el stinkeyes

Delta Swamp Rock: Sounds FromThe South (2011)

2012-01-21T10:32:00.000-08:00

Here's a good stretch from Soul Jazz Records. A compilation of old soulful southern rock jams.

Loincloth - Demo (2003)

2012-01-21T10:26:00.000-08:00

This is what's blowing my mind these days. Loincloth is a uber-heavy mathy prog instrumental monolithic sludgefest. I know alot of those adjectives can scare and/or bore people instantly but what sets these dudes apart from the grade is they've somehow taken all the best elements of these genres and made something amazing. So, in honor of their recent signing and LP release with Southern Lord, here's their first recorded demo from 2003.

METAL LIVES AND IT'S LOOKING PRETTY DAMN HEALTHY TO ME!

eXCLUSIVE - eL Stinkeyes - "Soundtrack to 2011" (2012)

2012-01-10T11:49:00.000-08:00

This pretty much sums up my year : All over the place. Thank you Senor '11. You're were a good one.

TRACKLIST:

1.) Allesandro Allesandroni - Aliante Giallo
2.) The Equals - Police On My Back
3.) Fe 59 - Estoy Brillando
4.) Waylon Jennings - Big D
5.) Thin Lizzy - Gonna Creep Up On You
6.) AKA - Do What You Like
7.) Damon - Don't You Feel Me
8.) Vanilla Fudge - You Keep Me Hanging On
9.) Jimmy Fontana - A Te
10.) Los Angeles Negros - Aplaude Mi Final
11.) Rodolfo - La Nave Del Olivado
12.) Ennio Morricone - Via Via Malinconia
13.) Nino Nadini - Tropicalia
14.) Libra - The Shock
15.) Umberto - Widow Of The Web
16.) Bernard Fevre - Dali
17.) Raaja, Gansesh, Hamsaleka - Vikram, Vikram
18.) Stelvio Cipriani - Mark Il Poliziotto
19.) Ahmad Zahir - Instrumental
20.) James Brown - Since You've Been Gone
21.) Ghostface Killah/Ghostfunk - Breakthrough Kids

LINK

eXCLUSIVE - eL Stinkeyes - "Girls on Yachts Mix" (2011)

2012-01-01T12:48:00.000-08:00

Yacht Rock is primarily a male dominated genre and it took me a minute and some homework to create, in my opinion, "the first" all female (Sir Elton John doesn't count) Yacht Rock Mix. If you don't understand what Yacht Rock is, in a nutshell, it's the soft, funky and smoothly produced rock/pop of the seventies. Steely Dan is a textbook example but fuck those guys right now. It's all about the ladies in 2012.

TRACKLIST:

1.) Carly Simon - You Belong To Me

2.) Roberta Flack - Where Is The Love

3.) Renee Bayer - I Really Love You

4.) Carole King - I Feel The Earth Move

5.) Captain & Tennille - Love Will Keep Us Together

6.) Kiki Dee & Elton John - Don't go Breaking My Heart

7.) Heart - Straight On

8.) Linda Ronstadt - You're No Good

9.) Fleetwood Mac - Rhiannon

10.) Diana Ross - Love Hangover

11.)Roberta Flack - Feel Like Making Love

12.) Anita Baker - Rhythm Of Love

13.) Patrice Rushen - Forget Me Nots

14.) Olivia Newton-John - Magic

15.) ABBA - I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do

DOWNLOAD

Sandrider (2011)

2012-01-01T12:25:00.000-08:00

I'm not in the business of breaking new bands but here's a modern group I just heard about on my most recent trip to Seattle. It had some of the dudes from Akimbo in it and it is some rocking shit. Fans of Big Business take note.

RIDE!

Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything? (1973)

2012-01-01T12:16:00.000-08:00

LINK

James Brown - Motherlode (1988)

2012-01-01T12:10:00.000-08:00

No explanation needed.

LINK

Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou-Dahomey - The 1st Album (1973)

2012-01-01T12:07:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everybody. I'm gonna keep it short and start unloading zips on you guys. This one is funky and psychedelic. Dig it!

LINK

Ennio Morricone - Ad Ogni Costo (1967)

2011-11-27T12:51:00.000-08:00

What's funny about these lost soundtracks is that when you listen to the audio, they sound amazing and full of imagery, kind of like reading a book. Then when you see the movie, most of the time you're let down, but never the less, this is a great album.

DOWNLOAD

Damon - Song Of A Gypsy (1969)

2011-11-27T10:14:00.000-08:00

Baritone crooning over fuzzy psychedelia. I do have to admit, a lot of these songs start sounding the same after a good listen but it's totally worth the download for this track right here.

LINK

Alessandro Alessandroni & Nora Orlandi - Music For Strange Situations

2011-11-27T10:04:00.000-08:00

Here's a great reissue compilation album featuring Italy's greater but lesser known film composer's of the time. Alessandroni is the famous whistler of Morricone fame, but he also composed, played fuzzy guitar and led one of the premiere vocal ensembles in Italy, which introduced Morricone to Edda Dell' Orso. Orlandi is one of the rare female composers of the era. She's bad too.

LINK

Jurgen Muller - Science of the Sea (1982)

2011-11-13T12:21:00.000-08:00

When I tell you that your album is dominating my "Sleep" playlist, please take it as one of the highest compliments.

Early eighties ambient aquatically themed concept album. Bubbly, oceanic, regressive submersion back into the womb which we came from.

Sweet Dreams

eXCLUSIVE - eL Stinkeyes - "Synth Mix" (2011)

2011-11-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

Here's a little compilation I made this summer right after I scored a bad ass Casio at a thrift store for a steal I tells ya. It mainly stays in the synth-based electronic/electro-rock realm with some rock with synth cameos.

TRACKLIST:

1.) Umberto - Temple Room
2.) Kraftwerk - The Model
3.) Nowhere - Snowy Red
4.) Crash Course in Science - Cardboard Lamb
5.) Broadcast - Black Cat
6.) Sparks - My Other Voice
7.) Nine Circles - Twinkling Stars
8.) Twice A Man - Decay
9.) Liasons Dangereus - Los Ninos Del Porque
10.) Grupo Maravilla - Danza Bruja Danza
11.) Suicide - Shadazz
12.) Bernard Fevre - Dali
13.) Pink Industry - Time For A Chance
14.) Zomby - Strange Fruit
15.) James Pants - Seven Seals Theme
16.) Saga - On The Loose
17.) Prince and The Revolution - I Would Die For You
18.) Selda - Yaylalar

Enjoy!

VA - Play That Beat Mr. Raja - Selected Oddities from The Tamil Film Industry 1984 - 1991 (2011)

2011-11-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

Yep. That's right. This is as weird and awesome as that album cover up there. If you're familiar with the whole Bollywood thing, then you already know what's in store here but this one got some cool eighties "new wave" synth and drum machine action happening.

Cartilage Records

LINK REMOVED

Rocket from the Tombs - The Day the Earth Met Rocket from the Tombs (2002)

2011-10-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

In honor of a recent reunion appearance on Yo Gabba Gabba, I say unto thee....

Thank You

Lee Hazelwood - Cowboy in Sweden (1970)

2011-09-15T12:59:00.000-07:00

There are many of Lee albums out there but this one is definitely the most solid of the lot.

LINK

Bernard Fevre - The Strange World of Bernard Fevre (1975)

2011-09-14T13:36:00.000-07:00

Pure Analog synths and drum machines ranging from 8bit sounding game music to Italo horror soundtracks to proto electronic dance music. Fevre goes by the moniker of Black Devil Disco Club these days.

