropped what is certainly one of my favorite hip-hop albums of all time, their landmark LP Power In Numbers. Backed by the formidable turntable wizardry of DJs Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist and featuring guest spots by Big Daddy Kane and Nelly Furtado, Power In Numbers is a funky, edgy, B-boy-style homage to freedom, empowerment and self-awareness, messages not often found in hip-hop. Based around a sample from Jesse Jackson’s poem of the same name, “I Am Somebody” embodies the J5 aesthetic while making heads nod. Other standout tracks from this album that are extremely worthy of a listen – “If You Only Knew”, “A Day At The Races”, “Remember His Name”, and “High Fidelity”. On second thought, just cop the whole album.

5. Mr. Scruff featuring Alice Russell “Music Takes Me Up” – Yet another brilliant musician from Manchester England, Mr. Scruff represents the brighter, shinier and more playful side of the trip-hop genre. Filled with sampladelic relics from ‘60s and ‘70s soul and jazz, ‘40s vocal pop, reggae, dub and electronica, Scruff’s tracks are unique and always fun to listen to. I first heard this track on the legendary West Coast radio station KCRW and I fell in love with it. It’s a love letter to music itself – “Think of life without music / Silence the whole day long / Ears that don’t hear rhythm / Words without a song / Feet just don’t know what to do / How could I live out my day? / Would I be getting up wishing my life away?” Anyone with music in their soul will understand the true depth of this song, even while watching animated lemons, bananas and oranges bounce through the streets of Manchester singing it in the video. Hilarious.

6. Bill Withers “Lovely Day” – This song just makes me happy. It’s the kind of song that just makes you feel like everything’s gonna be alright. Bill Withers was that kind of songwriter, able to express simple human emotions in a way that everyone could understand and relate to. No fancy wording, no veiled references, just real, honest prose set to great music. Playing this song out of the Mr. Scruff song featured above is one of my favorite flows, and it always creates a happy vibe in the room. It’s a total shame for music fans everywhere that Bill backed away from the music industry in the ‘80s, but he left us with such a great body of work. Check out any of Withers’ greatest hits compilations, or try and get your hands on the 2005 comp Bill Withers: The Very Best Of for the “Full Phatt Remix” of “Lovely Day”, featured here.

7. Mark Ronson featuring Phantom Planet “Just” – DJ/Producer Mark Ronson did an excellent album in 2007 called Version which featured some of today’s most well-known singers (i.e. Kenna, Lily Allen, Daniel Merriweather, Amy Winehouse) on Ronson’s funked-up, Daptone Horns-backed arrangements of recent pop songs. Ronson’s talents as a producer and arranger are undeniable, and he puts an impressive personal stamp on everything from Coldplay’s “God Put A Smile Upon Your Face” and The Smiths’ “Stop Me If You Think That You’ve Heard This One Before”, to Britney Spears’ “Toxic”. However, it’s Ronson’s collaboration with indie-pop rockers Phantom Planet on his mid-tempo, funky grooved take on Radiohead’s “Just” that completely steals the show. In particular, the contribution of the Daptone Horns (Sharon Jones’ personal horn section and featured on the Ronson-produced Amy Winehouse singles “Rehab” and “You Know That I’m No Good”) really makes this track stand out. I would gladly never listen to the original again just to be able to hear this one every day.

8. Ruby Andrews “You Made A Believer (Out Of Me)” – Lesser-known ‘60s/’70s Chicago soul diva Ruby Andrews showed up on my radar screen a few years ago after this track was sampled by former A Tribe Called Quest emcee Q-Tip for his song “Won’t Trade” (more on Q-Tip later). The track was hot, but I was really feeling the sample. Though Andrews is more of a footnote in soul music history below more prominent luminaries like Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross and Tami Terrell, “You Made A Believer (Out Of Me)” hit number 18 in the R&B charts in 1969 – no small feat given the competition at that time. This has become one of my all-time favorite soul recordings and it’s an example of how the rare funk, soul, blues and jazz that is sampled by hip-hop can be sourced from hip-hop to be loved by a new generation. Think of it as the ultimate music recycling project.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iUEnNEK76A

