Taylor McFerrin: Broken Vibes

Yes Taylor McFerrin is the son of that other beat-boxing McFerrin (they've worked well together as well). But no, that does not mean he listened to terrible music his whole life. As the self-made, self-produced demo and recent live NYC performance attest, this young McFerrin knows where music is in 2007 and has the chops to play along.

The Broken Vibes EP is getting a limited released by the Rude Movements (NYC) crew, as a follow up to their Shawn J Period 12". The records will feature different hand drawn Ian Wright stencils. The ISOUL8 remix is thankfully included, which preserves the original but adds just the right bounce, as is a more hip-hop and Brazilian number.

Taylor McFerrin - Broken Vibes

Here's what the NT Times had to say about the lad a few weeks ago when he was headlining the Times' new "emerging artist" series at Joes Pub:

Taylor McFerrin is a one-man show. Combining his skills as a producer and performer, Taylor McFerrin is making music heads around the world take notice as he seamlessly builds songs from scratch with his ambitious live show. Fender Rhodes, Synths, Samples, Vocals and Beatboxing are meshed together as Taylor builds from his roots in 60s Soul to his vision of future Hip-Hop. Gaining attention from his first single "Broken Vibes," which debuted on Gilles Peterson BBC World Wide Radio, Taylor keeps the buzz on high for his debut album with his undeniably intriguing solo performance.

4 Hero Plays With the Changes

This was meant to be a pre-release posting, but I learn we have 2 more weeks to wait for 4Hero's latest opus 'Play With the Changes.' I don't use that word thoughtlessly, for that is what ever 4Hero release has been. Each seems to usher in a totally new 4Hero, with a new sound - and new genres even. I won't run down their amazing history, that is what wikipedia can do now...

In Play With the Changes, Dego and Marc Mac conjure up an vintage jazzy soul that harks to the golden days. But when you listen closer and hear the modern (west london) electronic bits and advanced the drum patterns you think this is the future. Charles Stephney is definitely in the building, which makes sense after their fantastic homage to Chess/Cadet last year. We've heard bits of this sounds before - most obviously in their accalimed covers like Les Fluer, Black Gold of the Sun and Wishful Thinking. But those who expected a broken beat album are mostly disappointed (a mostly good thing).

This album really goes all out with the guest vocalists. Beyond the superb job of Carina Anderson (les fluer), there's Ursula Rucker, Jody Watley, Bembe Segue, Darien Brockington, Phonte of Little Brother, Jack Davey (J*DaVeY) and Larry Mizell.


4 Hero - Superwoman Where Were You When I Needed You (f/ Terry D) from Play With the Changes - One of those dangerous covers of classics, and they keep it respectful, but check the 4hero build half way through.

4 Hero ft. J Davey - Take My Time - Some of the finest work we've heard yet from the hot soul Angeleno's (who is apparently reinventing theirselves - )

This might be my favorite album of theirs yet, which is saying a lot, especially considering their recent work:

4Hero on the web:
Marc Mac's radio show Dollis Hill Sessions on Nu Wave Radio
Marc Mac's How About a Game of Chess (ABB Soul) LP
Marc Mac's Visioneers - Dirty Old Hip-Hop(BBE) LP
Dego (and KaidiTaitham's) Silhouette Brown - S/T (Ether) LP
4 Hero's compilation for Lifetsyles (Harmless UK) LP
4 Hero on You Tube
What they were up to a year and a half ago, according to yours truly.

UPDATE: I remembered a couple other 4Hero related bits of digitalia. Marc Mac has a new podcast site, where he's posted a mix of classic 4 Hero tunes called 'Coffee Table Classics' amongst other things. Also, Gilles' has got a podcast featuring a good talk with Marc Mac.

Belated Best of 2006

It's best to be the last to post 'best of' lists, because you have time to read everyone else's first before you can think you have a shot at claiming "best" of anything. I'm still finding top worthy songs up until today I had no idea existed (like this reggae bomb by Alaine - Deeper):


15 TOP ALBUMS
Bugz in the Attic - Back to the Doghouse
Mark Mac Presents: Visioneers -'Dirty Ole Hip Hope
Omar- Sing... If You Want It
TM Juke/Diesler – Keepie Upies
DJ Shadow - The Outsider
J Dilla - Donuts/The Shining
Lupe Fiasco - Food and Liquor
Mr V - Welcome Home
Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators - Keep Reachin' Up
Nomo, Owusu & Hannibal, Radio Citizen
Sergio Mendes - Timeless
The Beauty Room - The Beauty Room
V/A - More MPM Sound
VA - Brownswood Bubblers
VA - BITA
VA - SoulBoulders