NEW LINK

Yob - Atma (2011)

2011-09-12T16:05:00.000-07:00

I normally don't heed to any metal recommendations by Pitchfork and I normally don't post new albums but this is badasssssss!

CHECK!

eXCLUSIVE - eL Stinkeyes Presents "Woodgrain's Heat & Meat Mixtape" (2011)

2011-08-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest installment from Woodgrain's Mixtape Series. "Heat & Meat" commemorates the record breaking 70 odd days of triple digit temperatures down in Austin, Tx. and their new EP. Available now here and there. Vinyl drops soon on their maiden voyage to the west coast in September.

TRACKLIST:

1.) Sun Ra - The Bridge

2.) Harry Nillson - Jump Into The Fire

3.) The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Long Hot Summer Nights

4.) Captain Beefheart - Hot Head

5.) Orchestre Poly-ryhtmo de Cotonou - Noude Ma Gnin Tche de Min

6.) Mulatu Astatke & The Heliocentrics - Fire In The Zoo

7.) Roger Webb & Keith Grant - The Bends

8.) Roger Roger - Safari Park

9.) Electric Light Orchestra - One Summer Dream

10.) Mandre - Solar Flight (Opus I)

11.) Kool & The Gang - Summer Madness

12.) Turzi - Brasilia

13.) Eliot Lipp - Beyond The City

14.) Unknown Artist - Headay Sky

DOWNLOAD

Sun Ra - The Singles (1996)

2011-08-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

I was already a Sun Ra fan before I heard this compilation and that was why I was so surprised when I first heard it. In a nutshell, these discs span his career of released 45's on his Saturn label from the fifties through the late seventies but here's the catch, its mainly R&B! I use that label loosely. We kick off in the doo-wop world with songs about love, foggy london towns, and the Christmas holidays, then on to some pseudo Screamin' Jay Hawkins R&B numbers about somebodies' fetish for big, ugly women, some Phil Spector style girl group action, some raw roadhouse blues numbers and eventually land in solo synth pieces. All of this with sprinkles of Sun Ra's signature "Supersonic Jazz" compositions and vocal pieces about his adoration for the cosmos dispersed through out this collection. A must have for any Sun Ra head.

Unmask that Batman

Stelvio Cipriani - Mark Il Poliziotto (1975)

2011-08-13T10:48:00.000-07:00

Swanky Ass Shit

Wanda Jackson - Queen of Rockabilly (1960-64)

2011-08-07T07:45:00.000-07:00

The album says it all, no? Encouraged by this guy, Wanda trail blazes the road to rock glory for humanity worldwide

WANDA

eXCLUSIVE - eL Stinkeyes - "Psychedelic Passport Mix" (2011)

2011-08-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

Finally got my Ableton software back up and running and automatically made this skin tight mixtape of vintage world psyche. Who knows what these guys are singing about? Who cares? Don't really feel like writing out a track list right now but i can tell you get at least 20 jams in about a hour.

Thats good, BTW.

Take

TRACKLIST:

1.) Novos Bahianos - Globo Do Morto

2.) Fabio - Lindo Sonho Delirante (LSD)

3.) Ana Y Jaime - Nina Nana

4.) M. Ashraf - Life Hai Kuch Dinon Ki (Nevermind)

5.) Pastor T.L. Barrett & The Youth For Christ Choir - Ever Since

6.) Zia - Heleyos

7.) Jeanne Marie Sens - Tape Tape Tape

8.) Tomorrow - The Incredible Journey of Timothy Chase

9.) Alessandro Alessandroni - Devil's Nightmare

10.) Rodolfo Aicardi con Los Liricos - Naila

11.) Los Pasteles Verdes - Baby

12.) Wanda Jackson - Searchin'

13.) Siluetler - Lorke Lorke

14.) Erkin Koray - Hor Gorme Garibi

15.) Os Brasas - Nao Va Me Dexiar

16.) Mavil Isiklar - Iyi Dusun Tusin

17.) Quarteto Nova Era - De Repente

18.) Rodolfo - Has Regresando Viejo Amigo

Mandre - Mandre (1977)

2011-07-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

Afrocentric musical cosmology from the Motown label. Andre Lewis blends the funky seventies with cosmic synth tones creating baby making music for planets.

Fun Fact: The first person to compose and perform under a futuristic persona that always wore a helmet.

Kinda like these guys:

CHECK

VA - Girls In The Garage Vol. 1 (1987)

2011-07-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

Here's one out of eight-something volumes of all girl, all underground garage groups from way back when. A little twang, a little fuzz and a whole lot of female attitude. Dare I say it, adorable.

Girl on girl action

Tomorrow - Tomorrow (1968)

2011-07-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

British Psyche Anyone?

Bruno Nicolai - La Dama Rossa Uccide Sette Volte (1972)

2011-07-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

Not much is known about Bruno Nicolai except that he went to school with Ennio Morricone and then worked for him, Nino Rota and other bigwig Italian composers scoring spaghetti westerns, dramas, and horror flicks. Here's a great giallo soundtrack back when the genre was at its peak in the early seventies.

RIGHT HERE

Marvin Gaye - Trouble Man (OST) (1972)

2011-07-10T06:50:00.000-07:00

Here's Marvin dipping his feet in the soundtrack pool.

LINK REMOVED

Sun Ra & His Astro Infinity Arkestra - My Brother the Wind II (1971)

2011-07-09T13:29:00.000-07:00

Only fools seek to harm the wind.

UNGAWA - 106.7 FM - Antwerpen, Belgium

2011-07-02T15:14:00.000-07:00

Ungawa first appeared as a command that Tarzan used to communicate with that cute lil' monkey named Cheetah. And now it's here as a great radio show that airs Sundays in Belgium. If it's old, obscure, weird, lo-fi, etc. it has or will be played here. I came across this through myspace years ago somehow and managed to catch a point where you could download past shows but alas, nevermore. Here are the first four broadcasts.

UNGAWA!

Umberto - Prophecy Of The Black Widow (2010)

2011-06-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

New band alert! From Kansas City, Mo., we present to you Umberto. Yes, that album cover looks like a lot of those Dario Argento/Goblin productions from the early Seventies and yes, they sound just like that. These guys have no shame and go for the gusto with evil washes of synth with a electronic lean. Highly recommended for fans of Goblin, Italo-horror cinephiles, and electro/synth rock.

MORTE

Dirty French Psychedelics: French Psyche Pop (2009)

2011-06-19T10:24:00.000-07:00

Here's a great comp of some euro trash from the 70's compiled by Dirty Sound System.

take

Elvis Presley - The Sun Sessions CD (1954-55)

2011-06-18T19:15:00.000-07:00

This is the Elvis that I dig the most; before he was crowned "King", before he graced the silver screen, before sweaty fat jumpsuits. This is when the owner of Sun Studios, Sam Phillips, heard Elvis' demo some songs, signed him, and just by chance decided to press record when his band was rehearsing at the studio that day. It's his first recordings ever. Very essential to rock n' roll right here.

BRAND NEW CADILLAC

Meet Rodolfo - Compiled by eL Stinkeyes

2011-05-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

Kids, meet Senor Rodolfo Aicardi. He's a Columbian singer known for his ballads and boleros but also his versatility as well. I got hip to this guy by my old buddy over at Level One Studios.