9. Q-Tip featuring Amanda Diva “Manwomanboogie” – Since as far back as junior high school, I’ve been a huge fan of A Tribe Called Quest. In the rapidly emerging and evolving genre of hip-hop in the ‘80s and ‘90s, few groups were doing what Tribe was doing, sourcing jazz and blues for riffs and breaks instead of relying solely on funk and soul for sampling as most hip-hop groups did. In addition to DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammed’s crate digging proficiency, emcees Q-Tip and Phife Dawg had one of the most prolific partnerships in hip-hop history, tossing wit and stories back and forth with jazzy, laid-back flows. So needless to say, I was completely bummed when Tribe split up and went their separate ways – that is, until Q-Tip released The Renaissance in 2008. Point blank, The Renaissance contains twelve of the best hip-hop tracks recorded by anyone, anywhere, at any time. The best of the best is “Manwomanboogie”, a song about how men and women complement each other that I will make your butt shake for sure.

10. The Isley Brothers “Work To Do” – R&B/funk/soul icons The Isley Brothers were one of several family acts on the Motown scene in the late ‘50s and ‘60s, dropping classic track after classic track alongside the Jackson 5, The Four Tops and The Temptations. I first heard “Work To Do” as part of a soulful chillout mix by NYC-based DJ Scribe, creator of the Raw Fusion night that regularly hits venues in Brooklyn and Long Island City’s Turntables on the Hudson party. Featured on their 1972 album Brother, Brother, Brother, I like to listen to this one when I’m going through busy times at work or in life because it reminds me that everyone’s got plenty of work to do. Don’t sweat it, baby.

Downstairs at Lit (2008)

By Nico Lustgarten

(Well, as the title states, I’m transitioning these posts to my new web site (nicolustgarten.com), which should be open soon. Maybe by the time you read this, it’ll be live. Now that I’ll be without a day job, I’ll be focusing more on my DJing career and a specific location for information regarding my gigs, etc. is due.)

The crowd definitely keeps me on my toes. It’s not one of those gigs you can sleep through. There is such variety in the tastes in music people enjoy, which makes it more difficult due to my self-imposed restrictions on playing Hip Hop. Just can’t do it anymore. I used to feel like a pigeon dodging tires but I’ve figured the crowd out.

I used to practically live at Lit – that island of debauchery in the East Village where everything from the Cure to Curtis Mayfield was played. Even now, I hear Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!’s “The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth,” and I think of dancing on the ground floor then I’d surrender to the cavern in the basement for cigarettes and more alcohol for a slightly different experience — these two rings of Manhattan hell commingling the experience of the night. But that was a couple years ago and now things are different. Can’t smoke downstairs. The speakers turn off and on randomly like a sick game of musical chairs but the influence of the music never severed itself from my style.

These days, if you walk into Angels & Kings on a Saturday night, you’ll hear a reminder of the old Lit days, before Murray Hill took over and the last of the renegade artists and hipsters hold on to the yesterdays. Not saying that AK is the new Lit by any means…just different; the music played inspired by that seedy and wonderful bastion.

It’s been a while since I’ve shared my playlist. You’ll notice that the music is a bit darker, grimier, and yes, I’m leaning toward post-punk/goth and house. This will give you an idea of what you’ll hear this Saturday night when I get to share the decks with another Whiskey Dregs writer, Jenn Sussman (aka DJ Belladonna).

Playlist for 5/22/10

1. Adam Ant “Puss n’ Boots”
2. The Horrors “Excellent Choice”
3. Skywave “Over and Over”
4. Public Image Limited “Annalisa”
5. Shocking Blue “Fire of Love”
6. Sia “Clap Your Hands (Diplo Remix)”
7. Britney Spears “3 (Wolfgang Gartner Remix)”
8. Amanda Blank “Big Heavy”
9. Gene Loves Jezebel “Desire (12″ White Label GW Childs Remix)”
10. Engineers “Sometimes I Realise (Sasha Invol2ver Remix)”
11. Alien Sex Fiend “Zombified”
12. Crystal Castles “Celestica”

(12′s a good number)

R.I.P.

