9 posts from September 2008

This past weekend, KCRW was invited to participate in the west coast launch of PT3, Puma's Table Tennis tournament, held at Microsoft's leased Zune LA space. The Tourney featured 16 teams including MOCA, LACMA, Stones Throw Records, Flaunt Magazine, Smashbox Studios, Paramount, The Undefeated store and a host of others.

 

The KCRW team consisted of Director of Member services/Team organizer Jennifer Fuertes, Associative Interactive Producer/MVP Robert LaFond and music librarian/team captain Eric J.Lawrence. They also received some assistance from Bella Livshin, head coach for the Santa Monica Community College Table Tennis Team.

How did we do? Every picture tells the story in the slideshow below

-NASSir

The music to the films of James Bond have been so influential that it basically can stand alone as it's own genre. KCRW favorites Bitter Sweet are an example of a band that has been able to carve their own niche from this specialized style.

Earlier on this week we received a copy of a limited edition 7" vinyl release of "Another Way to Die", the title cut to the forthcoming James Bond film Quantum of Solace. The track happens to be the first duet in the Bond Film series and features an unlikely pairing between Jack White and Alicia Keyes. Apparently the the collaboration has been a long time in the making.

To get you guys warmed up for the action check out the HD trailer to the film
below and make sure to stay tuned to KCRW for spins of the forthcoming single as the film's release approaches in mid November. 

Here are my picks for some other bond-like tracks discovered on this very station

1) Deadly Avenger - We Took Vegas
2) Jean Jeacques Perrey & Dana Countryman - The Spy From Outer Space
3) Herbaliser - The Next Spot, Amores Bongo
4) Tristeza - Bromas
5) ??? - end of the week...brain is fried..you got any ideas....

-Nassir

This past Sunday several KCRW DJ's helped bid farewell to the Starbucks' HEAR music store on Santa Monica's 3rd st. promenade. I had a chance to visit the store for the special closing event a few times throughout the day and i must admit it was difficult to see another record store go. I had enjoyed many good times and fond finds there, including my first visit for the release party of the KCRW Sounds Eclectic Volume 3 compilation, where i saw many of the DJ's for the first time in person. That same day former KCRW DJ Tricia Halloran duped one of her custom Brave New World Mixes for me at the listening bar. I would go on to make some of my own mixtapes as gifts for my friends birthdays and often would frequent the store to check out their great palette of music which i personally think reflected the station's eclectic taste more than any other record store.

 

 

Special props goes to the well-informed and hard-working employees at Hear music including music specialist Itai Shapiro who made his last day memorable with a special in-store live performance from his band the Elevaters.

 
                                                 
          
                                      

If you didn't get a chance to make it to the store, they will be playing at the Temple Bar thisFriday before it closes it's doors as well at the end of  this month.                    

Where does the time go by? We are just starting to receive our share of holiday submissions in the library. I always look forward to christmas time while Eric tends to prefer his pumpkin carving festivities and selecting the great range of spooky tunes for his Halloween show. Today we were treated with an album from which we can both agree on.

For the second installment of my intriguing add of the week i gotta go with Nightmare Revisited , a tribute to the Tim Burton classic Nightmare Before Christmas with brand new recordings of the songs heard from the original motion picture soundtrack from an eclectic cast of new bands. There were some obvious choices like Marilyn Manson and a few other commercial artists who i don't care much for and won't bother naming... But what what really caught my eye was some of the KCRW favorites on their including Devotchka, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Rjd2, Polyphonic Spree, Sparklehorse, Datarock, and the Album Leaf. Check out full tracklisting HERE.

Believe it or not, i have yet to see this film but i'm hoping it will make another run for the special 3-d engagements which were going on last year. You can pick up the album in digital/physical outlets on September 30th courtesy of Walt Disney Records.

Check out this scene, which features my favorite song from the original soundtrack by the lovely Fiona Apple.

Let the requests begin on this very here blog for your favorite holiday tracks in the comment box.

- Nassir

On MBE last Friday Nic played The The's "Beat(en) Generation" and so before refiling the album back deep in the music library trenches, Eric decided to introduce me to his favorite record of theirs, Soul Mining. I've been doing a bit of soul mining myself lately, so I was particularly interested in the track "This is the Day", which inspired me to make some big changes including growing out my mustache. Watch the video here {music video ; not of me growing out my mustache } and let me know what it inspires you to do.

-Nasstache

Hey folks,
       here's our charts for this week. Holding the throne in our top 50 for the first time is the latest effort from Icelandic singer-songwriter Emiliana Torrini. Her record just hit stores last week and her single "Me and Armini" has been a big hit across many of this stations unique programs. You'll also notice new material from Bloc Party and Keane's new single, Spiralling down to #7 in its first week at the home of our music library.