I was asleep in a van and woke up to this old echoing twangy guitar (dig!) on top of a smooth bolero beat (dig!) and then enters Rodolfo's undeniable voice saturated in some vintage third world reverb. Someone give that man a trophy.

Incertidumbre by Rodolfo by elstinkeyes

I mean, come on! The guy sits around pictures of himself and plays guitar.

Down below is a compilation hand-picked by yours truly that tries to stay true to his weird fuzzy, psychedelic, hazy ballad period, which by the way was never really accepted in Columbia.

Disco Fuentes owns his catalog.

VIVA RODOLFO!

Os Brasas - Os Brasas (1968)

2011-05-29T10:28:00.000-07:00

Os Brasas or The Embers was one of Brazil's finest exports in the 60's that never really saw the light of day outside of the Southern Hemisphere. They managed to recorded one album and a year later broke up and I remember reading somewhere that this LP being "polished" at the time. Usually that refers to the production element of the music but this is a super tape-hissing record, which in it's own right, gives it that nostalgic charm that people bend over backwards for these days in studios all across the land.

Besides that, not much is known about this group due to their lack of longevity.

OBRIGADO

Dion - Born to Be with You (1975)

2011-05-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

Dion DiMucci's claim to fame was due to "The Wanderer" and "A Teenager inLove" by Dion & The Belmonts back those sunny doo-wop days of the late 50's and early 60's. Fast forward to the smooth hazy days of the seventies and add 1 Phil Spector, 9 guitarists, 2 basses, 3 drummers, and a orchestra, and we get this forgotten piece of musical history.

Honestly, I'm only into about half of this album but that half, I must say, I am REALLY into. The beginning title track sets the whole feel of the record as the glacial funeral procession tempo parades through all those poor little holes in everyone's heart. Yes, it almost does sound like the ending to every SNL episode but despite the somber mood, it is a gorgeous love song. Almost, a matter of life and death to prove one's love and devotion. A tribute to a eternal bond. Dion's vocals are top-notch, pulsing, cresting between registers all while being carried by that famous Wall of Sound (circa 1970's version). This is totally where J. Spaceman got that Spiritualized dirge from. Too bad he didn't come with the pipes to match.

NEW LINK

The Main Ingredient - L.T.D. - (1970)

2011-05-19T17:55:00.000-07:00

Just got this a few weeks ago from Joe Blow The Sample King. Who is this Main Ingredient I blog of? Pretty much a one hit wonder R & B vocal group that topped the charts with "Everybody plays The Fool."

Mmmm hmmmm. Remember that one? Me neither.

This is also the pre-Cuba Gooding Sr. era whose son's penultimate acting performance just happens to be, in my opinion

Fuck you "Jerry Mcguire" and fuck to you too Ice Cube.

Git Yo Shit!

eXCLUSIVE - eL Stinkeyes Presents "Woodgrain's Endless Summer Mixtape" (2011)

2011-05-13T18:28:00.001-07:00

Woodgrain is a band from Austin, Tx. Somewhere between the boss level of a old Nintendo game, and Metal, and, you know, something like that. Anyway, here's some song's they dig and want to share with you.

Facebook

Myspace

Tracklist:

1.) Harald Grosskopf vs. PRGz - Synthesist/Woodgrain

2.) Thin Lizzy - Bad Reputation

3.) Egg - The Song Of MCgillicudie The Pusillanimous

4.) Iron Knowledge - Show Stopper

5.) Budos Band - Black Venom

6.) Kraftwerk vs. Sunn 0))) - Man Machine/Blood Swamp

7.) Stereolab - Silver Sands (Emperor Machine Mix)

8.) The Chemical Brothers - K+D+B

9.) Sun Ra - Journey To The Stars

10.) Henry Mancini - Wait Until Dark

11.) Aphrodite's Child - Altamont
12.) Nomeansno - Stocktaking
13.) Buzzcocks - Walking Distance
14.) The Pretenders - Tattooed Love Boys
15.) Cave - High, I Am
16.) Meatcrown - Selsun
17.) Goblin - Flashing
18.) Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve - Get Ready to Fly
19.) Yes - The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)

MIXTAPE

Gary Numan - Pleasure Principle (1979)

2011-05-10T15:51:00.000-07:00

So, are Synths punk?

Let's find out

Miles Davis - Water Babies (1976)

2011-05-09T21:07:00.000-07:00

Don't let the '76 fool ya. This is really a collection of unreleased material starting from the '67 "Nefertiti" sessions up to the "In a Silent Way" period, featuring the classic Miles Davis Quintet transitioning and cross pollenating with the eminent "Bitches Brew" crew. A great insight into a artist's process but then again Miles will always be Miles.

Its rumored that bassist Ron Carter left the group because of the addition of the electric instruments, i.e. the Fender Rhodes. No?

GET you SOME

Turzi - B (2009)

2011-04-15T14:08:00.000-07:00

Here's the second album from the enigmatic Frenchman Turzi. Mountains of synths amongst electronic pulses and suspenseful 70's Euro-thriller movie rock. His first album, A, is highly recommended as well, with more of a lean towards the electronic spectrum of music.

Link Removed

Chico Buarque & Ennio Morricone - Per Un Pugno de Samba (1970)

2011-03-05T22:58:00.000-08:00

Back on my Ennio Morricone tip. Enough of that wannabe euro-trash faux bossa nova lounge shit, here Morricone teams up with the great Brazilian composer Chico Buarque to pour on the drama to the already sultry sounds of bossa nova and samba. Chico is phenomenal on his own, swaying between Italian and Portuguese effortlessly, but when Ennio's in your corner, the bench is full of ringers. Romantic. Introspective. Fantastical.

Take one

Canto Morricone - The Ennio Morricone Songbook, Vol. 1 : The 60's (1998)

2011-02-15T16:28:00.000-08:00

Long before "Il Maestro" became the legendary film score composer, he was grinding it out in the RCA studios composing and arranging popular music for top Italian recording artist. Here we see Morricone flexing his well-honed chops adding gorgeous strings, quirky spaghetti western instrumentation, and lyrical accompaniment to some pre-existing themes you may recognize. Sophisticated Euro Pop right here people and as far as i know this volume is rare in the vast blogosphere.

Mangia

eXCLUSIVE - eL Stinkeyes - "Tiger Jamz Mix" (2010)

2011-01-16T19:27:00.000-08:00

In honor of the passing of Trish Keenan of Broadcast I am posting a mix I made for a cute little tigress of a girl. It starts with a Broadcast tune.

1. Broadcast - Goodbye Girls

2. Artefact - Mae

3. Caribou - Yusef

4. Twin Shadow - When Were Dancing

5. ESG - Come Away

6. Hall and Oates - Crime Pays

7. Guido & M. De Angelis - Il Cittadino Si Ribella

8. Das Ding - Reasssurance

9. Vitor Hublot - Aller Simple

10. Oppenheimer Analysis - Radiance

11. Twin Shadow - I Cant Wait

12. Gonjasufi - Love In Reign (Bear In Heaven Remix)

13. Flying Lotus - Parisian Goldfish

Rest In Bliss

Rodriguez - Cold Fact (1970)

2011-01-10T17:11:00.000-08:00

Sixto Diaz Rodriguez never received the credit due to him and he's not getting enough now.