By Jenn Sussman aka DJ Belladonna

1. Malcolm McLaren “Pere Lachaise” – The playlist starts off this week with a series of tributes to artists whom the world has lost in the last few weeks. First up, a track by a legendary bastard and business mastermind, and a pivotal figure in the emerging punk scene in 1970s England, Malcolm McLaren. McLaren’s ideas on absurdism, chaos and extreme social provocation as vehicles to spur social and political change can be seen in almost everything he did in life, from the genesis of punk and S&M fashion style with former partner Vivienne Westwood in their iconic West End London boutique SEX; to the creation of the legendarily “talentless” yet completely awesome Sex Pistols; borderline sexual exploitation of a minor in his management of the teen-fronted pop group Bow Wow Wow; and his constant musical reinvention ranging from Zulu Nation-affiliated hip-hopper to French pop balladeer. This week I offer up “Pere Lachaise”, a beautiful song named after one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world, as a tribute to a man who was buried last week in a coffin emblazoned with the words “Too Fast To Live, Too Young To Die”. Indeed.

2. Iommi featuring Peter Steele “Just Say No To Love” – Though he famously faked his death as a publicity stunt in 2005, the sudden and untimely demise of Carnivore and Type O Negative frontman Peter Steele last week at the age of 48 was no forgery. Plagued for years by problems with drugs and depression, this giant of the Brooklyn, NYC metal scene lived fast, died young, and left a whole catalogue of gloomy, doomy, tongue-in-cheek songs in his wake. Type O never claimed to be gothic but their music definitely appealed to those who love the goth music genre; lyrics to typical Type O tracks frequently include references to death and/or decay, some sort of over-the-top religious blasphemy, pale-skinned women with jet black hair who like to smoke clove cigarettes and cast spells on people, and sex with the aforementioned witchy women (and their girlfriends, whenever possible). Though I appreciate Type O’s style, I don’t consider myself to be a fan – so my tribute pick is a little-known track from former Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi’s 2000 solo project that Pete lent his trademark slow, deep and hard vocals to. R.I.P., Pete… many beers are being raised in your honor around the clock at Duff’s Bar down on Marcy Avenue.

3. Guru “Lifesaver” – Another unexpected departure in recent days was that of Guru, rapper and founding member (along with partner DJ Premier) of early hip-hop duo Gang Starr, lost to cancer at the age of 43. Guru’s flow was laid back but at the same time still managed to be raw and unflinching as he schooled listeners about the life of a young hustler on the streets of New York City in the early ‘80s. While many early hip-hop acts relied heavily on beats and samples from funk and soul classics, Gang Starr were one of the first groups to instead look to jazz and R&B recordings as inspiration for their sampling. Guru later took that jazz and R&B foundation a step further, releasing a series of records under a diverse solo project called Guru’s Jazzmatazz, which featured many notable guest musicians and vocalists. “Lifesaver” is my favorite track from the Jazzmatazz records, and I listened to it back in February on the day I heard that Guru had suffered a heart attack and slipped into a coma. I listen to it again now to mourn his passing.

4. Bettye Lavette “Heart of Gold” – The playlist moves on from tributes to the dead to tribute the life of a hidden legend of ‘60s and ‘70s soul, who in recent years is finally getting the recognition that has eluded her for so long. Hailed by some as the true Queen of Soul, Lavette’s distinctive style was shelved by Atlantic Records after a few chart-topping tracks, at a time when Aretha Franklin ruled the airwaves. A woman who had once toured with Ben E. King, James Brown and Otis Redding, Lavette found herself relegated to the bins in some deep soul record collector’s basement. A meeting in the mid-‘90s with a French soul music collector led to a renewed interest in Lavette’s work, which then led to collaborations with songwriters like Fiona Apple, Sinead O’Connor and Dolly Parton as well as the recording in 2007 of Grammy-nominated album The Scene of the Crime, featuring alt-country rockers the Drive-By Truckers as her backing band. In late 2008 and early 2009, Bettye had two of her most high-profile performances ever, first bringing the Kennedy Center Honors crowd to its feet with a stunning rendition of The Who’s “Love, Reign O’er Me” (pull it up on YouTube, it’s a must-see), and later performing for President-elect Obama at his pre-inaugural concert. My favorite of Bettye’s recordings is her 1972 cover of Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold”, which I hope she’ll play when I see her perform at the Highline Ballroom on May 26th.

