thegoodvibez#021

thegoodvibez#021

Well this is my last post for 2009, I just blasted my blog today with 3 posts and my 2009 in music is ready to be downloaded. It was a very interesting year musically, the indie movement is at an all time high and I also notice that the electro sound is becoming very commercial however good music will always be good music no matter what trend is going on.

Let's jump to my favorite tracks since this is a favorite of 09 I'll pick 5 instead of my usual 3. The opening track The Music Scene by Blockhead is a nice instrumental groove on the jazz tip, I was happy when I found out the Blockhead had a new album out being a fan and all even though it's not his strongest release it's still a solid effort. Then I'll go with Quicksand (Boy 8-Bit Remix) by La Roux and this track's been playing in clubs for a while I cannot deny how effective this track is, it's catchy, dancy but most of all damn good. Now Fading In & Out (Kid Cudi x DJ Class Mash-Up) by The Kickdrums is the perfect example that hip hop still has a few words to say and these words are not about rims, guns and pimpslappin'. Humdrum Town by Theophilus London was my discovery of the year is just straight up fresh and new, mixing electro and hip hop and give it an indie feel and you got a kick ass concept, I just love that song. Sweet Sixteen by Think About Life, this Montreal based band is outstanding I cannot really describe the music it's an amalgamation of so many musical styles (Indie Rock mixed with Electro and Hip Hop) one thing I can say for sure is this track is amazing and I can't wait to hear more from them. Well I said 5 but my favorite album of 2009 is with no doubt Phoenix's Wolfgang Amadeus it's dancy, retro rock the melodies are sweet, the lyrics poetic it's just a gem of an album. as I was writing this post I realised the Lust for Life by Girls needs a shout as well and last but not least (I promise) I Karen O & The Kids with All Is Love from the Where The Wild Things Are Soundtrack (my 2nd favorite album of 2009).

thegoodvibez#021 track list

1-The Music Scene / Blockhead
2-Spring (Air France Remix) / Saint Etienne
3-Pon De Floor [Explicit] / Major Lazer (Switch & Diplo)
4-Positif (Original Mix) / Mr Oizo
5-Quicksand (Boy 8-Bit Remix) / La Roux
6-Your Disco Song / Vitalic
7-Tonight / The Juan MacLean
8-Fading In & Out (Kid Cudi x DJ Class Mash-Up) by The Kickdrums / Kid Cudi
9-Weirdo (9th WONDER REMIX ft. E Jon) / Hollyweerd
10-Humdrum Town (Bonus Track) / Theophilus London
11-Sweet Sixteen / Think About Life
12-Deadbeat Summer / Neon Indian
13-Sing Sang Sung / Air
14-Skeleton Boy (Air France Remix) / Friendly Fires
15-Fences (25 Hrs a Day RMX) (REMIX VERSION) / Phoenix
16-8th Wonder / Gossip
17-Lust For Life / Girls
18-All Is Love / Karen O And The Kids

DOWNLOAD

I said it, I meant it and I’m here to represent it.
Peace & I’m out

GV’z

Battalion Armour x Apple Juice Kid – Beautiful Warriors 2 (Louis Armstrong Remixed)

Earlier this year, The Apple juice Kid dropped Miles Davis remixed, it was a great project and I still listen to it regularly. I taught I was dreaming but nope another Apple Juice kid project (this DJ/Producer/Drummer) is going for the gold with Louis Armstrong Remixed. The concept is very simple take 11 old L. Armstrong songs and update them. Some have a hip hop feel, others are more electronic well in this day of mashing up styles who cares right ? The question remains is it any good ? You bet'cha it's damn good. Now I have to tell you that I still prefer Miles Remixed but the Armstrong Remixed is a breeze to listen to specially around the Holiday no one can hate on an updated version of Wonderful World.

This is something you can sit back, relax and enjoy with you girl, your family even you Grandfather is going to enjoy this one. This project just makes me wonder what is the Apple juice Kid is going to tackle afterwards ? how about some remixed Coltrane now that would be a trip.created by

Enjoy!