Born of Mexican immigrants in inner city Detroit, Rodriguez paints realities in monochromatics that state the "cold facts" as they appear to almost anyone growing up in urban poverty. I'm not saying this is a downer of a album. It's just not sugar coated and polished as a lot of other music. On the bright side, unbeknownst to him, when he called it quits and became a lowly day laborer, Rodriguez' music reached revolutionary anthemic status for the people of South Africa which then opened the door to his cult status bubbling all around the globe.

Life, love, caste, politics, drugs, whatever, Rodriguez conveys his emotions with a gratuitous grace.

DOWNLOAD

Juan Torres - Organo Melodico de Juan Torres

2010-12-26T09:52:00.000-08:00

Somewhere between a Mexican baseball game and a seaside lounge Juan Torres holds his eternal residency entertaining lovers and loners with his witty arrangements of classic Mexican standards on his eerily romantic melodic organ. Under the musical microscope, este vato is holding a revolution on Latin American music traditions of the time with his stylized versions of rancheras, boleros, and swanky swingin' 6/8 numbers.

Feliz Navidad

Bee Gees - Odessa (1969)

2010-12-11T09:35:00.000-08:00

Gorgeous music. An essential album.

Years ago before the first human beings uttered the word "disco," the Bee Gees we're just another one of those bands from across the pond riding the wave of psychedelia caused by the gravitational pull of The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." Although these salad days were quite prolific and fruitful, their glacial ascension to the top of the pops would be stunted by one of their more ambitious undertakings.

"Chamber Pop." "Baroque Pop." Whatever cool phrase you think is witty to describe stuff like this is all acceptable but not limited to as well. This one also comes in a strong second as one of the first ventures into country-rock/alt-country right behind The Byrds' "Sweetheart of the Rodeo," released just barely a year before in 1968, and obviously being way ahead of its time, the album didnt really have the coveted "hit" that all the labels were searching for in those times and thus, another masterpiece fell through the cracks.

Now, we fast forward almost 40 years later to the time when labels are unearthing buried musical history, Odessa receives the reissue-deluxe edition-extras-bells and whistles treatment. Four disc's consisting of a stereo mix, a mono mix, demos, alternate mixes and outakes. If you're nerdy enough to even want to own all this music, grab your wallet and click here or just take this one disc of the mono mixes below.

Odessa - Mono mixes

eXCLUSIVE - eL Stinkeyes - "Poder de Chicha 2 Mix" (2010)

2010-11-25T22:10:00.000-08:00

Its that time of year folks. We're all gorging ourselves for the winter. Maximizing our fat reserves for the coming months. Would you like more starch with your starch? Seconds? Thirds? Elevensies? Save room for dessert mijo. And the gravy flows like a thick brown iridescent Angel Falls. What better way to say goodbye to the golden warmth of the sun than with one more mixtape of those tropical Chicha jams. I've logged many hours these past few months, searching the dregs, combing the fine mesh of the internet to bring us a new stable of tracks to play into the dirt. I've surprised myself with this years harvest. New names. New faces. New tones. "New." Some of these remind me of the time I traveled in Peru back in 2001. Especially when I was on the northern coast. I definitely remember riding a bus around Huanchaco with the conductor blasting a tiny boombox to the point where it was breaking up and distorting but it still sounded awesome. I had no idea at the time that that was this that I'm collecting these days. I just thought it was some weird sounding cumbias. Having said that, I'll shut up.

Tracklist:

1.) Los Ecos - Aqui en la fiesta (I don't want to spoil the party)

2.) Los Walkers - Siboney

3.) Los Orientales - Tormentosa

4.) Los Destellos - Cumbia de Desierto

5.) Popi y sus Pirasas - Guayaba

6.) Aniceto y sus Fabuloso - Cumbia de Machaguay

7.) Los Mirlos - Tiro al Blanco

8.) Eusebio y sus Banjo - Banjo Pannadero

9.) Jose y sus Antillanos - Melodia Antillano

10.) Los Pakines - Estacion 76

11.) Los Mirlos - Makumba

12.) Grupo Flash - Infierno Verde

13.) Los Orientales de Paramonga - Machete ala Casa

14.) Los Mirlos - Cumbia Thriller

15.) Los Tigres de Tarapoto - El Tunchi Loco

16. Grupo Maravilla - Danza, Bruja, Danza

TOMALA

Ennio Morricone - Danger: Diabolik - OST (1968)

2010-11-22T17:10:00.000-08:00

A classic film with a classic soundtrack. Swinging, soothing, sketchy. The maestro covers all bases once again and giving the time period, it's very contemporary. Surf, Go-Go, Jazz, Funk, String Motifs. Highly recommened for those who like Morricone but want to hear something else than his brilliant spaghetti western pieces. This zip comes interspersed with actual dialogue clips from the movie as well and supposedly the original tapes of the recording sessions were lost in a fire. We'll take what we can get.

MANGIA!

Dwarr - Animals (1986)

2010-11-19T15:30:00.000-08:00

Duane Warr really lets it all hang out on this one. This one man band from South Carolina brings the doom and gloom like Black Sabbath coming down off a bad acid trip. Really weird, really rocking and a really rare gem that needs to be placed firmly in the glorious crown of heavy metal history. Animals, his second LP, is currently being reissued by our good friends over at Drag City and YES! they are keeping that original artwork entact.

LINK REMOVED

DOUBLE FEATURE - Duo Ouro Negro - "Selections" & "com Sivuca"

2010-10-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

Great vocal group from Angola around in the 50's and 60's. Just got turned on these guys this year. Good if you dig Los Zafiros but not always on that Doo-Wop tip. Just lush heavenly vocal harmonies and due to the whole Portugese colonization and African diaspora thing, Brazilian music lovers will easily feel at home with this.

Saodade

Gayngs - Related (2010)

2010-10-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

I usually try not to post current stuff. A.) To much red tape with Web Sheriffs and all that and B.) Most of these releases are already everywhere in the blogosphere and thus not possesing that "buried treasure" mojo to them but I'm making a exception this time for Gayngs. This is some smooth shit. Sexy. Their cover of 10cc spin-off Godley and Creme's "Cry" is awesome as well. If you dig slow jams, have a guilty pleasure for yacht rock or looking for bedroom music, check this out. They've somehow made a soprano sax and fretless bass tolerable in modern music again. And now I hear Prince digs these dudes. I'll say no more.

Get it before I have to remove this link

The Dead Milkmen - Big Lizard in my Backyard (1985)

2010-10-01T19:59:00.000-07:00

If there's anything in the world that gives music a run for its money as one of my personal best's it would be comedy. Well, wait a minute. Girls are pretty awesome as well. Eh, music gear is always rad. No wait, my dogs and cats are the best. Where was I?

The Dead Milkmen were there in middle school teaching me two vitals lessons in life. How to make great music and how to be hilarious. Seriously, this is definitely a soundtrack to a chapter in my life and thanks to Fun Fun Fun Fest here in Austin, Tx., I recently saw them live for the first time 20 plus years later. I literally got watery for a couple of classic choruses. Yeah, call me a romantic. Call me a pussy. This was a completion of a huge circle in my life. This made my whole youth flash before my eyes. The most minute details made so much sense. To put it simply, it was a moment of enlightenment.

Oh wait, maybe it was all that LSD I ate.

For you

XOXO

Sandy Bull - Still Valentine's Day Live (1969)

2010-09-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

Sandy Bull is a poster child for bohemian genius. Mastering numerous stringed instruments, Bull would perform solo accompanied only by tape machines in which he played over himself, his own overdubs. Think 1960's folk revialism meeting a more sophisticated compositional outlook.