5. Tomoyasu Hotei “Battle Without Honor or Humanity” – This song kicks ass. No really, this song literally kicks ass – it’s The Bride’s theme song from Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol. One. It’s also the theme song of my alter ego, DJ Belladonna, used to open my gigs for several years when I was first DJing. I’ve definitely never worn a yellow and black jumpsuit (as if!) or laid waste to any ninjas with a sword during my gigs, but there’s something about this instrumental track that’s very powerful, and I used it to announce my presence in the DJ booth and to give myself a little confidence boost that yes, indeed, I was about to rock these people! Hey, we’ve all got a little superhero version of ourselves inside our heads, right?

6. Everything But The Girl “Before Today” – Lounging comfortably somewhere between pop and electronica, EBTG is known not only for their own body of work but also for singer Tracey Thorn’s collaboration with Massive Attack on their 1995 breakthrough album Protection. Easily my favorite EBTG song, “Before Today” is a perfect example of the influences of Massive Attack and producer Todd Terry (whose remix of EBTG’s “Missing” became a worldwide smash hit) on EBTG’s musical style; 1996’s Walking Wounded saw EBTG moving into trip-hop and drum-and-bass territory with unsurprising ease. One of my favorite film auteurs/directors, Gregg Araki, uses “Before Today” to excellent effect in his 1999 movie Splendor… highly recommended viewing.

7. Erasure “Breath of Life” – A product of the often incestuous UK new wave scene in the 1980s when artists jumped from group to group to explore their creative visions, Erasure was founded by synth-pop genius Vince Clarke, formerly of Depeche Mode and Yazoo/Yaz. The addition of vocalist Andy Bell led to some of the most beloved pop songs in music history. I saw Erasure in concert at Radio City Music Hall in 1998 and I recall being amazed at how much music was being created solely by Clarke; the stage contained an architecturally structured labyrinth of synthesizers and mixing equipment that Clarke was literally climbing up, down and through during the entire show. He later donned a cactus costume for an acoustic rendition of their hit single “Blue Savannah”, which was pretty ridiculous-looking. Fortunately, only the music mattered. My Erasure pick is lesser known in the US but my favorite of their UK hits.

8. The Knife “Silent Shout” – Part of the eclectic wave of new electro acts that includes MGMT, Hot Chip, Royksopp, Ladytron and Goldfrapp, The Knife are one of the more bizarre additions to today’s musical landscape. Swedish brother and sister duo Karin Dreijer Andersson and Olof Dreijer are notorious for their refusal to play nice with the media, going so far as to boycott award ceremonies, wear masks in public and not play any live shows until 2006. Despite their countercultural behavior (or perhaps because of it), they have racked up several Swedish music awards and sold millions of albums worldwide. In 2008, Karin released a solo album under the name Fever Ray which has also done very well. To me, “Silent Shout” (from the 2006 album of the same name) sounds like it should be on the soundtrack of a futuristic Alfred Hitchcock movie or a modern-day remake of Blade Runner, full of tension, driving beats and subhuman-sounding vocals. It’s a bit unsettling, but a terrific track.

9. Inner City “Good Life” – What do you get when you put together an influential producer from Detroit with a noted Chicago house music vocalist? If it’s the late ‘80s, you get the birth of the Detroit techno sound, courtesy of Inner City – a group much better known in the UK than they ever were in the US. Inner City was the leading edge of the wave that was the Detroit techno, Chicago house and acid house sound, and which took over UK dance clubs and charts in the early ‘90s. The third wave of an American dance music sound that began with disco in the ‘70s and borrowed from UK new wave and EBM in the ‘80s, early ‘90s techno and house offered a harder dance groove and spawned a movement that quickly grew into rave culture. And, like any good dance music culture, rave had its preferred chemical substance – disco had coke, new wave had meth, but if you were raving in the ‘90s, you rolled on ecstasy. “Good Life” is still one of my favorite songs to dance to, and I got to watch an incredibly good rave dancer throw down to it at Glasslands in Williamsburg a few weeks ago. For me, true ecstasy is found in the act of dancing to songs like this one.

10. A Certain Ratio “Shack Up” – One of the original Factory Records recording artists, A Certain Ratio came up in the fertile post-punk and indie rock scene in 1970s Manchester, England. At a time where musical exploration ran wild and bands openly adored their influences, ACR was among the first (along with Gang of Four and Pigbag) to play around with rhythms from funk, disco, punk and Latin styles, fusing them together around often morbid and droll lyrics to create a whole new sound. “Shack Up” is a cover of a song originally recorded by unknown Washington D.C. disco/funk band Banbarra, the original recording of which is a 45” collector’s dream find. Special thanks to former Hacienda Club resident DJ and Manchester music scene fixture Dave Haslam for reminding me about this killer track on his recent trip to the States.