GVz






DOWNLOAD

thegoodvibez#020

thegoodvibez#020

I wasn't gonna let my hip hop heads out to dry, I didn't post much in 09 ans I was more in the Indie and electro vibe but I wasn't about to forget my first love so here it is, something to get down to during the holidays.

I'm gonna jump to my favorite tracks right away, Auditiorium Ft. Slick Rick by Mos Def is a solid track with Madlib on production and I just remember having a good time on a certain Saturday afternoon with two of my friends and we we're just humming the melody on and on so this one goes out to Double U & T. Nebulosa by DJ Cam Quartet, Cam's been out there since the 90's putting out amazing instrumental (mostly) albums. He stirs hip hop and jazz and serves you up with a delectable musical cocktail. Diggin' was one of my favorite albums of 2009 i know you gonna dig this one. It's also interesting to see how hip hop is treated overseas, The Key by Speech Debelle is an example this Londoner just rips the mic on a jazzy beat and the potent English accent just gives it more personality.

I notices two more followers on the blog, thanks a lot it's much appreciated. I still got a few tricks up my sleeve before the year ends on this note I hope you will enjoy this hip hop mix that I've cooked for all y'all.

thegoodvibez#020 track list

1-Wonka Beat 1 / Damu The Fudgemunk
2-Less (Part 1 & 2) / DJ Vadim, Jabee & Emcee Hype
3-Protagonists / Felt (Slug & Murs)
4-Auditiorium Ft. Slick Rick / Mos Def
5-Oakland / Raashan Ahmad
6-What We Live / Nicolay and Kay
7-Alive & Vibrant / Nero
8-Stakes Is High Part 1 (U-N-I) / Mick Boogie & Terry Urban
9-It Is What It Is Featuring Naledge / Dela
10-Nebulosa / DJ Cam Quartet
11-Magic Man / Kayne West & Malik Yusef feat. Common & John Legend
12-The Key / Speech Debelle
13-Zone To Da Night Life (ft. Median) / Jr And Ph7
14-The Grind / People Under The Stairs
15-Get Away ft. Little Brother (Prod. By Nel Sentimentum) / Buggs Da Rocka
16-Jacques Cousteau / Kooley High
17-Request / Q-Tip
18-Yikes Ft. Doom / Scienz Of Life
19-Stella Kuen / Buck 65

I said it, I meant it and I’m here to represent it.
Peace & I’m out.

GV'z

DOWNLOAD

thegoodvibez#019

Thegoodvibez#019

I’m gonna jump right to my favorite tracks, Walking On A Dream by Empire of the Sun now that track sounds like David Bowie and Prince I’m just loving that 80’s vibe. Then we have Population Control (Ruckazoid! Megawave Remix) by Exile, now I know it’s an Exile track but Ruckazoid! Is a DJ / Producer that you have to check out, that heavy synth sound is amazing last but not least we have Hidaway by Karen O And The Kids from the Where The Wild Things Are soundtrack. Karen O, the lead signer for the New York based band The Yeah Yeah Yeahs is a sweet indie track that I know you gonna dig.

Thegoodvibez#019 track list

1-Shadows by Au Revoir Simone
2-Walking On A Dream by Empire of the Sun
3-Paris (featuring Au Revoir Simone) (Aeroplane Remix) by Friendly Fires
4-One Day by The Juan MacLean
5-Population Control (Ruckazoid! Megawave Remix) by Exile
6-Pump My Pumps by Dan Black
7-Let's Reggae All Night by Cansei de Ser Sexy
8-Losing Myself by The Brazilian Girls
9-Might Like You Better by Amanda Blank
10-Roxanne (Remix feat. The Knux) by Gerald Walker
11-Major Tom by Shiny Toy Guns
12-Love Long Distance by The Gossip
13-Lay it Down by Peter Bjorn and John
14-Things Work Out by The Kickdrums
15-Hidaway by Karen O And The Kids

DOWNLOAD

I said it, I meant it and I’m here to represent it.
Peace & I’m out

GV’z

Max Tannone's Double Check Your Head by the Beastie Boys

A few weeks ago maybe a month while browsing the net I found Max Tannone's Double Check Your Head by the Beastie Boys.