LINK

Petet Sarstedt - S/T

2010-09-05T08:39:00.000-07:00

Here's one from the dusty drives of my collection. Ever since Wes Anderson used one of his songs in one of his movies, there has been a rediscovery of Sarstedt's work. Definitely a psyche-pop gem right here folks.

LINK

eXCLUSIVE - eL Stinkeyes - "Soul Power Mix" (2010)

2010-07-31T11:51:00.000-07:00

It's been real busy around these parts. I don't call. I don't write. Bad.

Here's my soundtrack to July. (not pictured)

DOWNLOAD

Pacho Galan - El Rey de Merecumbe

2010-06-22T14:43:00.000-07:00

Once again, good ole' fashioned Colombian Brass Band music from the Discos Fuentes label. Basically Merecumbe is "a mixture of native cumbia merengue with the department of Magdalena, and Dominican merengue." That's what this guy said and he invented the genre.

DESCARGAR

Suicide - Suicide (1977)

2010-06-15T16:21:00.000-07:00

Here's another classic "rock" record that forever changed my musical scope. Suicide rules. They claim they recorded this in 4 hours. Now that's punk. Even though the were never received until much later in their career because of a.) their sound and b.) their oh so weird live performances (look below) Suicide will forever be regarded as pioneers for so many genres and various art mediums.

(LINK REMOVED)

Fun fact: "The Boss" himself encored with his rendition of "Dream Baby Dream" during his "Devils and Dust" solo tour in 2005.

Julio Jaramillo - Pasillos para el Mundo (circa 1950's-1960's)

2010-06-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

One time during one of my Mexico explorations, I was on the beach in Oaxaca. It was mother's day. I was hanging out in the shade at the cabana I was renting, surrounded by a bunch of little old Mexican women. All of the men were running around cooking, working, serving, etc. The ladies just sat back and relaxed enjoying their day, retelling stories of their youth and the soundtrack for the day was endless cassettes of this man.

Julio Jaramillo is to Ecuador as Frank Sinatra is to New Jersey. King of the pasillos and boleros with a birthday as a national holiday. He leaves behind at least 20 legitimate and illegitimate children. If I was in Latin America in the 50's with a talent like this, I would be getting mad trim as well.

Aqui

WANTED: Eusebio y Su Banjo

2010-06-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

I've looked everywhere. Nada. I got that "Roots of Chicha" forever ago. If anybody has any leads or links to more of this guy's music, it would be much appreciated.

eL

eXCLUSIVE - eL Stinkeyes - "Caimán en Celo Mix" (2010)

2010-06-07T13:57:00.000-07:00

Technically the air in central Texas should be classified as a solid rather than a gas these days. Hot. Thick. Swampy. Its what our Louisiana neighbors call "Alligator Hot" or something you'd experience in Latin American jungles. That's why I'm not doing shit. My adaptations to my environment are achieving vampirical status. The sun is my mortal enemy and I long for dusk just to remerge from my hermitage and revel in the power of the night, and usually my PM activities are festive in nature and any night can be treated as a "Michelob Weekend." Ergo, this mix. Its got a little afro-beat, a little cuban funk, cumbias, my obligatory chicha tangent and some weirdness as usual. I was gonna call this mix "Browntown"(which is what I refer to any non-western music, specifically Latin America and Africa where music and dance is just like food and drink: essential.) but chose "Alligators in Heat." Sweaty good times.

Tracklist:

1.) Algo Nuevo/Juan Pablo Torres - Y Viva La Felicidad
2.) Mulatu Astatke - I Faram Gami I Faram
3.) Eric Showboy Akaeze & His Royal Ericos - We Dey Find Money
4.) Jovens Do Prendo - Coio
5.) Madman Jaga - Hankuri
6.) Mulatu Astatke - Asiyo Bellema
7.) Gonjasufi - Sheep
8.) Sobanza Mimanisa - Kiwembo
9.) Los Zafiros - Rumba Como Quiera
10.) Los Wawanco - La Burrita
11.) Armando Hernandez Y Su Conjunto - La Zeniada
12.) The Tropical Combo - Quinceanera
13.) Aniceto y Sus Fabulosos - Cumbia de Machaguey
14.) Eusebio y Su Banjo - Mi Morena Rebelde
15.) Popi y Su Piranas - Guayaba
16.) Los Sanders - Linda Mujeres
17.) Los Pakines - Estacion 76
18.) Los Walkers - La Pampa y La Puna
19.) Los Mirlos - La Danza del Petrolero
20.) Kampala Group - La Yuca Raya
21.) Nicanor Lobaton con El Conjunto Gente Morena - El Payande

DOWNLOAD

Meet The Ronettes - Compiled by eL Stinkeyes (2010)

2010-05-19T12:36:00.000-07:00

Throughout the decades there have been many adaptations on the "Girl Group." The Go-Go's, The Bangles, En Vogue, The Spice Girls, onto the flashes in the pan of "lo-fi" bands today and you get the picture. None of these come close to the original idea. There are many factors involved here besides the ladies. There were A-list songwriters, arrangers, musicians, singers, and producers all behind them working on "the" hit. Out of all these pioneering femmes, my favorite would have to be The Ronettes.
Ronnie Spector's uncanny vibrato. Beehives. Tight-ass skirts. Attitude. Sex Appeal. All these elements added up to revolutionizing the role of woman in song and on stage. One of the first rain drops of the women's rights storm brewing in the sixties.

You go girls.

(Los) Blops - Iquique (1979)

2010-05-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

Chilean psychedelic chameleons Los Blops/Blops formed in 1970. Their first record was recorded in less than a day and released by Discoteca Del Cantar Popular De Las Juventudes Comunistas, only to be destroyed by the military for association with the communist youth. They collaborated with the legendary Victor Jara and became part of the neo-folk umbrella Nueva Cancion Chilena. This is all during the brutal revolution and coup of Salvador Allende which led to the even more brutal military dictatorship. Nine years later they composed music for a documentary about the northern province of Chile, Iquique that is never officially released until a bootleg cassette appears with side A as the soundtrack and side B as filler from their first LP. Easy on the ears pastoral acoustic music with a whiff of psychedelia in the air. Peaceful resistance music.

For chingos of downloads from Nueva Cancion and Victor Jara click here.

Iquique is here.

Los Holy's - Sueno Sicodelico (1967)

2010-05-06T12:44:00.000-07:00

Once again leave it to Peru to dig up some pure awesomeness. Los Holy's debut album is basically fuzzed out Duane Eddy surf guitar, sopping wet with reverb farfisa, Ayahuasca and alot of imagination. Very cinematic in scope save the Hawaii Five-O cover. It reminds me of Joe Meek's Vampires, Cowboys, Spacemen and Spooks. Maybe I'll post that someday too.

Here

Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque (1991)

2010-05-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

This album is still amazing. Shoegaze guitar sweeps. Lush vocal harmonies. Pop hooks. Punk flare. Like it matters but Bandwagonesque won Spin magazine's 1991 end of the year poll for best album, beating out Nirvana's Nevermind, Creation label mates My Bloody Valentine's Loveless and R.E.M.'s Out of Time. If you knew, sit back and remember. If you dont know, get you some.