The Smiths

1. Dirty Pretty Things “Gin & Milk” – One of the better British rock bands to surface in recent years, Dirty Pretty Things make one hell of a statement on this bombastic rocker from 2006’s Waterloo To Anywhere. This song occasionally comes on while I’m listening to my mp3 player on the random play all setting, traveling to work in the morning on the subway, sandwiched between strangers, and it always makes me want to play it for the entire train over the loudspeakers, like an anthem to shake all of the disaffected New Yorkers who care increasingly less and less for their fellow man out of their self-absorbed malaise — “No one gives a fuck about the values I would die for / Not the basic civil servants, or rudimentary crack whores / No one gives two fucks about the values I would kill for / Give them something to die for / Give me something to die for…”. Wow! Exactly.

2. The Soundtrack of Our Lives “Sister Surround” –- It’s no secret that some of the best rock n’ roll music in the past 15 years hails from Sweden. Well known groups like The Hives, The Hellacopters, Teddybears and indie pop-rockers Peter Bjorn and John (creators of that damned whistling song) have made a more noticeable mark, but one of my favorite rock tunes is this one by lesser known Swedes and former punk rockers The Soundtrack of Our Lives. Never to be mistaken for Abba or Ace of Base, the Swedish rock sound harkens back to the glory days of American and British rock in the 60’s and 70’s but also embraces the rawness of punk and the energy of new wave — a combination that makes for a great listening experience for those like myself who miss great rock n’ roll. Particularly enjoyable is the video for “Sister Surround”, which shows the band very literally taking their name to heart, performing in a school gym while ordinary life is going on around them; the singer even takes the microphone into the bathroom at one point, while the keyboardist eats breakfast and a random person sitting off to the side brushes their teeth.

3. Elvis Costello “Accidents Will Happen” -– One of the most critically acclaimed and idiosyncratic songwriters of the first wave in the ‘70s, ‘80s, and damn near as well-known as that other Elvis, Elvis Costello is a go-to artist for me when I’m looking for consistently great pop music. With a songwriting and sartorial style all his own, Costello incorporates too many influences into his music to name and has an uncanny knack for crafting great hooks and writing lyrics that make you feel like you were there when the story unfolded. I had the pleasure of seeing Elvis Costello in concert in the ‘90s (with Crash Test Dummies as the opener, oddly) and it was one of those shows attended by faithful fans where everyone knew every word to every song, and everyone felt like everyone else in the room understood just how those songs made them feel. That’s the magic of Elvis Costello’s music.

4. Deftones “If Only Tonight We Could Sleep” — A rare live entry onto the playlist, this is one track that is completely worth the minimal crowd noise and is only available by this artist as a live track. From their 2005 compilation B-Sides & Rarities which contains many excellent covers, Deftones offer a superb version of a spooky dream of a song originally recorded by The Cure for their beloved 1987 album, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. While the original version is slower and more gentle, the Deftones’ version has harder beats, more dramatic tension and creates the impression that the reason we cannot sleep tonight is due to wraiths of tormented love that hover just beyond the bed, waiting to drag us into their transparent embrace. It’ll definitely make any lovers of the darkness say hold me, hold me, hold me.

5. Hole “Gold Dust Woman” –- Something of a patron saint to hot messes everywhere, Courtney Love might have gone off the deep end but the woman has definitely laid down some kick-ass rock in the process. West Coast alt-punk rockers Hole offered up a surprisingly great cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Gold Dust Woman” for the soundtrack of the 1996 sequel to The Crow, City of Angels, turning the hippy-esque aesthetic of the original on its ear in favor of a more sinister sound and morphing the Stevie Nicks-penned tale of a free-spirited heartbreaker into the battle cry of a street-smart warrior widow. Hot on the heels of this single was one of my all time favorite records, Hole’s 1998 masterpiece Celebrity Skin which featured songs co-authored by a legend of modern pop/rock songwriting, Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins.