KCRW TOP 50 FOR WEEK OF 09/15/2008

  # Artist (Last Name, First Name) == Album Title >> [Label]

  1 TORRINI, EMILIANA == Me & Armini >> [Rough Trade]
  2 STEREOLAB == Chemical Chords >> [4ad]
  3 BRAZILIAN GIRLS == New York City >> [Verve Forecast]
  4 BLOC PARTY == Intimacy >> [Atlantic]
  5 VERVE == Forth >> [On Your Own]
  6 SIGUR ROS == Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust >> [Xl]
  7 KEANE == Spiralling >> [Interscope]
  8 TV ON THE RADIO == Dancing Choose >> [Interscope]
  9 BECK == Modern Guilt >> [Interscope]
10 SAADIQ, RAPHAEL == Way I See It >> [Columbia]
11 PACHA MASSIVE == All Good Things - Remix >> [Nacional]
12 NIGHTMARES ON WAX == Thought So >> [Warp]
13 CALYPSO SOUL COMPILATION == Calypsoul 70 >> [Strut]
14 BYRNE & ENO == Everything That Happens Will Happen >> [Self Release]
15 RATATAT == Lp3 >> [Xl]
16 MERCURY REV == Snowflake Midnight >> [Yep Roc]
17 FUJIYA & MIYAGI == Lightbulbs >> [Deaf Dumb & Blind]
18 CALEXICO == Carried To Dust >> [Quarterstick]
19 MGMT == Electric Feel >> [Columbia]
20 DANDY WARHOLS == Earth To The Dandy Warhols >> [Beat The World]
21 GEORGE & PARKS == An Invitation >> [Everloving]
22 DIDO == Don't Believe In Love >> [Arista]
23 BPA == Toe Jam >> [Southern Fried]
24 QUANTIC - FLOWERING INFERNO == Death Of The Revolution >> [Tru Thoughts]
25 TRICKY == Knowle West Boy >> [Domino]
26 FRANTI, MICHAEL & SPEARHEAD == All Rebel Rockers >> [Anti]
27 WALKMEN == You & Me >> [Gigantic Music]
28 MONKEY == Journey To The West >> [Xl]
29 SCHNAUSS, ULRICH == Stars >> [Domino] 30 BOMB THE BASS == Future Chaos >> [K7]
31 FAINT == Fasciinatiion >> [Blank Wav]
32 SANTOGOLD == Santogold >> [Downtown]
33 BJORK == Dull Flame Of Desire >> [One Little Indian]
34 INLOVE == For Minnie Riperton 12" >> [Inflamable]
35 CHEMICAL BROTHERS == Brotherhood >> [Astralwerks]
36 LAMONTAGNE, RAY == Gossip In The Grain - Sampler >> [Rca]
37 AUTOLUX == Transit Transit - Sampler >> [Self Release]
38 MARCHING BAND == Spark Large >> [U&l Records]
39 BOAT PEOPLE == Chandeliers >> [Self Release] 40 HELENE == Heliotrope >> [Pronoia]
41 SNOW PATROL == Take Back The City >> [Polydor/interscope]
42 HANNIGAN, LISA == Sea Sew >> [Self Release]
43 YAMAGATA, RACHAEL == Elephants - Teeth Sinking Into Heart >> [Warner Bros]
44 FAR OUT COMPILATION == Far Out Bossa Nova >> [Far Out]
45 WINEHOUSE, AMY == Ska Ep >> [Island]
46 SONNY J == Disastro >> [Astralwerks]
47 JEM == Down To Earth >> [Ato]
48 CITY LOUNGE COMPILATION == City Lounge 4 - Sampler >> [Wagram]
49 CSS == Donkey >> [Sub Pop]
50 COLDPLAY == Viva La Vida >> [Capitol]

KCRW SPECIALTY CHARTS - 09/15/2008
The Strut label struts its stuff again with another solid compilation of carribean soul and calypso crossover from 1969-79. Will Holland's new project, Flowering Inferno has also been a heavy hitter this week. Make sure to check his live show out at Zanzibar's Afrofunke tomorrow night with KCRW's very own Jeremy Sole.

WORLD
  1 CALYPSO SOUL COMPILATION == Calypsoul 70 >> [Strut]
  2 QUANTIC - FLOWERING INFERNO == Death Of The Revolution >> [Tru Thoughts]
  3 FAR OUT COMPILATION == Far Out Bossa Nova >> [Far Out]
  4 CITY LOUNGE COMPILATION == City Lounge 4 - Sampler >> [Wagram]
  5 BASTIDA, CECI == Veo La Marea >> [Advance]
  6 PERRY, LEE SCRATCH == Repentance >> [Narnack]
  7 BITONE == Movement Of Life >> [Time To Eat]
  8 SIDESTEPPER == Buena Vibra Sound System >> [Palm]
  9 MALHEIROS, SABRINA == New Morning >> [Far Out]
10 FANIA REMIX COMPILATION == I Like It Like That - Sampler >> [Emusica]