Oi

Mike Patton's Mondo Cane - Live @ Teatro Rossini, Lugo, Italia 5/24/2007

2010-05-01T15:14:00.000-07:00

Let's be frank. I grew up on Faith No More and Mr. Bungle but eventually Mike Patton became just annoying to my ears. I respect him as an intrepid, prolific artist and entrepreneur but......I don't know. Tomahawk? OK. Peeping Tom? Yuck. Lovage? Meh. Fantomas? Barely. Even his Ennio Morricone compilation released on his label Ipecac was about 20 songs too long, but wait! Look! (Inserting foot in mouth) Mike Patton is using his unique and amazing voice to recreate Italian pop and folk songs from the 60's. This project, Mondo Cane, is said to be years in the making. The official release date is set in this first week of May. In honor of this occasion, here is a live show from 2007 in Italia. Natural Born Crooner.

Mangia!

A Very Special Request - Los Destellos

2010-04-29T10:29:00.000-07:00

One of my favorites from the Chicha scene and also one of the trailblazers of the genre itself. All of this is owed to Enrique Delgado, the band's director and founder. His vision and his unique guitar style molded the Peruvian cumbias that we all love today. Here is all of my Los Destellos I could scrounge up from my hard drives.

Your welcome.

The Misfits - Legacy of Brutality (1985)

2010-04-28T15:50:00.000-07:00

Oh Legacy, you're right there in my childhood memories with first broken bones, first loves, first fucks, first star wars figures for christmas. You definitely deserve a post on this blog to represent the "eL Stinkeyes Collection." Instead of talking about music history, I'll opt for all the comedy The Misfits/Glenn Danzig has provided for me throughout the years.

One time a friend and I brainstormed all night drinking and smoking about replacing the word "dancing" with "Danzig", i.e. "Danzig with the Stars", "Dirty Danzig", "You Should be Danzig", "Danzig on the Ceiling", etc. Another time we tried to come up with a cover band but our schtick would be a gay Misfits, i.e. "Some Kinda Hate Crime", "Mommy, Can I Come Out?", "I turned into Ricky Martin", "Anal Remains", etc. Also, since half the time you can't understand what Danzig says anyway, we replaced all those unintelligible syllables with "yo"s. It works with The Misfits, Samhain, Danzig, and pretty much anything where he's on the mic. After awhile it became the funniest thing ever. Thank you Glenn.

YO!

Ennio Morricone - Il Clan dei Siciliani - OST (1969)

2010-04-23T18:50:00.000-07:00

Right from the first "BOING!" you automatically know this is going to be a classic Morricone soundtrack. A gorgeous theme through and through sets the mood only to vanish and reappear over and over again till its finale. This is the maestro in his prime doing what the stuff thats made of legend. The film is pretty rad in itself. What gets me with these old euro movies and soundtracks is that there is always slight variations with certain song versions in the movie verses the actual LP. Does anybody know why this is? Did Morricone record a version for the film and a separate version for the LP?

Mangia

Meet Sandro - Compiled by eL Stinkeyes (2010)

2010-03-26T12:34:00.000-07:00

Let's state the obvious. I'm a sucker for anything old and latino. So, in honor of Sandro's passing I compiled my picks from the 4 out of 50 something records he made. "Pintados Por Dios" is worth the download itself. We'll call it "Beat Latino." Here's to The Argentine Elvis. He has officially left the casa.

Meet Sandro

eXCLUSIVE - eL Stinkeyes - "Euro '60 Mix" (2010)

2010-03-13T15:00:00.000-08:00

This mix started out with a Italian girl pop theme then I got bored and broadened it to European girl pop then the ADD kicked in and I settled on a blend of weird shit and pop gems all from the swingin European 60's. Add one part pop idol, one part flower power, one part ye-ye and one part soundtrack and mix well. Serve immediately.

Tracklist :

1.) Kronos - Cadavere Spaziale

2.) Miranda Martino - L'ultimo Appuntamento

3.) Francoise Hardy - Never Learn to Cry

4.) Rita Pavone - Ahi Ahi Ragazzo

5.) Dynastie Crisis - Faust 72

6.) Frances Gall - Laisse Tomber Les Filles

7.) I Baronetti- Isola Souvenir

8.) Gli Astrali - Non siamo como voi

9.) Unknown Artist

10.) Rita Pavone - La Commessa

11.) Clem Sacco E I Suoi Califfi- Change Twist

12.) Brigitte Bardot - Ca Pourrait Changer

13.) Andre Verchuren - Je Me Seis Bien

14.) Francoise Hardy - Je N'Attends Plus Personne

15.) Unknown Artist

16.) Nini Rosso - La Ballata Della Tromba

17.) Crociati - Milano

'ave a go at 'er ay

Los Belkings - (I really have no idea what the name of this record is.)

2010-02-28T14:04:00.000-08:00

In September 2001, a young eL Stinkeyes applied for his Egyptian Visa. I saved up all my monies, planning on checking out the pyramids and temples, go swimming in the Red Sea, you know the whole "Egypt thing." A couple of days later I wake up to a phone call. It's my mother. She sounds really upset and she asking me if I'm okay. "Of course." I say half asleep. "What do you mean?" "You don't know? Terrorist flew a plane into the World Trade Center and it's on fire." This is just too surreal and I'm still half asleep and I finally convince my mother that there are no terrorist at my front door and hop on my bike to ride down the street to my friends house who has a TV. I didn't have one at the time. This is not a "where were you the day..?" story so I'll fast forward through the carnage and brimstone and get to the part where I got back home later and checked my mail and aside from the normal mail, I received my Egyptian visa. The following week my mother called me daily, begging me not to the Middle East. Me being young and carefree thought nothing of it but through numerous guilt laden trips I finally agreed to not go to Egypt. All for my mother. So my obvious plan B was to go to Peru and see Machu Pichu. Eventually I wound at a seaside town called Trujillo where I got the most awful food poisoning ever. The worst pain ever felt in my entire life. Having said that, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Trujillo's surf rock gods, Los Belkings.

Enjoy!

Johnny Cash "Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian" (1964)

2010-02-26T11:49:00.000-08:00

In honor of SXSW steadily approaching, I am posting this because A.) Its a great album with a great back story. B.) There is a great book about the subject being promoted right now and C.) I will be participating this year by performing pieces from this record with the author and many special guests.

To begin with, in 1962 Johnny Cash began dipping his feet in the civil rights pool emerging at the time, more specifically the American Indian Movement. Upon completion of this record in 1964, Columbia records decided not to release it due to its political content and this when Cash was riding the wave of success off of "Ring of Fire." Today the album is available on digital format but the demand from Cash fans for its "proper release" grows daily. I would suggest to go here for a well scripted historical account.

The book, "A Heartbeat and A Guitar" by Antonino D'Ambrosio, is critically acclaimed and a must read for both Cash fans and civil rights advocates. We will be performing works from "Bitter Tears" while the author reads passages from his book. My good friend and music boss, Martin Perna will be in the house along with Wayne Kramer of legendary proto-punk institution MC5 plus some "surprise guests" and giving the fact that guests in the past have been Chuck D, Billy Bragg, and Tom Morello, there's no telling who's going to show up. Dates are below.

3/18 - 6-9 @ Rabbit's Lounge - Austin, Tx.

3/19 - 6:30-8:30 @ Resistencia Bookstore - Austin, Tx.

The album is here.

Las Raices de la Chicha… La Leyenda Continua - Volumen 1 (2010)

2010-02-24T15:33:00.000-08:00

Oh internets, how do I love thee. You bring the whole world together while I just sit on my ass and stare at a monitor. This compilation you see before you was sent to me from the source, my new Peruvian friend Wilmer. To summarize part of the text document in the file as well, "Chicha is more than a musical movement. It is a social movement of the mestizos." This is music of the people. I will no longer consider Lima the capital of Peru. Viva Cusco!