Now the Beasties need no introduction but Max Tannonne (Formely Minty Fresh Beats) is a producer that released Jaydiohead which was a Jay-Z and Radiohead mashup. Now with Double Check you Head, he took lyrics and instrumental tracks from the classic Beasties album Check Your Head and the results is well... Imagine mashing up all that classic material.

When you listen to these songs they feel current, considering Check Your Head came out in 1992. This 7 song remix album is out of this world, the remixes are tight the production sounds crisp most of all all of these song has an individual twist to them, little sounds that we're not part of the instrumental tracks and there's even a new song in there featuring Nas.

You must check it out and if you only heard post 90's Beastie's stuff it's nothing compared to their first 4 albums and my all time favorite is Paul's Boutique (if you want to know)

DOWNLOAD

Enjoy!

Peace & I'm out

GVz

Ruckazoid!

Man oh man it's been almost two months since my last post, I was neck deep in my graphic design thing but as always I gotta come back to music. Food feeds the belly but music (amongst other things) feeds the soul.

As I was preparing my next mix (that will be posted within the next week or so) I discovered this dude called Ruckazoid!. This Los Angeles based DJ/Producer is just insane, I mean you gotta check it for your self. He stacks synthytisers (6 of them to be axact) and actually constructed his own turntables this guy is serious about his music. I would descibe his sounds as pure 80's breakbeat but he's no one trick cat, he produced from Lil' Wayne, Drake and he's coming out with a new album under the name Ruckazoid and the humans.

You know what I think the best thing is for you to check him out:



I'm sure we will hear from Ruckazoid! in the near future as for thegoodvibez I got two new original mixes that will be posted soon, I'm also going to redesign the blog.

Enjoy!

Peace & I'm out

GVz

illroots and Okayplayer Present: The Remix Project

The Remix Project is a North Carolina collective comprised of Apple Juice Kid on the Drums, Matt Brandau on the Bass, Brevan Hampden on Percussion, Mark Wells on
Keys, Dana Chell on the Guitar/Samples, and DJ Merlin on the cuts. This project is a live reinterpretation by the Remix Project of classic Hip-Hop tracks ranging from Panjabi MC & Jay-Z “Beware” to Outkast’s “Prototype”. With a flawless presentation created by upcoming graphic designer Objectiv One and online powerhouses illRoots.com and Okayplayer.com this project is bound to create just as much buzz as Apple Juice Kid’s prior releases. You may remember this very same collaboration of online entities as they present the heralded Miles Remixed Album which saw the legend Miles Davis reinvented as only Apple Juice Kid could. Recently Apple Juice has produced tracks with several major artists such as Wale (Allido/Interscope), MC Lyte, Camp Lo, Fresh Daily, Donny Goines, Yahzarah, and many more. As well as being the drummer for The Remix Project, Apple Juice Kid joins Suede (Camp Lo) to form the genre bending group Freebass 808. The next 808 release, following their Moonbass EP, is titled Chakra and will be released early October with the first single “Rewind” featuring Jovi Rockwell of Major Lazer.

The Remix Project has been seen backing up some of your favorite live experiences as they backed up all the artists at the Nice And Smooth Tribute that was hosted by 9th Wonder and True School. Along with this event they have backed up the always entertaining Fat Man Scoop at SOB’s in New York City where he stated “I love this f*#king band.”

This project combines a live instrumentation of classic Hip-Hop songs that transitions flawlessly for 22 tracks of listening pleasure andis available for free download/stream thanks to illRoots.com and Okayplayer.com Now.

DOWNLOAD

Rahi High

You never know when you are going to discover good music, in this case good music bumped into me.

Here I am rushing to class after having dinner with my sweetheart and I hear a melodic acoustic guitare and a rhasby voiced brother with mad soul. Of course I took a few minutes to just listen to this soul brother. He sang Rome and I also caught Bernadette. I actually purchased a cd and I'm listening to it on the regular but also I make other people listen to him to get that sound around. I don't understand that we can have 12 Chris Brown clones or what ever flavor of the month pop artist that's out there and this brother cannot get a record deal !

Anyways back to my story, I was on the corner of Ste-Catherine and Guy and I told Rahi the he needs to go on the plateau hopefully he listened but he was sucha nice guy, down to earth and I wish him all the succes and love in the world. Here are a few links if you wanna check him out:



link 1
link 2

Peace brotherman.

