December 07 Mix

DOWNLOAD THE ENTIRE DECEMBER 07 MIX HERE

1) Cyril Neville – Tell Me What's On Your Mind
Some classic N.O. funk. Members of the Meters with one of the Neville Brothers.

2) The Rollers – Knocking on the Wrong Door
I'm still waiting to hear the rest of the latest Eccentric Soul compilation, The Outskirts of Deep City, but this one here is a pretty good start.

3) The Clefs of Calvary – You Don't Know What I've Been Through
The Clefs think the Lord is the only one who knows what they've been through. Evidently they don't buy into this whole Santa thing.

4) Millie Jackson – I Cry
Oh No sampled this on his fantastic debut album The Disrupt, and DJ Noodles (who?) chopped it up for Freeway's not-so-originally-titled "I Cry."

5) Freeway (ft. Marsha Ambrosius) – This Can't Be Real
If you haven't heard the Gil Scott Heron original, go find it…now. It'll bring tears to your eyes quicker than that Millie Jackson song.

6) Ghostface Killah (ft. Method Man & Raekwon) – Yolanda's House
Ghostface has something like 5 story-telling songs on The Big Doe Rehab, and they're all nails. This one particularly so with the fantastic assists from a rejuvenated Method Man (peep 8 Diagrams…he's back on his game) and the always solid Raekwon.

7) Young Buck (ft. the Outlawz) – Ridin' Down the Freeway
This one should have come out during the summer. It's tough to be drivin' down the freeway "diamond in the back with the sunroof open" in December. Hi-Tek on the beat.

8) Wu-Tang Clan (ft. George Clinton) – Wolves
The new Wu album is pretty awesome (no matter what Rae and Ghost keep saying in interviews). This head-nodder was pretty much picked at random...I could have selected any number of songs. But I like the way U-God opens this one.

9) 9^th Wonder (ft. Big Dho & Sean Price) – Shots
Little Brother's (former?) manager Big Dho hops on the mic without embarrassing himself! Pretty impressive considering he's next to one of the best in the game in Sean Price.

10) Busta Rhymes (ft. Rah Digga) – Not Right Now
Busta annoys me now that he's gone from cartoon character to hardcore dope slinger. But this J Dilla beat is reason enough to put up with him for 3 minutes. And the hook makes me laugh.

11) Wu-Tang Clan – Rushing Elephants
RZA's shout-out to Holger amuses me: "strangle cold bottles of Beck's, like a vexed German."

12) The Money Making Jam Boys (ft. Peedi Crakk) – I Don't Know What Else to Say
Black Thought's weed carriers (Dice Raw & Truck North) put out a mixtape rapping over some 80's beats, and it's actually really good. You might remember one of the tracks ("Maniacs") from the January Mix. Anyone know the song sampled here?

13) Percee P – The Man to Praise
"If you ladies were unable to follow my brain-melting lyrics, don't worry, I've got some dumbed-down songs for the ya'll on my album." – Percee P, offending everyone with two X chromosomes at the Slick Rick show last week. So, he's kind of a douche, but at least he got Madlib to lace him with some beats like this one.

14) Freeway – When They Remember
You gotta love Freeway. Every time he grabs the mic, whatever he's saying is the most urgent shit, like, ever.

15) DJ Drama (ft. Pharrell & the Clipse) – Cheers
It's a celebration, bitches! The best song off the surprisingly good DJ Drama album.

16) Kidz in the Hall – Hush
I never thought I'd see the day when a couple of Ivy Leaguers signed to Duck Down. Of course, I also never thought I'd see the day when anyone would think it a good idea to call their group Kidz in the Hall.

17) Riskay – Smell Yo Dick
When you want to know if your man is cheating or not, just ask to smell his dick! Genius! Saw this one in a David Cross interview, where he named it his favorite song of the year. It's pretty damn good.

18) DJ Mehdi – Lucky Boy
He's like the French version of the Avalanches.

19) Professor Murder – Flex-it Formula
The most fun band doing it today (my favorite show of the year). Can't wait for the upcoming full-length.

20) MGMT – Time to Pretend
#94 on Pitchfork's Top 100 Tracks of 2007. As they describe it, "MGMT shamelessly indulge in one simplistic, escapist hook for four guilt-free minutes." This is the only song of theirs that I've heard, but it works for me.

21) Radiohead – Bangers & Mash
From the In Rainbows bonus disc (the one you had to pay $80 for…I wouldn't bother). This is the only one that really rocks.

22) Band of Horses – Detlef Schrempf
I was underwhelmed with Cease to Begin, but Ben Bridwell's voice is still pretty undeniable. He's the poor man's Jim James.

November 07 Mix

1) Menahan Street Band - Make The Road By Walking
New group featuring members of the Dap-Kings, the Budos Band and El Michels Affair. Full-length coming early 2008.

2) Jay-Z - Roc Boys (And The Winner Is..)
Does that horn line sound familiar?

3) Kanye West - A Million And One Questions
I liked American Gangster pretty good, but Jay needs to get back with producers like Primo.

4) David Banner - Us and the Gunz
Fun fact of the day: Mr. Banner was president of the Student Government Association while at Southern University. Student government kids at Wake Forest were complete douchebags, for what it's worth.

5) The Shape Of Broad Minds - Changes
Philly producer Jneiro Jarel is a weirdo. His stuff doesn't always hit on Craft of the Lost Art, but it's always pretty interesting.

6) The Budos Band (ft. Wale) - Chicago Falcon (The Washington Sq. Lads & Mark Ronson Remix)
Scion makes some ugly cars, but their marketing budget is great for hip-hop. Not only did I get to see Ghostface Killah for free this month (GFK quote: "when we do that song in cities like Utah, n****s don't know the words like you guys."), but they also put out a mixtape of remixes from Daptone Records artists (Budos Band, Sharon Jones, Daktaris, etc.). Download all 9 songs here .

7) Mr. Vegas - Heads High
A dancehall classic that I just never had on my iPod before.

8) Johnny Osbourne (ft. Bunny Brown) - Love Makes the World Go Around
Dub meets doo-wop.

9) Amy Winehouse - Cupid
This is actually an old Sam Cooke song even though Winehouse makes it sound like a Specials song.

10) Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - How Long Do I Have To Wait For You (Ticklah Remix)
Antibalas keyboard player Ticklah gives Sharon Jones the dub treatment.

11) Ticklah (ft. Mayra Vega) - Si Hecho Palante
You've hopefully heard Mayra Vega before on Antibalas' incredible cover of "Che Che Cole". If you haven't heard it, you can get it here. More dub goodness from Ticklah.

12) Verkys et l'orchestre Veve - Lina Omasana Boye Pt.2
The Captain (of Captain's Crate fame) has been crate digging in Africa the past few months. His work is our reward.

13) Oh No - Exp Out the Ox
Oh No > Madlib?

