Peter Tosh & Wailers - Give me a ticket
The Letter - Boxtops
Rita Marley & The Wailers - Give Me A Ticket
Choose Your favourite version and enjoy...
Κυριακή 6 Μαρτίου 2011
I'm a Going Home To My Baby...
Peter Tosh & Wailers - Give me a ticket
The Letter - Boxtops
Rita Marley & The Wailers - Give Me A Ticket
Choose Your favourite version and enjoy...
Tarantula...
Pleasurekraft - Tarantula (Original Mix)
Me - Mom i want to kill 34 people
Mom - My God...Why?
Me - They hate Pleasurekraft!
Mom - Get ur dad's chainsaw!
The Morning Benders – Big Echo (2010)
by Mike Mineo
Although they have only begun to break out the past two years, I already have fond memories of The Morning Benders. When I posted about them back in April 2006, it was only a month after the site formed and I was eager to cover something fresh and worthwhile. At the time, this site had little direction and my focus was sporadic, so anything to attain readers was desired. One thing was clear though, and that was the undeniable potential of The Morning Benders. Their debut EP, Loose Change, is definitely one of the earliest memories I have of sharing great, new music to more than a room full of close friends. There was nothing to dislike about the young quartet from Berkeley, California living up to their flexible namesake in their surf-inspired pop and rock songs. ’60s pop collided with an early Strokes sound to make their emergence in 2006 timely, though it was not nearly enough material (in quantitative standards) to get excited over. They teased audiences some more with two EPs before their debut album, Talking Through Tin Cans, was released in 2008. The tracks were as stellar as the EPs, but it felt more like two or three EPs glued together rather than a full album. With their follow-up Big Echo, they have done a remarkable job of creating a satisfying full-length that marvels with cohesive songs and production.
Like any band whose first five years are pinnacled by a string of EPs, The Morning Benders prepared Big Echowith plenty of expectations surrounding them. Previous releases found them producing a very amiable style of lo-fi pop, the hooks appearing prominently despite a lack of resources. As five years have past, The Morning Benders have been searching for a sound that caters to their natural indie-pop sentiments without limiting themselves to a DIY schtick. On Big Echo, one finds a band comfortable for the first time. Sure, the majestic use of strings and vocal accompaniments help and are new for the group, but what shines most brightly is the presentation. The production is exceptionally suitable, sounding like sparkling indie-pop performed in a concert hall. This growth can be attributed to producer Chris Taylor, who is already quite established at the age of 28 with Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, and TV on the Radio to his name. The Grizzly Bear multi-instrumentalist and Chris Chu recorded the album together in San Francisco. Chu’s songwriting flourishes with this clean presentation, particularly on gems like “Promises”. This effort in particular is the best thing I have ever heard from The Morning Benders, not to mention 2010 in general. There is still that anthemic, Strokes-like indie-rock vibe going on in the chorus, but the structural variation elsewhere is more reminiscent of Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo when he actually gave a shit (1994-2001).Weezer and Neutral Milk Hotel are certainly obvious influences, but unlike The Morning Benders’ previous releases there is no feeling of replication on Big Echo. They have a nice arsenal of instrumentation that makes for some great moments, once again courtesy of new production advantages. The high-pitched marimba feel on “Cold War (Nice Clean Fight)” that slowly evolves into a addictive, folk-based sing-along is indicative of this, as is the subdued wave of organs on “Pleasure Sighs”. The vocals here sit somewhere between Neil Young and Wayne Coyne, adjusted accordingly since the subsequent “Hand Me Downs” is more akin to The Walkmen’s Hamilton Leithauser and the respective group’s excellently unpredictable rhythm section. The Walkmen find themselves to be an apt comparison as well, mainly because they are expanding upon the boundaries of traditional indie-rock led by guitars and keys without borrowing too heavily from the past. The guitars on “Pleasure Sighs” resound with heavy doses of reverb and intricate progressions, which under the slight touch of organs creates for a serene feel that fits perfectly in the middle of Big Echo. Away from the guitar-driven pop that marked most of their early releases, the ambition shown here alone marks The Morning Benders’ revelation here.
The first half of Big Echo, particularly the succession from “Promises” to “Pleasure Sighs”, is breathtaking. The last four tracks are more spotty in their consistency, but still have their shining moments. “All Day Day Light” is not amusing enough with its acoustic arpeggios and steady drumbeat to make it memorable, and the vocals sound like too much of a stretch in their twangy delivery. This song in particular is one of the only instances of a lazy chorus though, for most tracks introduce a plethora of variations that unexpectedly sneak into your head. “Promises” is probably the best example of this, though the epic demeanor of “Pleasure Sighs” and the beautiful, post-rock frailty of “Stitches” come close. The heavy-charged and vivid emotions of the latter remind me strongly once again of The Walkmen, a band for which comparisons are rare. A minor miscue like “All Day Day Light” and the somewhat extraneous “Sleeping In” aside, Big Echo is a tremendous step forward for a band whose potential has finally caught up to them. Rough Trade Records really struck gold with this one. Thanks to the imminent success of Big Echo, The Morning Benders are bound to be one of the most popular indie-rock acts of 2010.
