Juan Torres - Organo Melodico de Juan Torres

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)

                                        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)

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)

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)

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"

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)

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