A quick taste of Distraction

It helps if you speak it as it is.

Modern Soul what is it ? (one of a series)

By Modern Soul in this instance- I mean the genre that I knew back a ways, the sub genre of a wider movement that these days touches and includes such a diverse amount of styles-it's hard to pin down.


For me, say back in 2004 Modern Soul meant the sort of music played at little Events held mostly in the North West of England (well the best ones were).


I'm not one for attending Modern Soul events these days. I'm too old, too poor and too miserable about it. This wasn't always the case and my times at Prestwich Civic Hall in particular (2000-2008) remain dear to me.


At the time I bitched about the choices played. Not Urban enough, not forward thinking enough, they listened to what I said with a sly grin on their faces.


But hand on heart the chance to go on a dance floor and shuffle about to this (back in 2004/5) was an utter privilege and I'll never be grateful enough for it

Soul Togetherness 2011

About to be released on Expansion the latest in a line of  Essential Compilations under the long standing brand of "Soul Togetherness".

If you don't know this series then -I'm struggling to explain exactly what they represent in less than a few hundred words but I'll try. Let's begin with an acknowledgement that I owe a debt to them in terms of my taste. They were the food on which my taste grew fatter, they fed the need and encouraged me to sample more music. Personally they represented the axis of a certain brand of  Modern Soul championed by Ralph Tee and Richard Searling. It was always their vision -a best of the Year in question, based on a number of variables including (most importantly) what they could licence. The compromise was always considered and continues to be so. In this respect you cannot fault them. The joy in them was that ordinary people in going to events and posting on Forums might have some influence on these choices-or be seen too. Over the last four or five years I've tracked this-especially with regard to the "older " tracks they have featured. It's been like watching a groundswell grow.

Perfection though is a bitch. Two years ago I wrote "If  Mar doesn't feature on one of these compilations soon then I'm a Dutchman" <sic>.  You don't always get what you want. Though I'm a friend of the compilations, and encourage you to buy them-I'm (partly) at odds with them....

It's a Bipolar Friendship



http://www.filesonic.com/file/2463753641/02#VA_Soul_Togetherness_2011.rar

Why I love K Murdock (part 1)

A few months ago now-I found myself watching K Murdock doing a live stream on Ustream. I was one of about 15 people in the chat room (least at first). He was as ever  approachable giving us all shouts and asking for a bit of feedback. He mentioned the Crossrhodes project and try as I could I couldn't quite bring myself to say anything. I was in fact rather shy because I think the track Balance is so perfect, so awesome. I knew I couldn't justify why I thought so- when put on the spot (so to speak).


The words alone make it special.
"Most smile to conceal the pain, while others flick about with wandering eyes, trying to stay afloat from the Worlds demise"
It reminds me of Joy and Pain (yes I know)-the contrast of life "thing"- the rhymes by Wes (which put me in mind of Gil Scott Heron), the vocal of Raheem-the song itself, the whole sound, the fact you have to listen and think about it .  I missed my chance to tell him -you know?- I regret that. 

Kero One- Catch up

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Kero One has decided to put together a compilation of tracks for a FREE DOWNLOAD.


I have been a fan for a quite a while and featured him BEFORE.


This track isn't on there but for me it's a personal favourite and the lyrics say it all........

Lisa Banton

Chris Crates a Manchester based DJ who not only has a very very good Radio Show, but also  an excellent supporting Blog has written that a new mix tape by Lisa Banton is about to arrive. I've done a bit of searching but can't find it as yet.


I'll probably hear it first on his show.


Until then check out this free download from her released last year

Quick Update

First apologies for Divshare being off line yesterday leaving this space looking sparse...tut tut.


Hats off to  Mike Ashley for playing a remix of Joey Sommerville on his Radio Cardiff show yesterday- denting a rather large hole in my research and also The Hurst Selection for featuring the same remix in his London-to-America Pod cast. 


Both gentleman are several steps up from me with regard to knowledge and experience. Mike Ashley has for many years worked tirelessly promoting independent Soul Music (he was too busy giving shout outs to actual Artists to mention me yesterday) , Brian Hurst is innovating through his http://www.soulandjazz.com/ website bringing together an impressive collective of DJ's, who produce a superlative array of music streamed straight to good taste buds across the world.


A quick thank you goes to people who have visited here- I know that your time is limited. I have not enabled comments yet- I would like to but I'm trying to show (to myself mostly) that this blog isn't about me seeking recognition-for what is in effect simply listening to music


I have been trying (with no joy) incorporating posts from my last Blog http://altmodernsoul-the-exchange.blogspot.com/ on here- but I feel it's never going to happen. Something to do with formatting perhaps ??? A lot of the embedded links on the old Blog still work-though some do not.
If I actually manage to get any traffic on here I will upgrade my Div Share- we shall see.