DANCE
Alice Smith - Love Endeavor (Maurice Fulton mix)
Digital Funk Addicts - Higher Level
ESG - 'Insane' (Bass Mix)
Floetry - 'I Want You' (Yoruba Soul Mix)
Kevin Reynolds - 'Afrik'
Quasimode - 'Ipe Amarelo' (Spiritual South Remix)
Spirit Catcher - 'Rise and Shine' (Pascal Rioux Philly mix)
Sumo - The Danceband LP (inc. Lovebeat, Nini, No Custa Nada)
The Outlines - 'Listen to the Drums Part 1'
Zero dB - 'A Pomba Girou'
Status - You aint Really Down (Jazzanova mix)

LATIN/WORLD
12"s
Aloe Blacc - 'Bailar'/'Patria Mia' (Stones Throw)
Jorge Ben - 'Sou Da Pesada' (7 Samurai Afroraduno Remix)
Nomo - 'Nu Tones'
Luisito Quintero - 'Percussion Maddness'
El Lele De Los Van Van Feat. Radiohead - 'High & Dry'
Sygaire - 'Deux Mille Deux' (Sonar Kollektiv)
LPS
Ali Farka Toure - Savane
Juana Molina - Son
Sergio Mendes - Timeless
VA- The Rough Guide to West African Gold
Kinky- Reina
Soweto Kinch -
Edu K, DJ Sandrinho
Diplo - bringing Angolan, Brazillian, Jamaican, Baltamorean beats to the cool kids


TOP TRACKS (POPPY)
Ben Westbeech - 'So Good Today' (Brownswood)
Gnarls Barkley - 'Crazy' (Wea)
Lily Allen - 'LDN' (Regal)
Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators - 'Feeling Free' (Timmion)
Simbad - 'Soul Fever' (Raw Fusion)
J Timberlake - My Love
T.T f Q-Tip - Why You Wanna
Lupe Fiasco - 'I Gotcha' (Atlantic)
Pharrel - Mamacita, Number 1, Margarita (Sleepy Brown), Anything (Jay-Z)
Rapture - Get Myself Into It (Prince Language mix)

R&B/SOUL
Chokolate - 'Heavy'
Colonel Red - 'Blue Eye Black' (People)
Omar - Ghana Emotion, Lay it Down, Your Mess, Feeling You..
Eric Lau & Rahel - 'I'm Fine' (White)
Georgia Anne Muldrow - 'Wrong Way'
J*Davey - 'Might As Well'
Brockington - 'Can We Fall in Love Again'
Mark Ronson f/ A. Greenwald - 'Just'
LPs
Omar - Sing... if You Want It
Anthony David - Red Clay Chronicles
Julie Dexter & Khari Simmons - Moon Bossa
Joi - Tennessee Slim Is The Bomb
Chokolate - Choklate

HIP-HOP
Busta Rhymes - 'New York Sh***' (Interscope)
Ghostface Killah & MF Doom - 'Angeles' (Lex)
J Dilla Ft. Pharaoh Monch - 'Love' (bbe)
Lupe Fiasco - 'I Gotcha' (Atlantic)
Cut Chemist - 'What's the Altitude'
Dj Adlib f. MED - Everyday
Ghostface f Amy Winehouse - You Know I'm No good
Hi Tek f/ Talib Kweli, Ayak - Can We Go Back
Tanya Morgan - 'Pretty'
Strange Fruit Project - the Healing LP
Rhymefest - Blue Collar LP
J Dilla - The Shining
Clipse -
Visioneers - Dirty Old Hip Hop LP

JAZZY THINGS
Big Bang - Way In Jazz (Summer Fields)
Hot 8/Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
Marcina Arnold - ForefathersMemory
Middlewood Sessions - Fall Back
Elizabeth Shepherd - Start To Move (Do Right)
Raul Midon - 'Sunshine' (EMI)
Matthias Vogt Trio - Changing Colors
Heritage Orchestra - THO
Koop- Koop Islands
The Life Force Trio - Living Room
Kenny Garrett - Qing Wen
Ammoncontact - With Voices
Soil & Pimp - Pimp Master
Sleepwalker - The Voyage

VIDEOS
Mark Ronson - Just http://youtube.com/watch?v=fxu5CUPRU-U
Elizabeth Shepherd Trio - Four http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZYpNi9nTW4&eurl=
Soil & Pimp - Summer Goddess -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7cZ1cRERZo
Mard de Clive Lowe - Heaven - http://youtube.com/watch?v=qGMtA6QHazQ

ROCK
Jose James - 'The Dreamer' (White)
M Craft - 'Silver and Fire' (679)
CSS - Music is My Hot Hot Sex / Alaha
Tahiti 80 - Something About You/A Matter of Time
Beck - The Information
Prototypes - Who's Gonna Sing