Dickie's Quickies

Before I get to the Random Friday 10, let's have a bitch against Nike. In order to promote itself to the skateboard community, Nike has decided to rip off Dischord Records and the band Minor Threat. In their ad supporting Nike's "Major Threat" 2005 East Coast Tour they completely ripped off the cover art from Minor Threat's self titled 1984 album. Fuck them! Minor Threat and Dischord Records are anti-corporate punk groups. Presumably, Nike thought that this would win them some street cred with the skateboarding kids coming to the tour. Also presumably, Nike works very hard at protecting it's own copyrights as well as fully supporting obscenely long copyright protections. Nike should withdraw the campaign AND pay damages to the band and record label. Reportedly, neither the label nor the band are happy.

Now, on to your Random Friday 10:

1) Tom Waits - Dead and Lovely

From his latest album, which is probably the best effort Waits has ever produced. My Frank friend flew in from Michigan last October to treat me to Waits' concert in Seattle. It was a gift for my 40th birthday. I'm forever grateful to Frank for that as it is the only time I've seen Waits perform and Marc Ribot was the guitar player and Brain was percussionist on this tour. Frank, I'll either get you laid or incredibly drunk next time we're together. Hm, it might take both, actually. *playful smirk*

2) Lloyd Cole - My Alibi

In America, Lloyd Cole has been criminally overlooked. His songwriting is consistently top notch. His work easily ranks amongst the best we've been listening to for over 20 years. This is from his latest album, "Music In A Foreign Language". It's highly recommended. A fairly mellow record on which Lloyd plays all of the instruments. Why do I insist on calling him Lloyd? Ask me in person one day and I'll tell you about the first time I saw him in concert and I stared at him a little too long to be considered subtle.

3) Jerver 73 - Coated Brain (Dolly Parton vs Jungle Brothers)

One of many mash-ups that I've downloaded over time. This one works in that the sample is rather subtle - one wouldn't know it's the Jungle Brothers necessarily unless one were told. Dolly sounds good over the updated sound. I think it's about time someone gave her the remix treatment.

4) Habibe Koite - Komine (Live)

Heh, Frank was at this show as well. WOMAD North America didn't last long as a festival (thanks to the bastards at One Reel and King County), but it was a magical few years. For $70, attendees got to see 2.5 days of world music presented on 5 stages. Frank flew in for a couple of those years. Habibe Koite was on stage jamming (and I mean jamming - amazing stuff) when I found Frank under a tree sleeping. This was Sunday afternoon and he was exhausted - hell, we all were. By this point in the festival, I was walking around with barely a shirt on, no shoes, and very dirty and tired. I left Frank at his tree and went back to the creek behind the stage to smoke some pot. When I came back, Frank was just waking up. I introduced him to my acquaintance/friend, Sunshine, from B.C. Sunshine went her way and Frank just stared in disbelief. "How do you get to meet all of these girls?" I smiled, but was barely listening as I was trotting off to the front of the stage where Habibe's music was luring me into a trance.

5) Daude - Muito Quente

Daude has this album out on Real World Records. It was released last year, I believe. Terrific voice singing over club beats with electronic flavor from Brazil. It's an album that has grown on me with time. It was good out of the condom, but it's gotten better.

6) Asian Dub Foundation - Flyover

From their latest effort, Tank (out in 2005). Mixing drum and bass with reggae and dub.

7) The Style Council - A New Decade

Flashback! This track is from a never released CD. The band recorded a house music record that their label refused to release. Mick and Paul broke up the act at this point. When their inevitable box set came out, containing all of their official releases, it included the unreleased album as well. A delight to Council fans even if it did not capture them in top form.

8) The Killers - Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll

Glam is right on...as in early Roxy Music glam era sound. On this track, at least, that's what The Killers bring. On others they bring a variety of styles, mostly ripped straight from the 80s. Think a lot of Duran Duran. Still, it's good stuff.

9) Marie Boine Persen - Come With Me To The Sacred Mountain (Live)

Persen is a Sami artist. I first heard her on one of the early Real World Records releases. Her voice is enchanting, sounding at times very much like a Native American's. Since that first purchase, I've spent a fair amount of time tracking down her work. She's branched out from the more traditional sound and now includes a variety of jazz instrumentation in her music. One album was a remix work that moved her voice front and center on the dance floor (it worked really well). This live album is one of the best finds. It features the modern jazz artists with traditional musicians in a heady, brilliant, lively, danceable sound.

10) Little Axe - All In The Same Boat

Little Axe is an odd project from the On-U Sound folks, Adrian Sherwood (producer) and Skip McDonald. Skip is the legendary bassist who played in the Sugarhill Records "House Band" on such classics as "White Lines" and "The Message". Working with Sherwood, McDonald went on to record with his band Tackhead, African Head Charge, Dub Syndicate, and with Bim Sherman. Little Axe was founded as an outlet for Skip's blues roots. On the 4 releases since 1992 (this is from the latest, Champagne and Grits) McDonald and Sherwood have created a 21st Century blues formula which draws heavily on the classic vocal tones and mixes them with dub, reggae, and more electronic pop stylings. They aren't the easiest records to find, but they are most rewarding. This latest one is easier to find since it's a recent release and had some help in distribution from Real World Records.

We're out of here tomorrow for camping and hiking through Central Oregon. I used to have a radio show on WORB at Oakland Community College in Farmington Hills, MI. Every Friday night I'd spin tunes from 6 to 10:30 PM (or later, if I could get campus security to give me a break). Under the name of "Satan" I brought a free form show that highlight new releases from all genres that tickled my fancy and, inevitably, ended with a mix of dance music from around the world. It was the singular joy of my college experiences (well, that, and being the music director in charge of programming of that very station). I'm happy with this random selection (although, in my DJ mode, I'd fu(n)ck it up more), so I'll sign off for the night with my old sign off:

Peace, Love, and Pleasure, everyone.