8.5/10.0
Release date:
09.03.2010
Quality:
VBR V0
Music label:
Rough Trade Records
Country:
San Francisco, California, United States
Tracklist:
1. Excuses
2. Promises
3. Wet Cement
4. Cold War (Nice Clean Fight)
5. Pleasure Sighs
6. Hand Me Downs
7. Mason Jar
8. All Day Daylight
9. Stitches
10. Sleeping In
2. Promises
3. Wet Cement
4. Cold War (Nice Clean Fight)
5. Pleasure Sighs
6. Hand Me Downs
7. Mason Jar
8. All Day Daylight
9. Stitches
10. Sleeping In
The Morning Benders - Excuses
Rest in peace almighty Jah Woosh!
Jah Woosh
1952-2011
1952-2011
Jah Woosh has passed away.
Only a few months after reggae fans mourned Gregory Isaacs' death, another reggae artist, the 58-year old DJ Jah Woosh, has passed away on Monday 21st February 2011. Despite having scored five #1 DJ albums in UK's Black Music Magazine, he never reached huge popularity and wide acknowledgement throughout a long period in his musical career. Jah Woosh was no U Roy, Big Youth, Dennis Alcapone or I Roy, but he was fresh and the fact that he had come through with an album, and not a long series of hit singles, was appreciated in those days. The cause of his death is currently unknown.
THE RELIGIOUS DREAD.
Neville Beckford aka Jah Woosh was born on the 16th September 1952 in Kingston, Jamaica. Before starting his musical career he served an apprenticeship as a mechanic. He and his friend Reggae George started out singing together and attended auditions with Jamaica's top producers like Coxsone Dodd and Duke Reid under the name of Neville & George. However they didn't have any luck and thus their partnership was short-lived and both went on to pursue solo careers.
Actually Neville Beckford's career took off when he became resident DJ on Tivoli Garden based Prince Lloyd's sound system. After about three years chatting on the mic for Prince Lloyd, he moved on. He then recorded his very first song for an unknown producer named George "Blue" Bell in 1971. He was setting up his own label and took Jah Woosh to Channel One studio to record "Angela Davis", a tribute to the black freedom fighter, on Little Roy's "Prophesy" riddim, which was supplied by Blacka Morwell of The Morwells. That debut record appeared on the "Marijuana World Tour" album as a hidden bonus track. After that he recorded "Try A Thing" for Blacka Morwell.
Next he met Rupie Edwards, which resulted in the release of his self-titled debut album in 1974, which was released in Jamaica on Edwards' Success label and on the Cactus imprint in the UK. After Rupie Edwards he went on to work with Phil Pratt for whom he recorded "Psalm 121", "Zion Sound", "Rat Inna Me House", and "The Envious Version Thing". With these and recordings for other producers, he enjoyed a brief spell of fame. Following his success, he recorded a self-production with the Mighty Clouds Band, resulting in the release of the "Dreadlocks Affair" album on Trojan Records. The Dudley Swaby produced "Psalms Of Wisdom" and Leonard Chin's "Chalice Blaze" both appeared in 1976 as well. All three sets were hits, and featured such smash singles as "Ital Feast," "Dreadlocks Affair," "Shimmy Skank," and "Natty Bal' Head". Then the release of the "Religious Dread" set in 1978 produced a successful run in the Jamaican reggae charts. The same year he released the "Gathering Israel" album, which was merely the icing on the cake. A split set with I-Roy, "We Chat You Rock", was also recorded during this period.