14) Yeasayer - Sunrise
Pitchfork describes Yeasayer as "one of the better bands to put a new spin on (David Byrne's) polyrhythmic convulsing." I would describe them as, "indie music with lots of drums." That's why they get paid to write about music.

15) Tulsa - Breath Thin
They're kind of like a melancholy My Morning Jacket. The best band from Boston since Street Credit (what up, Vep)?

16) Iron & Wine - White Tooth Man
I normally don't get down with pretty singer-songwriter sh*t, so I wasn't expecting much from Iron & Wine's latest. His old stuff was mostly bare-bones acoustic. With this latest one though, he's stepped up his game, including a full band, and placing a bigger emphasis on percussion (have I mentioned before that I really like drums?).

17) Yeasayer - Wintertime
This creepy singalong would sound perfectly in place on Liars' latest album. Or some classic Black Sabbath.

18) Iron & Wine - Carousel
This should soothe you back out after that last Yeasayer song. Sounds like a guy with a beard singing underwater.

19) Lee Moses - California Dreaming
I love myself some cover songs. And while few songs have been covered as often as this one , few have been so soulful.

20) Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum & Durr - You Can't Blame Me
Life's been good for the group's tenor, Mike Tatum. Tatum now lives in Cincinnati, where he's retired, and spends most of his days watching his wife wash his car in her Daisy Dukes (sorry, inside joke).

21) Larry Ellis & Black Hammer - Funky Thing (Pt. 1)
Who do you think pulled more ass: Larry Ellis, or Black Hammer?

22) Jay-Z (ft. Nas) - Success
I feel like I've heard that organ wail somewhere before. For the record "Success" > "Black Republicans."

DOWNLOAD HERE

October 07 Mix

1) Bobby Byrd - I'm Not to Blame
I didn't listen to much old soul music this month, but this song can't be denied. Those horns are epic. Unless you've heard this song before, "U Don't Know." RIP Bobby.

2) Bilal - MILF
Until D'Angelo puts his crack pipe down and gets his fat ass of his couch, Bilal's the king of this R&B sh**. This is from producer 88 Keys' upcoming debut (Feb 08). It's a rough mix, but that hasn't stopped me from keeping it on repeat.

3) Esau Mwamwaya - Tengazako (Flyin' Planes Remix)
Yeah, he's singing over the beat from one of M.I.A.'s songs on last month's mix. But first, that beat is incredible and won't get old for me anytime soon (thanks, Diplo). And second, he's the best Malawian singer I've heard this month.

4) Rastiero - Que Delicia
OK, after this song, we'll return to our regularly scheduled English-language programming.

5) Dude 'N Nem - Watch My Feet
Welcome back to songs in English. Just to ease the transition, we're going to keep the lyrics about as simple as possible. Can anyone who listens to "urban radio" tell me if this song's a hit or not? It should be. Yeah, it's silly, but it's pretty tough to listen and not be automatically put in a good mood. YA DIIIIIIIG?

6) Pete Rock (ft. Jim Jones & Max B) - We Roll
Pete's back. I wasn't really checking for him lately, but with his work on Talib Kweli's album, and now this beat, I'm a believer again. Such an amazing beat, you almost don't notice what a horrible rapper Max B is.

7) Oh No - Action (Rap Version)
At what point do we start referring to Madlib as Oh No's older brother?

8) The Beatnuts - Let Off A Couple
For some reason, I never really got into the Beatnuts back when I was a kid. I should of. I guess they just got lost in the flood of classic hip-hop releases from 1994.

9) Piakhan - Gangsta
Remember that guy with the guest verse on Reflection Eternal's "Touch You"? The dude with one of the sickest flows in hip-hop? Well, 7 years later, he finally has an album. It's pretty good.

10) Gemini (ft. Lupe Fiasco) - We On
October was the month where Lupe effed up the lyrics to "Electric Relaxation" during the VH-1 Hip Hip Honors tribute to A Tribe Called Quest. Sadly, that moment overshadowed that Lupe is one half of an incredible new song with his boy Gemini. Man, more rap groups need to rock the "tag team" style instead of just lazily trading verses. Word to Run DMC.

11) Supreme Team (Madlib & Karriem Riggins) - See
If it's half as good as Madlib's past collabo albums (Jaylib & Madvillain) then the Supreme Team album will be a must-own. "You gotta cop that."

12) J Dilla (ft. MF Doom & Guilty Simpson) - Mash's Revenge
I'm still mad at MF Doom for sending lip-syncing impostors in his place to perform at shows . But I can never be mad about any song with Guilty Simpson over a J Dilla beat.

13) Bart Simpson - Do the Bartman (So Krispy Remix)
From Guilty to Bart (not related).

14) Quasimoto - Hydrant Game (Jaylib Remix)
One of my favorite Jay Dee beats of all time. "Don't go away mad girl, just go away."

15) Talib Kweli - Kweli Says Go
A mixtape track over yet another Dilla donut.

16) Kanye West (ft. Mos Def & Al Be) - Goodbye
Graduation bonus track. Blows away the actual album track with Mos Def ("Drunk & Hot Girls" is the one track I skip on an otherwise fantastic album).

17) Aesop Rock (ft. John Darnielle) - Coffee
This song's my October theme song. The video screams October as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1-nVUedOYM . The strongest track off an amazing album. The John Darnielle guest vocals are pretty nice (having guest vocals from Durham residents is always a good look). Would I like the Mountain Goats? I'm officially intrigued.

18) Les Savy Fav - Brace Yourself
I guess these RISD grads have been around forever, but Let's Stay Friends is the first of their albums I've listened to. This song doesn't quite rock as hard as the rest of the album.

19) Angels of Light - Black River Song
I don't know anything about this band, nor do I know where I got this song.

20) Liars - Plaster Casts of Everything
Wow. I couldn't get into Drum's Not Dead at all. But this self-titled album rocks out with it's cock out.

21) Radiohead - Bodysnatchers
Um, did you hear that Radiohead released a new album. It's quite good, and you should all have it by now. Since the other "rock" songs on this mix truly ROCK, I had to include the mostrockingest song from In Rainbows.

22) Liars - Clear Island
Sounds like something you'd hear at the monthly meeting of People Against Goodness And Normalcy (P.A.G.A.N.).

23) Les Savy Fav - The Equestrian
This song rocks a bit harder than the rest of their album.

24) Liars - Cycle Time
This song was built for Ozzy. I guess Angus Andrew's Ozzy impression will have to do. Works for me. I think if your name is Angus, you're allowed to do Ozzy impressions.

25) Radiohead - Jigsaw Falling Into Place
In Rainbows has grown on me quite a bit. Hopefully this mix will do the same. Either way, both are free, so who cares.

DOWNLOAD HERE

September 07 Mix

1) Menomena – The Pelican (Live on Daytrotter)
A live version of a track from what might be the album of the year (Friend and Foe). They opened with this song both times I've seen them, so I thought it might make sense to make it a mixtape opener as well.