6. Violent Femmes “Violent Femmes” -– I’m going to take an unusual step and put an entire album on the playlist this week. Anyone who grew up loving this album will understand why; it’s impossible to single out one track over another on this 1983 folk-punk love letter to the disenchanted youth of Reagan-era America. I remember hearing this album for the first time while away at summer camp in the Pocono Mountains during the mid ‘80s, and at first my preteen ears didn’t know what to make of the acoustic cacophony that our older counselors enjoyed so much. Soon enough, we all knew the words (if not the meaning) to lines like, “Special favors come in 31 flavors / We’re out of mint so pass the lifesavers / I’m droppin’ hints, candy for candy-coated tongue”, and we sang along to “Blister In The Sun”, “Kiss Off” and others at the top of our lungs. The thought of a bunch of 11-year olds asking each other why they couldn’t get just one fuck is pretty amusing but also a little disturbing, now that I think about it. Luckily, those kids are all grown up now and still singing the lyrics to “Kiss Off” at the top of their lungs when I spin it at my gigs. Here’s six, six, six for your sorrow, kiddos.

7. Beastie Boys “Rhymin’ and Stealin’” –- Another iconic album from my youth, 1986’s Licensed To Ill flipped the switch on the young genre of hip-hop by introducing three white boys from New York City who were into punk and didn’t give a damn what anyone thought. Comically misogynistic, irreverent, and most definitely conceived with the help of a whole slew of illegal substances, Licensed To Ill brought a whole new style to hip-hop with the support and skills of Def Jam founder and legendary producer Rick Rubin, known for sampling classic rock tracks like Led Zeppelin’s “When The Levee Breaks” (used on this track). The Beastie Boys continued to take their style in new directions with every album they released, eventually leaving the party lifestyle behind for social activism — most notably as champions for Tibetan freedom. Despite their lifestyle change, the opening lines of “Rhymin’ and Stealin’” still represent to this day who the Beasties are to me; “Because…mutiny on the bounty’s what we’re all about / I’m gonna board your ship and turn it on out / No soft sucka with a parrot on his shouder / ‘Cause I’m bad gettin’ bolder, cold cold gettin’ colder”. Word to Ali Baba and the forty thieves.

8. Morphine “Cure For Pain” –- I have to admit that I had forgotten about this song until it appeared suddenly last weekend, called up by a friend’s iPod hooked up to the sound system of a little bar in the East Village, like a beacon from my alt-rock past. Bluesy, innovative and hailing from the Boston area like so many other great alternative acts in the ‘80s, Morphine shunned guitars for a tenor sax and melodic basslines and sounded like music you’d listen to sometime after midnight, in some bar downtown in some city, while shooting pool, savoring whiskey and contemplating life. Morphine released five studio albums in their brief 10-year career, which ended in 1999 when singer Mark Sandman collapsed and died of a heart attack while onstage in Italy. A handful of Morphine singles got airplay throughout the years, but none were as well loved as this one.

9. The Smiths “What Difference Does It Make?” -– I love The Smiths anyway, but this pick is a direct result of having seen a phenomenal Smiths/Morrissey tribute band called The Sons & Heirs in Brooklyn two weekends ago. I’ve never gone to see a tribute band on purpose, but if you closed your eyes that night you would have sworn you were listening to the real deal. The band opened with “What Difference Does It Make”, one of my favorite Smiths tracks and the third single from their 1984 self-titled debut album. The Smiths’ sound was unlike any other band of their time; emerging from Manchester, England at a time when post-punk and new wave were just finding their footing, Morrissey, Johnny Marr and company belonged to neither genre but rather borrowed from ‘60s guitar rock styles to create a new pop sound with intellectually witty lyrics that appealed to the introverted and emotionally disenfranchised. Despite being considered one of the most important bands in the evolution of indie rock, The Smiths only lasted five years before imploding and moving on to other projects. Though The Smiths have steadfastly refused to cash in on nostalgia and reunite, former introverts can take comfort that there is an excellent facsimile available in New York City.

10. The Last Shadow Puppets “My Mistakes Were Made For You” -– Alex Turner of British indie powerhouse Arctic Monkeys and fellow Brit rocker Miles Kane of The Rascals teamed up in 2008 to record The Age of the Understatement under the name The Last Shadow Puppets, an homage to ‘60s pop acts like The Hollies and The Walker Brothers with a dose of spaghetti western grandeur and orchestration. Overall, I’m not a fan of the project even though Alex Turner is on par with some of the greatest songwriters and lyricists in music history no matter what project he’s writing for. However, this particular track stopped me in my tracks when I first heard it and continues to wow me over and over again. There’s just nothing out there these days that sounds like this song.