As the end of the 1970s approached, Jamaica was becoming awash with DJs, and with his popularity having peaked, he decided to leave the Island. This was achieved by hooking up with a group of UK/JA musicians who were collectively soon to become the recording and touring unit known as Creation Rebel. Jah Woosh's "Marijuana World Tour" album, recorded at the Black Ark, Randy's and King Tubby's, and produced by the "Rebels Of Creation", was the first result of this partnership. It was initially released on the short lived Creation Rebel label and subsequently on Jah Woosh's Original Music imprint. As the 1980s pressed on and reggae music turned digital, Jah Woosh came to dislike the new technology and lost interest in recording. Consequently, he moved on once again, this time settling in Ghana, Africa, where he continued to run his Original Music label, ensuring that much of his back catalogue remained relatively easy to uncover. Because he also worked as a producer, self-producing much of his work from 1976 onwards, and producing other artists such as Bim Sherman, Horace Andy, Larry Marshall, and his old friend Reggae George, he also released works of other artists on his Original Music label including the compilation "In A Rub A Dub Style".
http://www.reggae-vibes.com/concert/jahwoosh/jahwoosh.htm
Earl Chinna Smith and Idrens - Inna De Yard Vol.2(2008)
Recording : Chinna's Yard, Kingston 10, between the 14th & the 19th of July 2008
Engineer : Clive “Dub King” Geffrey
Producer & Aranger : Earl “Chinna” Smith and Idrens
Artwork: Nicolas “Kouakou” Mamet
Artists :
Melodica : Tony Cole
Guitars: Earl “Chinna” Smith, Barry “Merger” Ford, Emmanuel I
Bass: Earl “Chinna” Smith
Percussions: Sangie Davis, Kiddus I, Peter Kush, Derajah, Seers, The Congos…
Backing vocals: Derajah, Patrick Andy, Winston McAnuff, Kiddus I…
Babylon...
Earl ''Chinna'' Smith & Idrens - Inna De Yard Vol. 1 (2005)
Inna de Yard (Makasound, 2004)
Earl "Chinna" Smith is arguably the great reggae guitar maestro, a legendary musician who played
with a "who's who" of reggae acts, often as part of the prolific Soul Syndicate band. He rarely
gets the spotlight, but the sublime Inna de Yard is perhaps the best showcase for his talents you
can buy. There have been several attempts to fuse folksy acoustic guitar with reggae -- by Mishka,
Screwdriver, Qushan Dia, and Ziggy Marley, to name a few -- but none has done is as successfully
as Smith does on Inna de Yard. This album is a true marvel in this modern age: totally acoustic
with little more than a guitar and an occasional distant drum to support the vocalists. It's even
recorded outdoors, which brings new meaning to the title Inna de Yard. This all lends a serene,
meditative quality that, though it may not appeal to everyone (those looking for an adrenaline rush -
- say, athletes or scorned postal workers -- may want to search elsewhere), is a uniquely affecting
experience. Only three tracks ("Well Ah Oh", "All With Life", and "Dem No Know") have a typically
reggae hiccupping "one drop" rhythm, and that's because they share the same music. The rest is
distinctly folk-inclined, yet they still retain a reggae base, anchored by the excellent, rootsy vocals.
Think Bob Marley's "Redemption Song". Chinna sings on half of the songs here, and it's surprising
that he's not sung more on recordings; his voice is warm and soulful in the vein of Dennis Brown
or Freddie McGregor. His creative powers, however, are fully realized when you factor in that
he wrote Soul Syndicate's "Mariwana" and "We Got Love" (remade later by McGregor), as well as
Keith Hudson's "Satan Side". In case you didn't know, he covers all three on Inna de Yard
(He also wrote Junior Byles's "Fade Away", but that's not remade here.). The acoustic guitar
sound shines a new, refreshing light on these tunes, particularly the latter (attributed to
Smith using the pseudonym Earl Flute; see Rebel Music), which had previously relied on a thunderous,
distinctly non-acoustic bass line. Chinna's originals are even more impressive, though. "Home Grown"
is a sincere ganja anthem, while "Humble Servant" is a placid statement of his faith. Chinna shares
the spotlight with veteran singer Ken Bob and lesser-known artists, including Ras Michael's son, as
well as his own. While Earl Smith Jr. provides a solid DJ turn on "Dem No Know," Ras Michael Jr.
contributes the most striking tune, "Medicine Man". It presents a vivid tale of a dreadlocked
"bush doctor" who indirectly has ties to Jesus Christ and is sung with exquisite emotion. Bob's
"A Chapter a Day" (the non-acoustic version of which is on his Reggae Rider album), DJ Jah Youth's
"Well Ah Oh", and Maestro's "Are You Ready" -- sung with an eerily Junior Murvin-like falsetto -
- also stand out, although virtually the entire album shines. Until this point, the French label
Makasound has focused on reissues of old music, but given the quality of this original effort,
let's hope they continue to put out newly recorded works as well.
Recording : Chinna's Yard, Kingston 10, mid-august 2004
Engineers : Clive "Dub King" Geffrey, Earl Smith Jr.
Guitars : Earl Smith & for themselves The Maestro, Ken Bob, Emmanuel I, Michael Henry
Percussions : Jah Youth, Ken Bob, Emmanuel I, Earl Smith
Faraway drums : Kush McAnuff
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