2) The Narrator – Son Of The Son Of The Kiss Of Death
Saw these guys in Chicago, and was duly impressed. Turns out, they've got an album out, and it's quite good. They're kind of like a more serious Oxford Collapse.

3) The Narrator – SurfJew
Unfortunately, I missed them when they came to Chapel Hill. Because if I went to see them, I could have asked them what the hell this song is supposed to be about.

4) War on Drugs – Arms Like Boulders
I don't know where I found this one. But they're from Philly, and this song, at least, is quite good.

5) Schooner – Pray For You To Die
This song was the highlight of the show they played for their CD release at Cat's Cradle. It was stuck in my head for days afterwards. It's at once catchy, pretty, and quite dark. If scientists ever figure out how to reanimate the corpse of Johnny Cash, they should get him to do a cover of this song.

6) Super Furry Animals – Carbon Dating
Here's another pretty, throwback-sounding song, this time courtesy of long-time Welsh psych rockers, SFA. I'm not a big fan of the album...a bit too tongue-in-cheek (actual song title: "Baby Ate My Eightball"). But they're pretty good when playing it straight, like they do here.

7) Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings – 100 Days, 100 Nights
If you like Amy Winehouse, you need some Sharon Jones in your life. Respect the originators (of the entirely derivative genre of retro-soul).

8) Soul Generation – Super Fine
OK, now we're really getting back to the originators. This is some baby-making music at its finest.

9) Mitch Mitchell & Gene King – Never Walk Out On You
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: you can't go wrong with a Numero Group release. This is the first of three songs on this month's mix from Numero Group's Eccentric Soul: The Prix Label. Bonus points for a guy being named Mitch Mitchell.

10) East of Underground – I Love You For All Seasons
I'm a big critic of the military. But I'd like them more if they still turned out musicians like East of Underground. These guys won a 1971 talent contest for servicemen in Germany, with the winning prize being the opportunity to record an album. I still hate war, but I'm a sucker for a good falsetto.

11) Eddie Ray – You Are Mine
This sounds like a demo version, with the singer accompanied only by a guitar and some bongos. But the bare bones approach really lets Eddie's voice take center stage, and you can really hear his sense of longing.

12) Marion Black – Come On And Gettit
I haven't featured nearly enough straight-up dirty funk numbers on these monthly mixes. When I've been listening to old stuff, I've been more attracted to old soul and African pop music lately. But this is some prime, dirty, deep funk.

13) Galactic (ft. Big Chief Monk Boudreaux) – Second and Dryades
Galactic's newest album has the New Orleans jam/funk band playing back-up to a whole host of really good (mostly underground) rappers. Unfortunately, it mostly comes up flat. Not bad, not good...mostly boring. The lone exception is this weird number featuring Monk Boudreaux, which I don't find boring at all.

14) M.I.A. – $20
This is hands-down my favorite new song of the moment. That beat is insane, and begs to be absolutely blasted. It captures the craziness of a world where, on the streets of Africa, you can cop an AK-47 for just $20. "$20 ain't sh*t to you, but that's how much they are, so they're going to use the sh*t just to get by."

15) M.I.A. (feat. Bun B & Rich Boy) – Paper Planes (Remix)
Ahh, this sounds much lighter and nicer. But don't get lost in that breezy beat, or you'll miss the best pro-robbery anthem you'll hear this year (ever?). Bun B hops up on the remix to prove why he's one of the best to ever do it "being poor is a disease, gotta hustle up a cure." Meanwhile, Rich Boy really really loves his gun...maybe even more than he loves his D's.

16) UGK – Swishas and Dosha
The opening track to UGK's fantastic double-album Underground Kingz. It hits you in the face from the outset, letting you know that Pimp C and Bun B haven't gone anywhere, and haven't lost a step. Reminds me a lot of Aquemini opener "Return of the G."

17) Kanye West – I Wonder
Graduation is full of excellent songs, but I think this one best encapsulates the feeling of the album. Big synths and Kanye trying to deal with being uber-famous. It's not the easiest stuff to relate to, but it's a hell of a lot more interesting than stuff being put out by dudes like Fiddy, and it sounds freakin' great.

18) Amp G – Looking Good
Not sure if I can relate to a song about looking good, either. "Damn I'm lookin' good, my feet lookin' good, my whip game good, I feel like I should." My whip game is pretty much stuck at "Civic Hybrid," but my feet will start looking good as soon as I get my new Le Coq Sportif's in the mail. Maybe there's hope for me after all. Anyways, Amp G is from Alabama, which I only mention so that I can link to the video about Alabama's famous leprechaun ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrpSTcjUaks).

19) UGK – Like That
Not necessarily the best song on Underground Kingz, but certainly the one that will get stuck in your head the longest. I hope this one becomes an anthem at "adult ballets" across the country.

20) Kanye West (ft. T-Pain) – Good Life
You can't be mad at Tallahassee Pain!

21) Ooh Ee – Party Party
I wish I knew how to breakdance.

DOWNLOAD HERE

August 07 Mix

1) Madlib - Freeze
I had a little free space, so I decided to toss on this weird little Madlib instrumental. It kind of works as an intro to the next song.

2) M.I.A. - Big Branch
I like the nursery-rhyme rapping over big drums. Of course few nursery rhymes include lines like "I sh*t on the ho" and "hit her with the muthaf***ing branch!" This is a bonus track from the Japanese release...I'll probably have some album tracks on next month's mix. It's gotten good reviews, but I haven't listened to it yet.

3) Justice - D.A.N.C.E.
These guys have been getting a ton of internet hype, and I'm normally skeptical of hyped up electronic groups...especially French ones. But it's tough to listen to this song without being immediately put in a good mood.

4) Ben Westbeech - Get Silly
I kept going back and forth on this one. Do I really like this song? If so, do I really want to admit to liking this song? In the end though, this song was just too damn catchy and I think there are probably a few of us (myself certainly included) who can relate to the lyrics.

5) M.I.A. - Boyz (The Twelves Remix)
Keepin' the party rockin'. I don't know who the Twelves are, and I have no clue what M.I.A. is saying, but I like this.

6) Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Down Boy
From the Is Is EP. Karen O scares me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSpDVcVKsXE

7) King Khan & the Shrines - I Wanna Be a Girl
I send this one out to Raul. Nobody else can explain how awesome girls are better than Raul, Miami's number 1 male lesbian. Anyways, this song sounds like it was written by Raul.

8) The Black Lips - Good Bad Not Evil
Sloppy, fun "garage" rock (for lack of a better term) has been my sh*t the past couple months (see also: Oxford Collapse, Narrator, King Khan). Nobody does it quite as sloppy as the Black Lips. Bonus points for the Magic City shout out in the middle of a chorus that begs to be sung along to.

9) Shapes 'N Sizes - Head Movin'
Their album is a mess (not in a good way), but this song is quite good.