Meantime I'll start updating here soon- tomorrow in fact.....

9/11

Speaking as someone who lives in the UK and at the time (and still!) tucked away in the North West of England it seems inappropriate to comment about this day. However it has become known as "The Day that Changed the World"- So how can one ignore it?


Remembering it - I was at work when the news broke and was told by a co worker "a plane has crashed into the Twin Towers". I said in utter disbelief  "you mean a light Aircraft?". "No a Passenger Jet". I replied "you must have that wrong"-then I looked at his Computer as the second plane struck. It seemed beyond comprehension-the images like a disaster movie-totally unreal.


After work I went round to see a friend who took on an odd attitude "well you can't say it's not unexpected". His view was born out of ignorance, out of the anti American sentiments held by many at the time in the UK, and by the distance in both time and geography. As soon as the heart braking personal stories began to be told his view changed radically into accepting the event as the cruel work of cowards and cold blooded murderers.


Over the next few days I and many others had a real sense of dread over the action the US would take to seek vengeance. American was understandably after blood, and it seemed like even more innocent people would suffer and die, as if 3000 wasn't enough. Ever since we Christians burned that library in Constantinople in 1204 relations with the Muslims have been pretty strained. In 1988 Muslims did some book burning of their own almost on my doorstep, so three years later things looked pretty bleak all round.  


Ten Years on and especially on this day- it's wrong to consider the post 9/11 outcomes. Today is about those people who had life stolen from them and the loss and pain endured by their loved ones. Some things are beyond retribution. Two days before 9/11-in what seems like a supreme irony- I recorded from my LP's this track by Al Wilson. I forgot I'd recorded it until a week later and when I played it back the lyrics took on a deeper significance- it has never sounded the same.

....................................................................................................................................................
May they rest in peace.

1992 The Real Brothers

Back in 2009 I took an interest in a couple of tracks I managed to download from Rap Outfit -the Real Brothers. At the time I was downloading a lot of what one might call obscure old rap from places such as Bust the Facts and TROY. What I admired about these places including the phila flava forum, was the unbridled enthusiasm these people had, they were, it seemed at least a generation younger than me yet still looking back to their youth. On one hand I didn't quite get this. I don't own a vast amount of Records yet I do own several hundred dated 1977- and frankly I keep pretty quiet about them- simply because they represent my late teens. On the other hand I do understand recording these tracks (it's why I bought a Computer) and how memory and music are inter connected. Another thing I admire about TROY is the series of compilations they made called "Sounds like the 90t's", here they linked the past to the present in a knowledgeable way. Plus they share the music through their love. So here from Bust the Facts is a recording from a tape of "what's next"-and it's rather good (IMH)

Lawrence Matthews and Freda Lyons Campbell

I have just got hold of this may release from Lawrence Matthews.


I was interested because it features Freda Lyons Campbell on one track.

Freda on her "You've been set up" set of 2008 produced a track I truly adore.

Reggie B

Reggie B remains one of my fave artists. It's his voice I like best.


I've lost track of the number of great vocal stints he's done over the last three years.


The latest in a series of Applejac compilations which was free for a few weeks features some pretty good covers and some other top drawer performances.


Reggie does a good job with the old Slave number- a band which featured another of my fave vocalists.

It's "our" Frank Ocean

Young gifted and everywhere. For reasons I do not fully grasp people like Frank Ocean. It may have something to do with his age. On the surface he seems like every other artist trying to capture the market.  I like the guy because "We all try" seems such an extraordinary song- so mature. His mix tape Nostalgia Ultra is pretty essential (Try features on it) -it is a remarkable bit of work. Problem is since then the stack of leaks of all his past material have clouded the waters. I have downloaded them all because.... that is what I do. I've also got a lot of demo tracks from James Fauntleroy (crazy name crazy guy) who never quite realises his talent- though got close on the Cocaine 80t's set. 


This is just staggeringly ordinary- yet here I am posting it up. No I don't know why either?

Joey Sommerville

More of the Smooth stuff..............


Rather excellent though.


I feel a UK based  Streaming Media show will be playing this sometime next week- (assuming of course they haven't played it already- hey I ain't perfect with the research) Still I like to help out my Starpoint friends- so I hope this serves as a reminder


And this isn't even the best track on there......

Here

Spend- One Night

Brand new and sounding good

Winston Stewart

After all the excitement of Cee Lo's crazy disco inferno- lets settle down with a bit of smooove.


2011 release and a very gentle song.


Click here for info