Various Artists - Jazzy Kozmonaut (2009)

In the early 90's a musical movement called acid jazz took the industry by surprise. The names The Brandnew Heavies, Jamiroquai, Incognito, Groove Collective to name a few we're pioneers of this musical mouvement. It was a mix of funk, soul, jazz hip hop. Nowadays acid jazz is dead as disco but I was able to find this lovely compilation Jazzy Kozmonaut and it's just majestic. Jazzy, smooth instrumental tracks from The Jazzual Suspects, Rinocerose, Presto, Mark Farina and others. This is a must for any music lover. I got it from Beatbox Radio Show and their blog is full of wonderful little surprises.

Various Artists - Jazzy Kozmonaut (2009)

01. Presto feat. Wayward Saints - Altered States
02. Readymade - Transcontinental
03. The Jazzual Suspects - Funkin' Koobad
04. Rinocerose - Last Pictures
05. Tommy Hools - Barcelone
06. Humming Urban Stereo - Casker
07. Sonny Jones - Discipline
08. Raw Instinct - De La Bass (Mousse T Remix)
09. Andrew J. & Kaltenecker - Funqui Beet
10. Kleener - Tonight
11. DJ Fumiya - Groove Boy
12. Benny Blanko - Listen
13. Presto - Space Walk
14. Mark Farina - Cali Spaces (Julius Papp Remix)
15. Perquisite & David Kweksilber - After The Rain
16. Scott Matelic - Stargazin'
17. Kero One - Space Cadets
18. Phonosapiens - Relaxation Time
19. Moonrock - Ill Street Blues
20. Pete Rock - A Little Soul
21. P.U.T.S. - Schooled In The Trade
22. Moe Hairlines - Outrun
23. St. Germain feat. John Lee Hooker - Sure Thing
24. Presto - Relax Your Mind
25. Mateo & Matos - Taste of Funk
26. The Mighty Bop - Ride Away
27. Opgave - Spacehead
28. Grand Synthe - Descender
29. King Kooba - Static Society
30. Kraak & Smaak - Thinkin' Back
31. Kevin Yost & Guy Monk - More of You
32. Freddie Cruger - The Hustle (Red Astaire Remix)
33. The Odd Couple - Sunshine
34. Visioneers - Smoker
35. DJ Alibi - Come Home


DOWNLOAD

Enjoy !

Peace & I'm Out

GVz

DJ Nophrills - Living Legends vol.1

In Montreal, one of the biggest cultural cities we are saturated with Festivals. The biggest one is The Montreal Jazz Festival and Stevie Wonder was closing the festival. Of course I missed it but I heard it was a good show and he did an homage to MJ who had just passed away at the time. I was touched by that so I pulled out my old Stevie Wonder cds (imagine nowadays CD's are considered old technology).

While in this Wonderful mood, I was browsing a few of my favorite blogs and I fell upon DJ Nophrills Living Legends vol.1 a compilation featuring Stevie Wonder, Prince, Al Green, Shakah Khan and a few more. I knew most of the songs (late 70's early 80's Funk, Soul and Pop) but it's just nice to have then all mixed together.

This mixtape is perfect for a in-house social gathering and it's a booty shaker guaranteed. Here it is for free, T, this one's for you and stop complaining that I post too much hip hop. I promise my next post is all about Fantasia 2009.

Peace & I'm out

TRACK LIST:

1. DJ NoPhrillz OfficialStreetRadio.com Intro
2. Chaka Kahn "Ain't Nobody"
3. Stevie Wonder "That Girl"
4. Hall and Oats "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
5. Prince "Kiss"
6. Stevie Wonder "Do I DO"
7. Stevie Wonder "All I Do Is Think About You"
8. Stevie Wonder "Send One Your Love"
9. Frankie Beverly and Mase "Before I Let Go"
10. Frankie Beverly and Mase "Joy and Pain"
11. Stevie Wonder "Boogie On Reggae Woman"
12. Prince "I Want To Be Your Lover"
13. Madonna "Borderline"
14. Michael McDonald "What A Fool Believes"
15. Stevie Wonder "Don't You Worry About A Thing"
16. Chaka Kahn "Sweet Thing"
17. Stevie Wonder "Overjoyed"
18. Stevie Wonder "You Will Know"
19. Aretha Franklin "Until You Come Back To Me"
20. Al Green "Still In Love With You"
21. Al Green "Let's Stay Together"
22. Diana Ross "Upside Down"
23. Diana Ross "Love Hangover"
24. Chaka Kahn "Feel For You"