Broken Bells

By Jenn Sussman aka DJ Belladonna

1. Massive Attack “Unfinished Sympathy” –- Bristol UK’s Massive Attack has created some of the most unique music to come out of an ever-evolving genre. It began with 1991’s Blue Lines, a landmark album that introduced listeners to a blend of soul, jazz, dub and hip-hop and laid the foundation for the style that became known as trip-hop. Several brilliant albums followed, and original members 3D, Daddy G and Mushroom continue to collaborate as MA while fellow founder Tricky has moved on to a brilliant solo career. On this track, guest vocalist Shara Nelson sings of a desire to explore a deep love that has begun but cannot be pursued, missing every part of someone who is just outside of her reach. I had never seen the video for “Unfinished Sympathy” until I sourced the clip for the playlist, but the single continuous shot throughout the entire video of Nelson simply walking through an L.A. neighborhood, singing the song, really resonated with me. There have been many times that I have walked the streets of NYC, listening to the swell of this song’s orchestral samples in my headphones, thinking of somebody I love but who is out of my reach, and feeling (as the song says) like a soul without a mind and a body without a heart.

2. Aceyalone and RJD2 “A Beautiful Mine” — Every now and again, two brilliant artists get together and end up showing everybody how great music is made. Such a thing can definitely be said of 2006’s Magnificent City, an inspired collaboration between two legends of the underground – West Coast left-field rapper Aceyalone and East Coast producer and Definitive Jux recording artist, RJD2. Known for hip-hop instrumentals featuring everything from classical samples to techno-wizardry, RJD2 was the architect of a perfect backdrop for Aceyalone’s intelligent flows. Savvy listeners will recognize the music of this track as the theme song for cult television hit Mad Men; the lyrics-free version used for the show can be found on RJD2’s Magnificent City Instrumentals.

3. Kenna “Say Goodbye To Love” –- I was introduced to the music of Ethiopian native Kenna completely by accident as I watched him open for She Wants Revenge at NYC’s Webster Hall in 2008. As it turns out, most people find out about Kenna by accident but everyone is always glad that they did. A self-taught multi-instrumentalist inspired by everyone from Stevie Wonder to U2 to The Cure, Kenna offers his own brand of unique and funky pop that is beloved by industry tastemakers but largely ignored by mainstream listeners. Almost every DJ I know knows and loves Kenna’s music, but the average person at our gigs has no idea who he is. So, we take it upon ourselves to educate people about this awesome artist who suffers from the curse of being too unique, and this track in particular will definitely get your groove going. Recommended reading for those who want to learn more about Kenna (and about themselves) — Malcolm Gladwell’s “Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking”.

4. Devo “Freedom of Choice” -– Devo is one of those bands that could only have existed and been successful at the time and place that they were. Formed in the mid-1970’s in Akron, Ohio (also home to The Pretenders and The Black Keys), Devo looked like space-age math geeks, sounded like an amalgam of punk, art rock, post-punk and new wave, and featured lyrical content about everything from science fiction to social commentary. At a time in music history when uniqueness and non-homogeneity were prized commodities, Devo caught the attention of glam icons David Bowie and Iggy Pop, both of whom helped Devo secure a major-label recording contract. Though Devo is best known for 80’s hits like “Whip It”, “Working In A Coalmine” and their offbeat cover of The Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”, my favorite Devo track is less well known but one that I think is twice as good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVGINIsLnqU

5. Pixies “Debaser” –- Classic alternative rockers with the aesthetic and raw energy of punk, the Pixies were a band that sounded like no other in their era. Formed in Boston in the early 1980’s and fronted by the charismatic Frank Black (aka Black Francis), the Pixies found much greater success outside of the United States than on their home soil but still enjoy worldwide cult status to this day. A hallmark of the Pixies’ sound is their penchant for extreme dynamics, moving from hushed tones to explosive screams in the blink of an eye — think of that section from “Monkey Gone To Heaven” where Frank suddenly goes from mellow to mental, “…and if the devil is six, then GOD IS SEVEN!!!!”. Originally recorded for 1989’s amazing Doolittle album (released on revered alt-indie label 4AD), “Debaser” is without question my favorite Pixies tune and one of their more melodic offerings.