10) The Black Lips - Lock And Key
The best song off a very good album. The NY Times did a cool video feature on the Black Lips' visit to SXSW earlier this year: http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=2f2aaf87dff4ef1400e5ed5b4c06f55be51520b9

11) Kevin Drew - TBTF
I call BS. Nobody is TBTF! But this song is still PDG.

12) King Khan & the Shrines - Welfare Bread
If I had to pick one song for my favorite of the month, this would easily be it. "Welfare Bread" will always = August 2007 for me.

13) Joe Bataan - Under the Street Lamp
Bonus points if any of you can name the hip-hop song (featured on a previous monthly mix) that samples this song. Joe Bataan is probably the most famous Filipino singer I know (barely edging out Julius Ulunday and his Halloween '04 performance of "She Bangs" at Moose Head). Another fun-fact (courtesy of Wikipedia): Bataan's daughter won the the Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll.

14) The Manhattans - Follow Your Heart
Here's another sweet soul song that's been sampled (this time by RJD2). I also think El Michels Affair stole that tuba line for their song "Too Late to Turn Back" (see March 07). I guess I'm not the only guy who really likes this song!

15) The Majestic Arrows - The Magic of Your Love
Another gem from Numero Group's Eccentric Soul series. If this one hasn't been sampled by anyone yet, it should be. Those opening strings sound so majestic, and then there's that little keyboard tinkling underneath that sounds kind of small and humble...it sounds great together. It sounds like something that Kanye could do something really good with.

16) The Budos Band - Mas O Menos
I still haven't heard all the songs from their new one, but every song I've heard has been absolute nails. Maybe I should actually buy the CD.

17) Los Van Van - Y No Le Conviene
From the highly recommended Si, Para Usted: The Funky Beats of Revolutionary Cuba, Vol. 1. I don't know why, but I feel like we'll be hearing this song on a commercial sometime in the near future (anyone else notice how many good songs are being used in commercials lately?).

18) Sean Price - Jamaican
While Durham's own Khrysis quite nicely flips Sister Nancy's classic "Bam Bam" for the beat, Sean P pulls off an ironic cover of BDP's "Stop the Violence" for the hook. Of course, P's version is all ignorance, threats, and gratuitous violence...but that's why I love him! This comes from Sean P's Master P mixtape, the early leader for best album cover of the year.

19) Tanya Morgan (ft. Che Grand) - And You Say
Here's another great summer jam courtesy of Von Pea, Donwill, Ilyas, and Che Grand that flips another classic beat, this one a remake of LL's "Jingling Baby" (oh how I long for the days when LL actually made good songs!).

20) Median - Personified (Remix)
Undoubtedly, Median is Wilmington NC's best rapper. Dude is clever (see: this song) and makes all of his verses sound completely effortless (see: every one of his songs). If he just got better at writing hooks...

21) Common - The People
One of my favorite rappers of all time laid an egg with Finding Forever, but this song is pretty good, despite the line "while white people focus on dogs and yoga." WTF? Don't make me post links to your Gap ad, or your ridiculously overpriced and ugly hats, Common!

22) Lil' Wayne - Feel Like Dying
Meanwhile, Weezy F. is absolutely on top of his game. "I am sitting on the clouds, I've got smoke coming from my seat / I can play basketball with the moon, I've got the whole world at my feet." That sounds more like something that you'd expect from a rapper like Edan, rather than one of the biggest pop stars alive. If you would have told me three years ago that I'd be more excited about Lil' Wayne than Common, I would have been shocked. Will rap's Jim Morrison make it past age 27? Judging by this song, I'm leaning towards "no".

23) Kevin Drew - Bodhi Sappy Weekend
This is the prefect album-closer.

DOWNLOAD HERE

July 07 Mix

1) Ultimate Force - I'm Not Playin'
Did you know that Diamond D was in a group before he dropped Stunts, Blunts and Hip-Hop in '92? Me neither. Too bad that he and MC Master Rob couldn't stick together and churn out more classics like "I'm Not Playin.'"

2) Blu & Exile - My World Is...
The Dells' "I Can Sing a Rainbow" has been flipped countless times (see Ghostface "Shakey Dog" off Fishscale ), but maybe none quite as well as Exile does here. And Blu is very nice on the mic.

3) Talib Kweli - Holy Moly
I like how this one builds up. You think Kweli is just talking, then all of a sudden the song has begun. Pete Rock on the beat. "My rhymes turn a new page like Mark Foley."

4) Pharoahe Monch - Welcome to the Terrordome
The hip-hop cover song is a tricky beast that few have pulled off successfully. Clearly, I think P. Monch pulls it off. The beat's different enough, but still fits with the feel of the original. He gives us a new second verse of his own. And we're living in a time that's screaming for some more Public Enemy in our lives.

5) Kashmere Stage Band - Super Strut Pt. 1 (Kenny Dope Remix)
This is the first song that's leaked off of Stones Throw's Now-Again Re:Sounds, Vol. 1, and I can't wait to hear the rest. Kashmere Stage Band was actually an offshoot of a high school marching band out of Houston. Kenny Dope is an offshoot of his momma, but also is known for his work with Little Louie Vega as the production duo Masters At Work.

6) Kamala Walker and the Soul Tribe - Street Talkin'
Fun fact: Kamala Walker and Otis Jackson, Jr. have never been seen in the same room together.

7) U-Tern - Give It Up
U-Tern is to disco what Curtis Vodka is to B'more club music. I also like that he understands that having your own blog >>> Myspace. Check it out: http://onedaylater.blogspot.com/

8) Kid Sister - Control
You know I'm going to like any song that encourages women to "touch them toes...twerk, roll, stop, control."

9) Dizzee Rascal - Where's Da G's (feat. UGK)
UGK have been on a roll in 07, and their album hasn't even dropped yet. Whoever did the beat for this one did the perfect job of making it sound like grime and Southern all at once...no small feat.

10) Kinfolk Kia Shine - Respect My Fresh
Not many dudes can pull off 4 minutes of rapping about their clothes and make it sound good. I'm sure his album will be terrible, but I'm loving this song.

11) Jim Jones - Looking at the Game (feat. Stack Bundles & Lil' Wayne)
Hard to get mad at the Capo, some dead dude, and The Greatest Rapper Alive kicking it over those PSK drums (Coops, didn't you meet Schooly D a couple of years ago in Philly?).

12) The Chemical Brothers - The Salmon Dance (feat. Fatlip)
This song wasn't originally going to make the mix, but it's been growing on me like crazy. I especially love the parts between verses, where Fatlip (yes, the crackhead who used to be in Tha Pharcyde) learns interesting salmon facts from Sammie the Salmon. "The moon?? Fish pay attention to the moon!!??! WOW!!!"

13) The Budos Band - Scorpion
I've heard about 5 songs now from their upcoming Budos Band II, and all of them are terrific. If Hollywood ever makes a spy movie set in Africa, this better be on the soundtrack.