Enjoy!

Som Imaginario "s/t" (1970)

2010-02-23T15:33:00.000-08:00

Pop Quiz:

Q: What do Milton Nascimento, Elis Regina, Gal Costa, Wagner Tiso, Nana Vasconcelos, Robby Singh and a bunch of other brilliant Brazilian musicians have in common?

A: This band.

Your welcome.

Bo Diddley - "Bo Diddley is a Gunslinger" (1960)"

2010-02-13T10:54:00.000-08:00

Bo Diddley, "The Originator" as many called him, is responsible for assisting in the fusion on blues and rock n' roll. His self-invented legacy manifested itself into a reality where he changed music culture forever. Ed Sullivan cursed Bo calling him "one of the first colored boys to ever double-cross him" and stating he "wouldn't last six months"......stupid gringo. One of the only guitar players to a have a drum beat named after him. A man that named many of his works after himself. This being the case, you can say he influenced hip hop as well with his self-revelry. Plus you cant deny that he's rapping on "Who Do You Love", no matter how primitive it may sound by today's lyrical standards. He released over thirty albums and in short, he's "The Shit."

Enjoy

eXCLUSIVE - eL Stinkeyes - "Vamos ala Go-Go Mix" (2010)

2010-02-10T12:00:00.000-08:00

Oh the road of crate digging, analog or digital, it can be rough most of the time and the rewards are few. Listening to hours of middle of the road music just to find that one gem. Culling through the dregs of music history. Its kinda like cleaning up somebody's house after they passed away and going through a bunch of bullshit. 90% of everything winds up in the garbage while you go home with a lamp or something. Well guess what? Who passed away? Psyche rock (R.I.P.) and here is the lamp I'm bringing home to you that's gonna shed some light on the Latin American psyche scene in the 60's.

Now I must admit I'm more of a fan of the gear than the music of the 60's. I like the sound of the recordings more so the sound of the music itself. No, I dont want to hear "Satisfaction" or "Day Tripper" covered in Spanish. No, I dont care if your wearing Syd Barrett's dirty underwear dipped in LSD. Just be a young Latino and give me a hook goddamnit!

Tracklist:

1. Pina y sus Estrellas - Los Extranos
2. Los Flippers - Flipprotesta
3. Los Gatos - Que Piensas de Mi
4. Sandro y Los de Fuego - Peggy Peggy
5. Los Speakers - Borracho
6. Los 4 de la Torre - Vuelo 502
7. Los Gatos Salvajes - Donde Vas
8. Las Quatro Monedas - Caminando por la Calle
9. Los Gatos - La Balsa
10. La Joven Guardia - Me Siento Solo
11. Los Mentales - La Calla Principal
12. Los York's - Abrazame Baby
13. Los Speakers - Mr. Spaceman
14. Sandro y Los de Fuego - Pintados por Dios
15. Los Monstruos - Hey Monstruo
16. Jeanette - Porque Te Vas
17. Los Saicos - Ana
18. Los Destellos - Guajira Sicodelica

Disfrutar!

Mulatu Astatke - New York - Addis - London (The Story of Ethio Jazz 1965-1975) 2009

2010-02-08T07:38:00.000-08:00

Back in the late nineties I stumbled upon a CD entitled Ethiopiques. After listening to it I realized that I wasn't as funky as I, a young twenty-something chicano kid, thought I was. I knew James Brown. Who doesnt? I was just getting into Fela Kuti, who you should know. But, this was Eastern African. Arabian style modes and scales. Polyrhythms in 4 and 6 stacking on each other. Menacing riffs. Like The JB's armed with a bunch of those squiggly knives. At the heart of this new found world of Ethiopian music was my man, Mulatu Astatke. The father of "Ethio jazz". This guy is to popular Ethiopian music like what Duke Ellington is to jazz. There's just no way around him and America is finally catching on.

This compilation covers his early years when he studied in London and New York (he was also the first African to attend Harvard) and his triumphant return back to Ethiopia. All killer. No filler.

Enjoy!

nomeansno - Wrong (1989)

2010-02-02T12:35:00.000-08:00

Talk about nostalgia. 1991, I was a freshman in high school. Some wayward skater kid who liked playing guitar and The Misfits. Learning how to smoke shitty cigarettes my friend would steal from his old man. Then I met this dude, lets call him......Clarence. Clarence was one of the cool kids who played drums in a local punk band. One of those kids who had a badass leather jacket, doc martins, odd hair, piercings and happened to live in my neighborhood. We could go over to Clarences house and smoke weed and cigarettes and what not in peace because his parents were "cool." One day Clarence puts this record on and, I still remember this moment, this beast of a bass guitar sound just slaps my face. Clarence is air-guitaring and drumming away, banging his head around. I'm there probably making a ugly face melting face and grinding my teeth in rock-inspired awe. The first song ends. I ask "Who is this?" He says nothing and throws the record cover at me while the second song starts.

This is definitely one of those records that made me want to seriously play music. Even to this day this album is amazing. Many consider this to be nomeansno's best. I am one of them.

Let us rock!

Nino Rota - "Amarcord" (1973)

2010-01-31T14:40:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite movies ever. Federico Fellini recalls and morphs his childhood growing up in Rimini in the 1930's in Fascist Italy. Amist all of the political chaos, this little town is still full of character and warmth. Sexual. Masculine. Comical. Provocative. All of these elements are wrapped together in a beautiful package by Nino Rota. Rota scored the majority of Fellini's films but he is probably most famous in America for his work with Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather Trilogy".

The main theme of Amarcord appears in various forms. Sometimes playful, sometimes swingin', sometimes heavenly but always brilliantly executed. The finale is a go-to uplifter for myself. Its like seeing all of my loved ones waiting for me at the pearly gates. Who what have thought a descending progression could be so optimistic. And of course, what would a Nino Rota soundtrack be without his circus marching band romps.

Mangia!

Juan Pablo Torres - " Algo Nuevo: Con Todos Los Hierros/Super Son" (1977)

2010-01-29T19:12:00.000-08:00

One of the premier Cuban trombonist, Juan Pablo Torres, combines his native latin music with funk, soul, jazz, and pure quirkiness. What stands out to me on this record is Torres employing Casio sounding keyboards. Imagine if the original Super Mario Bros. were Cuban instead of Italian. "Extracto de Son" reminds me of the underwater levels of the original Nintendo game. You'll understand it when you hear this. Also, the string arrangements are so dense and dramatic but rhythmic.

The bottom line: this is so funky its hard to recognize all these details in one listen.

I've also included 2 extra tracks from a compilation that wound up on my hard drive somehow.

Disfrutar!

eXCLUSIVE - eL Stinkeyes - "Poder de Chicha Mix" (2010)

2010-01-27T22:11:00.000-08:00

This mix is strictly chicha. Primarily, chicha is usually a old fermented corn beverage that dates back to the Inca Empire. In the late 60's it referred to a form of peruvian pop music that fused cumbia with electric guitars, fuzz pedals, wah wahs, and farfisa. For a good historical account go here.