6. Placebo “Pure Morning” -– It was while writing about Kenna that I decided to add this 90’s classic to the playlist this week. Why? At that same She Wants Revenge show in 2008, after Kenna’s performance, my friend and I waited with the rest of the crowd in eager anticipation of the headliners taking the stage, talking amongst ourselves and barely taking notice of the pre-recorded music that the venue was playing to fill up the time… that is, we barely noticed until Placebo’s “Pure Morning” came on, and literally the entire crowd began to dance and sing the words. The venue cut the song off halfway through as SWR took the stage, and the crowd actually booed! Experiencing that universal reaction to the song made me remember how much I loved it. Better known in the UK and Europe, Placebo made a splash on the US charts with their 1998 album Without You I’m Nothing but went nowhere from there. Also very worth checking out is Placebo’s incredible version of what seemed like an un-coverable song, Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill”.

7. DJ Shadow feat. Mos Def “Six Days (Remix)” –- Turntablist and sample junkie DJ Shadow stands alone as the innovator of a style that cannot be labeled, creating mini masterpieces that fuse elements of funk, soul, jazz, hip-hop, spoken word, ambient and whatever else his curious hands can locate in used-record bins. A northern California-born white boy raised on hip-hop, Shadow began creating his own beats at an early age. He went on to release several notable singles and albums, like his groundbreaking debut Endtroducing… released in 1996 on Island Def Jam, and produced for projects like UNKLE and Dr. Octagon. The original version of “Six Days” is good, but not nearly as impactful or apocalyptic as this remix featuring rapper Mos Def and recorded for the soundtrack of the 2006 film The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Ever wonder about the end of the world?

8. Res “Golden Boys” –- I’m a sucker for unknown and underappreciated artists (as long as they’re talented), and you can put Philly-born singer Res (pronounced Reese) right up there next to Kenna on the list of those who are only known by those in the know. Though she’s only released one album (2001’s How I Do, which is half great and half forgettable), Res has also provided vocals on tracks by rappers GZA and Reflection Eternal. “Golden Boys” is a favorite of mine, one that I spin when the night fades into the wee hours of the morning; it combines soul flavor with trip-hop beats and speaks on the hypocritical nature of celebrity, the abuse of that power, and the people that see right through it. Res asks her fictional idol, “Would they love you if they knew all the things we know? / We’ve got these images / We need them to be true, not ready to believe we’re no more insecure than you”. Given the average American’s obsession with celebrity culture, the idols probably have nothing to worry about.

9. Common “Resurrection” –- I’m a big fan of soulful, jazzy and alternative hip-hop, and “Resurrection” stands out as one of my favorite tracks from those areas. Originally known as Common Sense, this Chicago native opened for NWA and Big Daddy Kane as a teenager and has collaborated with everyone from Lauryn Hill and De La Soul to Kanye West, the late J. Dilla and ?uestlove of The Roots; the last two of whom (along with Common) were part of the Soulquarian music collective which explored new territory in the alternative hip-hop genre. Common borrows from electronic, rock, boom-bap and neo-soul styles on his albums, the best of which is undoubtedly 1994’s Resurrection. Check out the 2007 compilation Thisisme Then: The Best of Common for an excellent view into Common’s evolution as an artist.

10. Broken Bells “Vaporize” -– Anyone familiar with my musical tastes knows that I tend to go for retro over what’s passing for music these days, but once in awhile a band comes along that is so clearly influenced by so many of the genres I love that I have to give them a listen. This happened last week when I heard the new self-titled album by Broken Bells, which is a coming out party for yet another of uber-producer Danger Mouse’s multiple musical personalities. Following a very avant-garde collaboration with metal-masked rapper MF Doom (Danger Doom), grammy-nominated production work for Gorillaz and the commercial success of his Gnarls Barkley project (with Goodie Mob singer Cee-Lo), Mouse now teams up with singer/guitarist James Mercer of indie darlings The Shins to craft an album of beautiful and eclectic pop songs that channel everyone from Beck to the Beatles. Not that they’re ripping anyone off, mind you, but there are moments in every song where their musical influences shine through — but as an homage, not a barrage. I have a different favorite track every time I listen to the album, but I’m certain that everyone will enjoy this one.