14) The New P*rn*graphers - Myriad Harbour
In this excellent interview here ( http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/44247-pitchfork-music-festival-2007-sunday/page_5), frontman Carl Newman talks about living in NYC. I don't know why anybody sane would ever move to NYC (from Vancouver, no less!), but I think that's what this song is about.

15) Johnny and the Moon - Green Rocky Road
This comes from one of the many Wolf Parade side-project bands. This one is fronted by guitarist Dante DeCaro. Wolf Parade are coming to the Cat's Cradle on Wednesday, 8/22. Tickets are still available, and I've got a place you can crash at. They're very good.

16) The New P*rn*graphers - Failsafe
A wise woman (OK, it was my girlfriend) once said, "I like the New P*rn*graphers, but sometimes when they let the women sing, it sounds too much like the f***ing Lilith Fair." I think they avoid that trap, here. Also, they sounded great at the Pitchfork Festival, for what it's worth.

17) The White Stripes - I'm Slowly Turning Into You
Hopefully you've all heard this album by now. It's worth the $15...or it's at least worth 10 seconds of Googling.

18) Inell Young - What Do You See in Her?
Another treat from soul-sides.com. The back-story to this song is pretty crazy. Young and her best friend were discovered by producer Eddie Bo out of high school in New Orleans. Evidently, Young developed a heavy heroin habit, so Eddie Bo stopped working with Young. But Bo continued to work with Young's h.s. friend. This song is Young's response. She died of an overdose not long after recording this song.

19) Junior Byles - Fever
I love me some cover songs...especially reggae cover songs. This one comes courtesy of the compilation Jonny Greenwood Is The Controller. Yes, that Jonny Greenwood.

20) Eddie Holman - This Can't Be True
Another beautiful soul masterpiece courtesy of soul-sides.com .

21) Talib Kweli - In the Mood
Kanye West keeps the soulful mood going on this beat, with an assist from jazz legend Roy Ayers on vibes. Definitely my favorite track on Ear Drum.

22) Blu & Exile - No Greater Love
The same feeling when you first heard 'Time's Up'
The same feeling when I first heard Com bust
I used to lover H.E.R. but I but I found other kinds of
So I left her like I really really tried, but I can't cause...

DOWNLOAD HERE

June 07 Mix

01) J-Dawg - Ride On 4s (ft. Slim Thug)
OK, I'm cheating here. This song actually hit my iPod in February...but I've been listening to it more than any other song this month. As it's become my official summer 07 anthem, I'm putting it on the mix, dammit.

02) Masta Ace - The I.N.C. Ride
Talk about another summer classic! I have no idea how I went so long without putting this on my iPod.

03) GLC - I Ain't Even On Yet
Off of Kanye's You Can't Tell Me Nothing mixtape. This sounds like some more riding around music. If Kanye produces the majority of GLC's album, he could blow up.

04) Kanye West - Can't Tell Me Nothing Remix (ft. Young Jeezy)
I've been avoiding listening to the handful of tracks that have leaked from Graduation...waiting to hear the album in its entirety. Is this getting radio play?

05) Lupe Fiasco - US Placers (ft. Kanye West & Pharrell)
Three guys rapping over a Thom Yorke song is something that sounds awful on paper...luckily it works fairly well in real life.

06 Uncut Raw - Baby
Quality cut off a quality album. They kind of remind me of a poor man's Madvillain....dirty, dusty and raw.

07 J-Live - Dolla Circulate
One of my favorite MCs rapping over a beat from my deceased man-crush (J. Dilla).

08 Uncut Raw - Crazy
Another one from First Toke. No Gnarls Barkley involved.

09 Fabolous - Brooklyn (Feat. Jay-Z & Uncle Murda)
I generally can't stand Fabolous's non-spelling ass, but the beat on this one is pretty unstoppable.

10 Kid Sister - Pro Nails (ft. Kanye West)
Another one off of Kanye's You Can't Tell Me Nothing mixtape. It's only a matter of time til we get a Kanye / Curtis Vodka collab.

11 DJ Benzi - Gettin It (ft. Cool Kids & Lil' Wayne)
Benzi's got the internet goin' nuts with this one.

12 Uncut Raw - Lastone
A nice little interlude...

13 The Capprells - Walk on By
From Oliver Wang's secret vaults...a bonus for those who pre-ordered his Soul Sides Volume Two CD. It's a cool take on the song penned by Burt Bacharach and made famous by Isaac Hayes.

14 Esther Phillips - Home Is Where The Hatred Is
Here's another cover. For those who haven't heard it, the Gil-Scott Heron original version is well worth tracking down.

15 Los Mozambiques - Viva Tirado
Here's another one from Soul Sides Volume Two. Much like the how the Young Black Teenagers were neither young, nor black, Los Mozambiques son de Panama.

16 Sweet Breeze - Chasing After Rainbows
Gotta love that breakdown on the chorus. This comes off Naija Record's Flashback II compilation, courtesy of http://combandrazor.blogspot.com/

17 BLO - Do It, You'll Like It
Another choice cut courtesy of With Comb & Razor...the blog that's been flooding me with unstoppable Nigerian music the past two months.

18 Aktion - Sugar Daddy
I'm loving the sound of this band...especially those fuzzed-out keys (guitars?). They had two songs on Flashback II, and it was tough choosing between the two.

19 Wings Original - Ballad of a Late Hero
RIP Spud Nathan

20 Donovan Carless - Be Thankful For What You Got
Whoa...this dude lives in Raleigh ( http://www.donovancarless.com/)! I need to go shake his hand for this sublime cover of the William DeVaughan classic. The original is one of my all-time favorite songs, so I was this reggae cover had to really be top notch to make me happy...and it is.

21 Spoon - Don't You Evah
If you liked Gimme Fiction, you'll almost definitely like their new one, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. A lot of Spoon stuff sounds very similar. But I still like it all.

22 The National - Mistaken For Strangers
A lot of the National's songs sound very similar as well...but I really can't get into their stuff (despite the "Best New Music" honors from Pitchfork). This song's pretty good though (their drummer decided to show up for this one)...I just can't stand an entire album of slow, morose songs that sound the same.

23 Spoon - Don't Make Me A Target
Probably the stand-out song of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga.

DOWNLOAD HERE

May 07 Mix

1) Sweet Charles - Soul Man
Cover songs are sweet. Discovering songs that have been sampled by Pete Rock and Brand Nubian is sweet . The Captain's Crate is sweet. Playing bass for James Brown is sweet. Charles is Sweet.

2) The Budos Band - Chicago Falcon
Somewhere in between the El Michels Affair and Antibalas lies the Budos Band. Their 2005 self-titled debut is a favorite of mine...good to hear some new stuff.

3) Ofege - Nobody Fails
Psychadelic afro-funk. The blog With Comb & Razor has been killing it since Afkap decided to start blogging about African music. So much good stuff.

4) Founder 15 - Be My Own
Like the song above, this is off the comp Flashback: A Decade of Hits 1970-1980...a sweet little African soul ditty.

5) Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - I'm Not Gonna Cry
Amy Winehouse has blown the eff up this year (see: covers of Rolling Stone & Spin). I'd like to think it's partly because of her inclusion on my January and April mixes. However a more likely reason is because she's been touring the country with the support of a kick-ass backing band: the Dap Kings. Well, it's time for the Dap Kings original leading lady, Sharon Jones, to get some shine. Oh wait, I forgot about the rule that 50-year-old black ladies aren't allowed to be pop stars. VH-1's loss.

6) Sheila Jack - I've Got to Have You
Off of Eccentric Soul: Mike Lenaburg.

7) Mystiques - Put Out the Fire
Off of Eccentric Soul: Twinight's Lunar Rotation. For some reason, I picture this song being played in the club where Ron Burgandy did his flute solo.

8) The Dynamic Tints - Package of Love Pt. 1
I'll take "Dirty Song Titles" for $1000, Alex.

9) Wilco - You Are My Face
While I thought Sky Blue Sky was pretty boring, I really like this song. But I think I speak for all of us when I say: Get back on the drugs, Tweedy! (While I'm at it...you, too, Drozd!).

10) The Sea & Cake - Up on Crutches
If Wilco isn't satisfying your desire for laid-back rock music, may I suggest you try the Sea & Cake? A good one for sitting outside and enjoying a cocktail on a warm early-summer night.

11) Feist - Past in Present
Most of her album sounds like something that should be sold at a Starbucks or something ( oh wait). But I like the handful of more up-beat songs, especially this one.

12) Schooner - Trains and Parades
Chapel Hill bands are pretty good.

13) Arctic Monkeys - Do Me a Favour
I like these guys even though they're borderline frat-tastic. They aren't doing anything groundbreaking...just making good, fun rock n roll. This song is a bit atypically subdued, which helped it stand out from the more uptempo stuff on their album.

14) Of Montreal - Du Og Meg
From the EP Icons, Abstract Thee. Most of the EP - just like the album Hissing Fauna - deals with his divorce from his wife. This one, however, is about how they met, and contrasts (in a refreshing way) with the depressing lyrics of the rest of their recent stuff.

15) The Rapture - Crimson Red
The good people at Adult Swim have given away lots of good free music recently. However, most of Warm & Scratchy was disappointing to me. It sounded like bands were just tossing Adult Swim their throwaway tracks. But this Rapture song is as good anything on Pieces of the People We Love.

16) Baron Zen - Burn Rubber (Dam Funk Remix)
Have you ever wanted theme music to come on whenever you walk into a room? I would be ten times cooler if this was my song (and yes, I realize that infinity coolness times ten is still infinity coolness).

17) Chromeo - My Girl is Calling Me (A Liar)
Chromeo make some sweet early 80's electro-funk. Like if Zapp & Roger had babies with Hall & Oates. Yeah, it's a bit tongue-in-cheek...especially this song. But you gotta love the ending phone conversation between Dave-1 and Pee Thug. The whole album is pretty nails.

18) Bonde Do Role - Solta O Frango
Release the chickens! I don't know what these crazy Brazilians are singing about, but I like it.

19) Bonde Do Role - Gasolina
Here, I know what they're talking about. Gasoline. And beating you like a gorilla. And Afrika Bamabaataa. And Paraguay. And other stuff that sounds cool. Damn, I wish I was Brazilian.

20) UGK (feat. T.I.) - Hit the Block
If you told me nine years ago that I'd one day grow to enjoy the work of Swizz Beats, I'd of thought you were crazy. But his beats are sick these days. The UGK album could be a monster (see also "Players Anthem" from February).

21) Lil' Wayne - Swizzy (Remix)
As good as Swizz Beats is behind the boards, he's awful on the mic. Thank God Weezy F. decided to show us how it's done over the "It's Me B**ches" beat ("I'm dirty, I get my Bill Laimbeer on"). This comes from Weezy's Da Drought 3 mixtape, which is highly recommended. But if anyone can find a copy where the volume isn't so low, please hook me up!

22) Phat Kat - Nasty Ain't It?
You knew Dilla had to make an appearance somewhere on here. Phat Kat's got a couple of Dilla beats on his very solid album, including this one. He mostly keeps it to braggadocio, but he's got some punchlines, and an ear for choosing quality beats.

23) Brother Ali - Pedigree
Brother Ali's The Undisputed Truth is definitely the best album by an albino this year. I wanted to put one of his songs on this thing...I think this is the best one, but all of the songs are at least pretty good.

24) Outkast - B.O.B. (Stimulated Remix)
Found this one on the Okayplayer message boards. Wow. You might want to put this one on repeat.