Tracklist:

1. Los Destellos - (Unknown)
2. Los Beltons - Cumbia Beat
3. Amor Indio - Amor Indio
4. Los Galax - Lamento de un Galax
5. Juaneco Y Su Combo - (Unknown)
6. Los Henry's - Cumbia del Amor
7. Los Destellos- (Unknown)
8. Manzanita - Serrano con Orgullo
9. Los Iguales - Sara Chaca
10. Juaneco Y Su Combo - (Unknown)
11. Los Yabar Juniors - Marionetas
12. Manzanita Y Su Conjunto - Arre Caballito
13. Los Destellos - Ronda Tropical
14. Los Mirlos - El Milagro Verde
15. Los Destellos - (Unknown)

Disfrutar!

Andres Landero "Grandes Cumbias de Andres Landero"

2010-01-27T19:33:00.000-08:00

I'm a born and raised Tejas boy and proud. Tejas is Mexico. Always will be. So, this popularity of cumbia is great. I love the fact that it's creeping into American dance music. Some DJ friends of mine throw a monthly dance party in Austin, Tx. that brings out chingos of kids and they all love to get down to those infectious latino jams. Now just because you hear that triplet on a guiro, it does not always mean its a cumbia and there are many variations of cumbias depending on which region you look at in Latin America. Let's go to the source, Columbia. Andres Landero plays one of the traditional forms of cumbias. Its not stylized with big brass sections and tail coats. Its raw. Its playful. Its from the land. His accordion style is erratic with some minor dissonances. This particular style is classified as vallenato, which means from the valley. Although Landero never achieved the amount of success as other vallenatos of his day, his popularity rises with time and trends and is now considered a legend.

Disfrutar!

Scott Walker "Scott 3" (1969)

2010-01-27T18:16:00.000-08:00

Noel Scott Engel A.K.A. Scott Walker achieved teen idol status with The Walker Brothers in mid 1960's. Tired of the symphonic pop ballads of the group, Scott Walker broke away and began his solo career. With each solo record his compositions simultaneously delved more into classical western music and reached out towards experimental dissonances and drones. All while Scott's heavenly barritone croons overhead. "It's Raining Today" is a perfect example. Beginning with eerie screeching string trills, that recalls one of the many horror movies I've seen in my lifetime, and then shortly followed by the band with fragile guitars, chimes and a gentle brush-worked drum beat. Scott Walker is an artist in the purest form: Always progressing forward, sometimes ahead of his times and never looking back.

Enjoy!

EXCLUSIVE - eL Stinkeyes - "Brown Acid Mix Vol. 1 - El Estilo Tranquilo" (2010)

2010-01-26T19:26:00.000-08:00

Fact: I have way too much music. Fact: I have way too much time on my hands. So, I am now making mixtapes for the people and I am starting with a laid-back latino psyche-rock compilation. All of these songs have been pre-approved "choice" by me. I just have a penchant for old shitty recordings, twangy guitars, echo chambers, lush string arrangements, and lost Latin American culture.

Tracklist:

1. Bichos de Candy - Tu Figura
2. The Brazilain Bites - Fas Feliz Assim
3. Os Brasas - Meu Eterno Amor
4. Los Gatos - Viento dile a la lluvia
5. O Terco - Imagem
6. Freddy Fender - Dime
7. Los Pasteles Verdes - Esclavo y Amor
8. Los Zafiros - Corazon Herdido
9. Los Blops - (Unknown)
10. Los Brincos - Sol en Julio
11. Los Gatos - Lo Olvidaras
12. Los Flippers - Las Dunas de la Arena
13. Los Angeles Negros - (Unkown)
14. Los Pasteles Verdes - Caminito
15. Os Brasas - Beija me Agora
16. Los Speakers - El Era un Amigo Mio
17. El Polen - Mi Cuerva
18. Los Nocturnos - Volvere a Buscarte

Disfrutar!

Peregoyo y Su Combo Vacana - 1965

2010-01-26T12:45:00.000-08:00

"The King of the Currulao"

Currulao is a African rhythm; it is employed in singing about the misfortunes of love, feasts of the saints, or for lamenting the loss of a child. After more than five centuries of neglect, the Pacific coast of Colombia, one of the country's best kept secrets is gradually beginning to shed its isolation and obscurity. This region is a "New Africa": 95% of its inhabitants are of African origin, brought there to work in the gold mines and plantations during the age of Spanish colonization. The presence of Africana in the Pacific region flourishes in myriads of surviving traditions. One of the most accessible is music.

The first orchestra to record in the whole Pacific region was undoubtedly Peregoyo back in the 1960s; for that matter the Combo Vacaná was one of the first to record Afro-Colombian music in the entire country. Peregoyo, a variant of the word "emperegoyado" that refers to a person who always looks sharp and is well dressed and groomed and so naturally a maestro, is the nickname for bandleader Enrique Urbano Tenorio. Their first long playing record was recorded live with a single microphone and released on Disco Fuentes in 1965 when Peregoyo was fourty-eight. To this day, 87 year old Peregoyo is still composing folk melodies of the Pacific coast to the indigenous rhythms of the Afro-Colombian lands.

Disfrutar!

Dario Argento's "Tenebre - Claudio Simonetti, Fabio Pignatelli, Massimo Morante"

2010-01-26T08:38:00.000-08:00

Dario Argento had used the Italian rock band Goblin to provide the musical scores to two of his previous films, Deep Red (1975) and Suspiria (1977). Goblin helped define the sound of 70's horror fims and giallos. The group had disbanded in 1980, but three of the band's members—Claudio Simonetti (Roland Jupiter-8, Roland Vocoder Plus, Minimoog, Piano, Electric Piano, Oberheim DMX Digital Drum, Roland TR-808, Roland MC4 Computer), Fabio Pignatelli (Fender bass normal and fretless), and Massimo Morante (Electric and Acoustic guitar)—reunited at Argento's request to work on Tenebrae. The result is a synth-driven rock out that is an essential Italo Disco time capsule as well. Some may recognize the main theme sampled in Justice's "Phantom", which to me is essentially a remix. Nice try guys.

Gustare!

Leave it to us professionals in the biz

2010-01-25T22:18:00.000-08:00

Franco & Le TPOK Jazz ''Francophonic - A Retrospective, Vol.1 (1953-1980)''

2010-01-25T21:47:00.000-08:00

Almost ten years ago I found some old tape from Africa at a garage sale. I went to my at-the-time place of employment as a cook and popped it in the cassette player. From the first notes of at least three playful echoed guitars, I fell in love. This was before I became a internet junkie so I really had no idea who this band was. I thought I stumbled upon something that only a few knew about but instead it turned out to be Franco. "The Sorcerer of the Guitar." The posthumous Commander of the Order of the Leopard of former Zaire. A national treasure of the Congo, releasing as many as 150 albums in four decades. He was more than just a great guitarist. In many ways, he embodied the revolutionary transitional age from which he emerged: the years when the Belgian Congo became Zaire; when the government's preferred language went from French to Lingala; when the eminent political leader Patrice Lumumba suffered a grisly assassination and Mobutu Sese Seko ascended to power, introducing pro-West policies, platitudes on African authenticity, and torture chambers reserved for political prisoners.

Apprecier!

Luiz Bonfa -Luiz Bonfa's Brazilian Guitar [1957]

2010-01-25T14:35:00.000-08:00

Luiz Bonfa is the man. When this guy started recording his own compositions in Brazil in the 1950's, most people thought he was overdubbing multiple tracks of guitar. As his popularity rose he started performing to larger audiences and debunked all naysayers with his technical prowess. This album is such a fine example of that. Bonfa became most famous for his work with French film director Marcel Camus' legendary film, Black Orpheus.

Apreciar!