RPM
  1 BRAZILIAN GIRLS == New York City >> [Verve Forecast]
  2 NIGHTMARES ON WAX == Thought So >> [Warp]
  3 CALYPSO SOUL COMPILATION == Calypsoul 70 >> [Strut]
  4 RATATAT == Lp3 >> [Xl]
  5 FUJIYA & MIYAGI == Lightbulbs >> [Deaf Dumb & Blind]
  6 MGMT == Electric Feel >> [Columbia]
  7 BPA == Toe Jam >> [Southern Fried]
  8 SCHNAUSS, ULRICH == Stars >> [Domino]
  9 BOMB THE BASS == Future Chaos >> [K7]
10 FAINT == Fasciinatiion >> [Blank Wav]

JAZZ
  1 PEREZ & OGERMAN == Across The Crystal Sea >> [Decca]
  2 GARRETT, KENNY == Sketches Of Md >> [Mack Avenue]
  3 LOCKE, JOE == Force Of Four >> [Origin]
  4 LOVANO, JOE == Symphonica >> [Blue Note]
  5 BARRON, KENNY == Traveler >> [Sunnyside]
  6 DI PIAZZA, DOMINIQUE - TRIO == Princess Sita >> [Sunnyside]
  7 LASSY, TIMO == Soul & Jazz Of >> [Ricky Tick]
  8 HARGROVE, ROY QUINTET == Earfood >> [Groovin High]
  9 BRAZILIAN TRIO == Forests >> [Zoho Music]
10 DAVIS, MILES - TRIBUTE == Miles From India >> [Times Square]

So after compiling our voluminous list of weekly added titles yesterday, my pick for the most intriguing recording was Putumayo's Sesame Street Playground - a CD/DVD set featuring songs and music videos from Sesame Street productions around the world from China, Russia, France, Mexico, Israel,Palestine and a host of other countries. Although it may not be the best record to listen to while you work, it was pretty entertaining. Check out one of Eric's faves, The Galli Galli Sim Sim Theme From Sesame Street India.

...which is why we here at KCRW hired young Nassir Nassirzadeh last year to help out here in the cavernous KCRW Music Library.  Nassir was one of the tireless volunteers that helped us out with our Digitizing Project, and we like his work ethic so much, we hired him on to serve as my lackey, er I mean "assistant."  Hey, every Dr. Frankenstein needs an Igor...

But I jest.  Nassir is pretty saavy about his music, whether it's the latest musical discovery he tracked down from some random blog or an obscure track from the soundtrack to some 20-year-old Jean-Claude Van Damme movie.  One of his duties here in the music library is to chime in on this here blog so that it will have more than one entry per month.  In fact, if I'm going to keep up, I'll probably have to make multiple entries PER WEEK!  All the more reason for you all to be checking up on us more often & chiming in yourself with any comments you might have.  In any case, please allow me to introduce the musical musings of my man, Nassir!

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Wow! Thanks for that sweet intro Boss of Nass...One of our most important daily priorities here in the KCRW music library is to properly identify all of our recently converted digital files from our vast vinyl catalogue with the necessary info. to best replicate the liner notes found on the sleeves and labels of the physical records. Today i was Shockazulud to find Amazulu, an artist previously unknown to me until a little bird named tweety-pedia told me that Amazulu was primarily a female british ska/new wave group discovered by former Adam & the Ants/X-Ray Specs manager Falcon Stuart. To top it off, they were formed in the 80's, my favorite decade which i also happen to be formed. Maybe i was sensitized by my home-made obscure 80's mixtape filled with the proper ingredients of b-movie soundtrack material for my best friend's bday the other day but regardless, listening to Amazulu's "All Over the World" reminded me of a desperately needed tropical vacation ...hint hint..Chief Librarian ; )  

To see what i mean check out the video for Amazulu's cover of Bobby Bloom's "Montego Bay"---> HERE

Stay tuned for more discoveries on our journey to clone the KCRW music library.

- Nassir Nassirzulu

So we've recently received a couple of records from side-projects of drummers of familiar UK bands.

Correcto is the name of the Scottish indie-rock band featuring Paul Thomson of Franz Ferdinand.  Paul has played in a number of other bands prior to FF, including, most prominently The Yummy Fur (which also featured Franz' Alex Kapranos in their waning days), so I am not surprised Correcto rock so well.  They play a rowdy style of post-punk reminscent of my favorite band of all time, The Fall, yet with an extra poignancy on some of the quieter moments.  Well worth tracking down.

The Peth is a Welsh band led by Super Furry Animals drummer Dafydd Ieuan, which features some of his Welsh buddies, including actor (and the lead vocalist of an early incarnation of the SFAs) Rhys Ifans.  They have a new album called The Golden Path, which is currently only availably digitally, with the official CD coming out in October.  I've heard one track from it, "Shoot on Sight," and as one might expect from members of the Furries, it is some manically glorious pychedeclic rock.  We just added their full album to the library & I'm looking forward to checking it out.

So here's to all those drummers toiling away in the back, hidden behind the tom-toms & melodramatic lead singers.  You too can start your own band & rock our worlds!

EJL