DOWNLOAD HERE

April 07 Mix

1. Sarah Silverman - Everybody Sings
Typically offensive, yet hilarious.
2. Sweat Heart - Fingerbangin'
I think the less said about this song, the better. Good luck getting it out of your head.
3. Pase Rock (feat. Amanda Blank) - Sexy MF (DJ Eli Remix)
A song equally as raunchy as the Sweat Heart track, courtesy of Cinci's own Pase Rock (of Five Deez). Amanda Blank steals the show though...her rapping has come a million miles from her earlier stuff with Spank Rock (no relation to Pase).
4. Kid Sister - Ying Yang (Curtis Vodka Ga Ga Remix)
Yeah, white girl rappers are taking over in April 07. I just can't deny anything with Curtis Vodka on the boards. She should have Mr. Vodka do all her beats (see also: Feb 07 mix).
5. J.R. Writer - Get 'Em (Dev79 Street Bass Refix)
Dev79 gives Harlem's Writer of Writers the Philly treatment. I'm loving this remix...I'll definitely be checking for Dev79 of the strength of this one.
6. Feist - Sea Lion (Chromeo Remix)
I've got the new Feist album downloaded, but haven't listened to it yet. I'm guessing there's nothing on there as great as this re-work from fellow Canadians Pee Thug and Dave 1.
7. Justin Timberlake - Our Love (XXXCHANGE REMIX)
Kind of a tough one to remix since the original was pretty nails. But I think Spank Rock's DJ XXXChange does his thing with this one. I especially like the sly insertion of Britney's "Slave" in there.
8. Timbaland (feat. Justin Timberlake & Jay-Z) - Laff At 'Em
This song could have helped out Timbo's train-wreck of an album, but supposedly Jay-Z was late getting his verse in, and it never made the album. Jigga sounds rejuvenated after the lackluster Kingdom Come album.
9. Jay Dee - The $ (Madlib Remix)
Jaylib partner Madlib funkafies Dilla's "The $" from the Ruff Draft EP (same ridiculous album that had "Wild" from last month's mix).
10. Jay Dee - Diamonds
This is from Jay Dee's unreleased album that he recorded for MCA back in 03. The good people at Stones Throw are working on securing the rights so that they can release it...hopefully this year. The unreleased album supposedly has Dilla rapping over other producers' beats (Madlib, Pete Rock, Hi-Tek, Kanye, Dave West, etc.). "Diamonds" has Dilla ripping a smooth Nottz beat to shreds. Dude was way underrated on the mic.
11. Lil' Wayne - Dope Man (Ghislain Poirier Remix)
Look for some tracks from Weezy F's "The Drought 3" mixtape to show up on the May 07 mix. He's on top of his game.
12. Ghostface Killah - Mighty Healthy (nobody remix)
Nobody unleashes his inner GZA on this creepy remix of the Ghostface classic. "You goddam right I f*** fans!"
13. El-P - No Kings
The whole album is pretty strong, and one of the few hip-hop ALBUMS (vs. a slapped-together collection of singles).
14. DJ Jazzy Jeff (feat Peedi Crack) - Brand New Funk 2K7
Nostalgia alert! I need to go dust off the original...anyone got a cassette player?
15. Beanie Sigel (feat. Jay-Z) - Glock Nines (Ratatat Remix)
Keeping the Philly theme alive, B. Sigel gets the remix treatment from Skidmore's own Ratatat. Coops, do you know these guys (" Mike Stroud and Evan Mast, met as Skidmore College students")?
16. Polyrhythm Addicts (feat. Pharoahe Monch) - Reachin'
Hold on to your backpacks. DJ Spinna is pretty underrated on the beats. And I can never have enough P. Monch. I can't wait til his album "Desire" drops in June.
17. Amy Winehouse (feat. Pharoahe Monch) - Rehab Remix
Monch KILLS this remix!! "Try to take my black a** to rehab, I won't go go go!"
18. Superlatives - I Don't Know How
I've spoken highly of the Soul Sides blog before. This song and the next two came from one mighty April 16 post. If I made beats, I'd definitely be sampling the drums on this one...
19. The Intruders - Together
...and I'd grab that horn intro off this one.
20. The Impressions - We're A Winner
I've said it before, I'll say it again: you can't have too much Curtis Mayfield in your life.
21. A Certain Ratio - Shack Up
I don't know anything about A Certain Ratio. But despite being from 1980, this song could have come from any number of contemporary bands currently biting this style.
22. Tulsa - Crocodile Teeth
These guys stopped off in Chapel Hill in March, on their way back from SXSW, to open for local band Schooner (see Jan 07 mix). I dug them a lot, so I bought (yes, bought!) their EP. Despite their name, they're from Boston. They're worth checking out if they're in your town.
23. Peter Bjorn And John - Let's Call the Whole Thing Off
I'm sure you've all heard "Young Folks" by now, so I decided to give you a different song off their Interface appearance. Almost as catchy as "Fingerbangin'"

DOWNLOAD HERE

March 07 Mix

1) Tammi Terrell - Baby Don't You Worry
A nice little Motown soul ditty. Some feel-good music to play on a Sunday morning when you're sitting around the house, reading the paper, drinking coffee and trying to overcome your hangover. Courtesy of the great http://soul-sides.com/.
2) El Michels Affair - Too Late to Turn Back
El Michels Affair are a cool little instrumental funk band. Last year, they made a name for themselves backing the Wu-Tang Clan at some shows. A few of their Wu instrumentals were released as singles last year, but it wasn't until this month that I found out that they released a full album in 2005. It's really really good stuff.
3) El Michels Affair - Detroit Twice
Many of their songs have a vaguely familiar feeling. I'm not sure how many are covers versus originals.
4) Assagai - Cocoa
The Captain's Crate (http://bywayof.net/captains_crate.html) is the go-to spot for cool music from around the world.
5) Antibalas - Hilo
See what I mean. This one's a pretty low simmer...very laid back and cool. But an amazing song, none the less.
6) King Sporty - A Year Full of Sundays
Who wouldn't want a year full of Sundays (as long as it's football season, anyways)? Also, who wouldn't want to be called "King Sporty"? Supposedly, this guy penned Bob Marley's "Buffalo Soldier." Another one from the Captain's Crate.
7) Matumbi - Law of the Land
A pretty weird reggae song. The horns and strings sound like something straight out of an Isaac Hayes or Curtis Mayfield song. If you're a real geek, you'll recognize this song from Soul Supreme's remix of Nas's "Ether". But you'd really be a geek if you pointed that out, so you should probably just keep that to yourself.
8) Jay Dee - Nothing Like This
Go watch the video now! ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ncSt5xC8Uk). Incredible.
9) Jay Dee - Wild
This was one of the previously unreleased "Ruff Draft" tracks that showed up on the re-issue. The track is indeed wild, with some drums that sound like somebody shuffling along, then tripping on the pavement. Oh yeah, the hook's got some little British kid singing AC/DC's "Come on Feel the Noise." Bizarre, but awesome.
10) Black Milk (ft. Slum Village) - Action
Black Milk is an up-and-coming Detroit MC and producer. Some go so far as to say he's filling the void left by Jay Dee, but that's hyperbole. His album "Popular Demand" has it's moments, but is a bit uneven. One of the best moments is this song here with Dilla's old group Slum Village.
11) Black Milk - So Gone
This song is also quite nice
12) Consequence (ft. Kanye West) - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Q-Tip's cousin / Kanye's weed-carrier finally drops his debut album, a full 11 years after making his debut on Tribe's "Beats Rhymes & Life." Here, his weed owner drops by to help out the album's best song.
13) Ghostface Killah - In the Parks
Lyrical darts over the classic "Dance To The Drummer's Beat" break.
14) Ghostface Killah - No No No
Tony Starks kills it over Dawn Penn's reggae standard "No No No," but couldn't he at least come up with a more original name for his version?
15) Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - The Unwanted Things
Despite having an out in the open man-crush on Ted Leo (word to Wakefield, RI), I was underwhelmed by "Living With the Living" on first listen. Part of the reason, is that Ted tries to change the pace and tries some new things with some of the songs. This one is certainly a change-up from his traditional style, but I think it works really well.
16) The Ponys - Double Vision
Sad I missed their 3/22 show at the Cat's Cradle. But grilling out and watching basketball won the day.
17) Modest Mouse - Steam Engenius
Something about the guitars in the non-chorus part of this song remind me of that Pink Floyd video where that Native American dude jumps off a cliff and turns into an eagle.
18) Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - The Sons of Cain
This is that classic Ted Leo sound that I love. I expected more of the album to sound like this. But the other songs are growing on me.
19) The Ponys - Everyday Weapon
I'm running out of things to say. This song is pretty kick-ass.
20) Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - Rappaport's Testament: I Never Gave Up
People who pre-ordered "Living With the Living" got a bonus EP called "Mo Living." People who are cheap downloaded both of them. People who are cheap were also surprised to learn that this is a cover of a Chumbawumba song!
21) Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - Timorous Me
On AOL's the Interface, Ted played this solo version of the classic "Tyranny of Distance" track.
22) Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - Brass in Pocket
Ted also stopped by a fund raiser for New Jersey radio station WFMU, where he played this cover version of The Pretenders classic.
23) Modest Mouse - March Into the Sea
Isaac Brock at his wild-yelping best.

