drunk funk tuesday: jimmy ross – first true love affair

oh man, this track just makes me think of middle school, primarily because all i hear is the roller rink and first crushes. not much else to say besides that if you ever see larry levan’s name affiliated with a song, chances are you won’t be disappointed. download here, with bonus instrumental track.

FACT x italians do it better

i’m pretty sure i’m obligated to post this one. luckily it’s very much worth your time, as mike simonetti comes correct with an all-vinyl (ooooh, fancy!), single-take (show-off!) mix that he did for FACT magazine while his son was taking a nap (awwww!). no tracklist of course, which i think is kind of obnoxious. i would like to know what these tracks are, and i’m pretty sure the artists who made these jams want me to know as well. i’ll take what i can get though, and you should get it to, by clicking here. oh, and just skip on to the 7:00 minute mark, unless you’re a big fan of whooshing wind sounds.

drunk funk tuesday: pleasure – sending my love

some late night action. oh, and don’t try visiting the blog that posted this youtube as those misers at blogspot shut ‘em down. this one goes out to all the good-ass blogs blogspot kills (especially edufunky and funk classic master, though there is a new one of those).

drunk funk tuesday: NV – it’s alright

i literally have no time for a proper d.f.t. this week, so i’m just going to leave you with the song that’s looping in my head as i stress the fuck out. you can download this track here, courtesy of the top billin’ dudes.

key-tar mix

you know what your weekend is missing? yep, key-tars. so why don’t you click over here to stream/download chairman mao’s latest spine blowing decisions mix with a heavy emphasis on the key-tar. click here for the tracklist. great summertime mix, and yes, dam-funk, this is “the kind of music the most beautiful woman in the world and the most gangsta dude in the world could sit down and enjoy together over a glass of wine.”

lazers never die

head on over to the one-armed, lazer-shooting, jamaican commando major lazer’s myspace page to stream the new lazers never die ep featuring everyone from M.I.A. to collie buddz and remixes from buraka som sistema and thom yorke. yes, the dude from radiohead remixed “jump up.” it’s been a minute since i listened to guns don’t kill people…LAZERS do, and this ep is reminding me why i should revisit it. before you go, check out this kenny meez remix of my still-favorite track on guns, “can’t stop now” with jovi rockwell and mr. lexx. download it over at the mad decent blog.

drunk funk tuesday: kano – can’t hold back (your loving)

kano is IT. definitely one of my favorite bands from this era. part of the reason i’ve been so fascinated by late 70s/early 80s soul music (and its various designations) is how much it plays with the conventions we hold. for example, kano. when you hear this track, i doubt you’re thinking, ‘oh, this is obviously three italian dudes appropriating classic soul and disco and helping lay the groundwork for future dance genres like house music.’ bonus points if that is what you’re thinking. anyway, kano is IT. i fucking love the bass on this track. you may be familiar with kano based on their first hit, “i’m ready,” which found it’s way onto this awesome mixtape that tang posted a few weeks back. download “can’t hold back (your loving)” here.

voodoo funk

the internet is, essentially, a very large place. but do you know what else is a very large place? the world? which is why i’m glad one small part of the internet is getting the word out on one still pretty big part of the world.

voodoo funk is a blog exposing the sounds of west african music. and not just featuring random 45s the dude found in brooklyn, but actually getting knee deep and finding unheard (in the west) records. so, click on over to voodoo funk, bookmark it, and enjoy this bomb mix from january.

click here for the download.

drunk funk tuesday: simbad (ft steelo) – soul fever

this week’s track was released in 2006, which means that it’s not officially a modern soul track. but the vibe is there, and this song will probably get stuck in your head. simbad (no, not him) is a london producer/dj doing what london producers/djs do (see his FACT mag mix for a sense of his tendencies). “soul fever” definitely owes a debt to early 80s soul music; one track i always think of when i hear “soul fever” is “on a journey” by elektrik funk, which has some early, early house music in it. i first heard “soul fever” on the LOVESPACE mixtape i linked to awhile back, which is still absolutely worth your time (and mastered by blog-homie dj phatrick). get it here. the link is dead fixed y’all, courtesy of shred one, so get get get it!

drunk funk tuesday: melba moore – take my love

today’s jam comes from melba moore, who actually had quite a successful career as a musician in the time that boogie/modern soul was ascendant (most notably, this track). this is in contrast to a lot of performers during this time, who would put out one single and never be heard from again, except occasionally from random blogs 30-some odd years later. indeed, melba moore has a decent wikipedia page where you can read more about her career. this track is especially great for enjoying while outside on beautiful summer days, which is FINALLY happening right now in seattle. download “take my love” here.