DOWNLOAD HERE

February 07 Mix

1) Frank Cardona y sus Alegres Tejanos - Funky Nassau
I thought Nassau was just conch fritters, and white people getting their hair braided. Apparently, it's incredibly funky, too. This one came via Soul Sides ( http://soul-sides.com/)...easily my favorite music blog.
2) Ellen McIlwaine - Toe Hold
Ellen is apparently a slide guitar legend. But here, it's that funky drumming that I really like. This one comes from another incredible blog, the Captain's Crate ( http://bywayof.net/captains_crate.html).
3) Curtis Mayfield - Now You're Gone
You can never have too much Curtis in your life.
4) Jay Dee - 5/8
February marks the one year anniversary of the passing of hip-hop producer Jay Dee (aka Dilla). RIP.
5) Little Brother (ft. O-Dash) - One Eleven
Durham, NC's own Little Brother released a free mixtape, And Justus For All. Take a look, and you can download the whole thing yourself: ( http://www.google.com/search?q=little+brother+and+justus+for+all&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a).
6) Jay-Z - Song Cry (Dilla Remix)
Some guy named DJ Soul is putting together an "Assorted Donuts" mixtape, blending vocals from other rappers over Jay Dee beats. This one couldn't work much better...I'm definitely interested to hear how the rest of the project works.
7) Nas (ft. Nas f/MC Shan, Raheem, Doctor Ice, Kangol, Kool Moe Dee, Sha Rock, Tito, Grandmaster Caz, Lique, Dana Dane, Pebblee Poo & Just Ice) - Where Are They Now? (80s Remix)
February is Black History Month, after all. If you do some searching, you'll also be able to find a 90s Remix, and a West Coast Remix. Both are worth checking out.
8) Smif-N-Wessun - Wreckonize Remix
Speaking of "where are they now?", whatever happened to Smif-N-Wessun? These guys were the Clipse before the Clipse were the Clipse. This is an old remix from the mid 90s.
9) Sean Price (ft. Steele from Smif-N-Wessun) - Oops Upside Your Head
I joked to my girlfriend that February 07 would consist only of Sean Price and Arcade Fire songs. Sean Price dropped "Jesus Price Superstar" this month, and it only further cements that Sean P is the most underrated rapper in the game. This dude should be huge.
10) Sean Price - Stop
I had to include two of his tracks since this was the one new album that I listened to the most in February. Use your head for more than a hat rack.
11) UGK (ft. Three Six Mafia) - Player's Anthem
Hard lyrics over smooth, soul samples is a formula that almost always works for me. I think 07 will see the Houston step back on the scene. UGK's album Underground Kingz
12) Slim Thug (ft. C. Ward & PJ Sir Daily) - Recognize a Playa
Another reason Houston is about to be back on top is Slim Thug. February saw the release of his weed carrier showcase album Boss Hogg Outlawz - "Serve & Collect". It's surprisingly good. Thugger is dropping a solo album this fall.
13) Lil' Wayne - Got a Temper (Remix)
In honor of the Police reunion.
14) Kid Sister - Damn Girl (Curtis Vodka Remix)
You might remember Curtis Vodka from his cover of "Thriller" in last month's installment. Something about his production just does it for me. If he rocked your party, it would indeed be a sweaty mess.
15) Curtis Vodka - Mary Jane
Not bad for some kid in a trailer park in Anchorage, Alaska.
16) Black Lips - Everybody's Doing It
I imagine a Black Lips party would be a sweaty mess, too. I guess that's why they thought it would be appropriate to release a live album from a show in Tijuana. Sloppy but fun.
17) Annuals - Ease My Mind
Raleigh's own Annuals are a band getting a lot of hype. This is from their UK-only EP "Big Zeus".
18) Arcade Fire - Intervention
I actually need to give "Neon Bible" some more listens. I think it needs to grow on me some...but this song is pretty nails.
19) TV on the Radio - Young Liars (Live)
AOL apparently has this thing called The Interface ( http://spinner.aol.com/artists/the-interface/archive), where they invite bands on to give an acoustic (or at least stripped down) performance, followed by an interview. You can download each show as one big MP3. I downloaded an MP3 splitter to get the TVOTR show into nice separate tracks.
20) TV on the Radio - Province (Live)
Another one from their Interface session. Given how dense their songs normally are, it's cool to hear these stripped-down versions.
21) Jay Dee - This is Dilla's World
JD + JB

DOWNLOAD LINK COMING SOON

January 2007 Mix

1) James Brown - I Got Money
2) The Pets - I Say Yeah!
3) Amy Winehouse - Me & Mr. Jones
4) John Legend - Heaven Only Knows (Remix ft. Pusha T)
5) Masta Killa - Pass the Bone (Remix)
6) Hell Razah - Project Jazz (ft. Talib Kweli & MF Doom)
7) Talib Kweli - Funny Money (prod. Madlib)
8) Common - Play Your Cards Right (ft. Bilal)
9) Pharaohe Monch - Pain
10) Snoop Dogg - Think About It
11) Elvis Presley - Crying in the Chapel (ft. the Wailers)
12) Stephen Marley - Traffic Jam (ft. Damien "Jr. Gong" Marley)
13) Nas - Still Dreaming (ft. Kanye West & Chrisette Michele)
14) Kanye West - Throw Some D's (Remix)
15) Dice Raw - Maniacs (ft. P.O.R.N. & Truck North)
16) Curtis Vodka - Thriller
17) DJ Mehdi - I Am Somebody (Montreal Version ft. Chromeo)
18) Menomena - Muscle & Flo
19) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - Yankee Go Home
20) Schooner - Nothing's Changed
21) Oxford Collapse - Please Visit Your National Parks

Link coming soon

Welcome to Hydrant Sippin'

Are you overwhelmed with the massive volume of new music that you're exposed to? Are you constantly forgetting about quality songs because you're too busy listening to some new group that got a 6.0 rating on Pitchfork and a mention on Brooklyn Vegan? Do you ever feel like being a music consumer these days is like drinking out of a fire hose?

One night in February 07, I was bored, so I decided to put together a mix of the best songs that reached my iPod in the month of January 07. I had found that I was putting a ton of new music on my iPod each month, and some quality songs were getting lost in the shuffle (ha!) not getting the shine they deserved. I went ahead and did this every month going forward, sending an email out to my friends each time the new monthly "mix" had been completed (and by "mix" I mean a random collection of songs...I'm no DJ). At least a couple of my friends told me they really liked it and that I should start a blog.

So here we are.

Going forward, I'll be posting a new "mix" each month, just trying to pick out the best 80 minutes of music hitting my iPod that month. Hopefully you'll find something you like.

Of course, if there's something you want to let me know about, hit up the comments, or shoot me an email.