DOWNLOAD

Slum Village - Remember The Classics (Free Mixtape Download)

Man oh man, I know this is no Fantasia post, thing is Fantasia is not all that this year, I saw a few good movies but nothing special... yet I hope the best is yet to come. I will be doing a post strictly on Fantasia.

Ok I've been mad crazy lately, workin' for da man, freelancin' but nuff said peep this free downlaod:Slum Village - Remember The Classics (Free Mixtape Download). The late J Dilla's group this is well the title says it classic Slum Village material, nicely mixed by Dj Supa and hosted by Big Nat (who just won't shut up throughtout the whole mixtape).

If you can overlook Big Nat screaming his lungs off it's all good, as for me the screaming or hosting like it's presented, hosteing, SHUT UP and let the music play.

Would of been genius but Big Nat ruined it for me.
Downlaod

Fantasia 2009

Here it is, here it is, the art work for Fantasia 2009. If you don’t know, the Fantasia Film Festival is a unique experience, people go for the movies but come back for the atmosphere waitinging in line for a flick is an awesome experience. Fantasia’s been around since 1996 and it's by far the most exciting, innovative example of international genre cinema. The amphasis is on films that are rarely seen in North America. It ‘s very popular in Montreal and part of oh so many festivals that we have.

You like horror Fantasia will hook you up, you need a fix for bizarre documentaries Fantasia’s got’cha. Outlandish freakish gothic cinema is your thing, check out Fantasia. There's anime (Manga) old kung fu flicks even laugh out loud comedies.

Hopefully I will be able to attend this year, I’ve heard rumors that it was very difficult to finance fantasia in 2009 simply because Prime Minister Harper (a G W. Bush clone gone bad) decided to cut on cultural budgeting but they are back and hopefully this year is going to be as good if not better then the previous year. I will do my best to cover as much material possible.

Peace & I’m out

GVz

thegoodvibez#018

Thegoodvibez#018

It’s time for another original thegoodvibez mix. So for this chapter, I concocted a mix of Chilled out vibes that includes some jazzy hip-hop, some downtempo electronica, and some silky smooth soul. Sometimes I like to raise the roof however that mix will put babies to sleep. My favorite track we’re very hard to choose as usual but the opening track: Poetry ft. Q-Tip, Erykah Badu & MeShell N'degeocello by Roy Hargrove from the album The RH Factor: Hard Groove is simply majestic, Roy Hargrove is the horn of our generation and if you are not into jazz look him he’s worth it and he’s definitely not your grandpa’s jazzman. Then I have to show love to Misteur Valaire with the track Press 2 from the album Friterday Night. These cats are just doing their thing; their music is an amalgamation of jazz, techno and hip-hop. Their album is free but I would of gladly paid for their music. Last but not least is This Beat by The Jazzual Suspects part of the mushroom jazz series mixed by DJ Mark Farina from OM Records and I’ve been following that series since the beginning (late 90’s) I have all the volumes and Farina never ceases to amaze me.

THEGOODVIBEZ#018

1-Poetry ft. Q-Tip, Erykah Badu & MeShell N'degeocello / Roy Hargrove
2-The Jackal / Ronny Jordan
3-Press 2 / Misteur Valaire
4-Death By Chocolate / De Phazz
5-This Beat / The Jazzual Suspects
6-Welcome To The Paranormal / Padmo'
7-Loop Prisoner / Jazz Liberatorz
8-It's Coming Down / Exile
9-SnapMusic / Apple Juice Kid
10-City (5-6 Theme) / Sylk130
11-Dynamic Force / Red
12-Lost Vibes / 45
13-La Barrosa 14 Horas / Humming Urban Stereo
14-The Way You Look At Me / Freddie Cruger Present The 3 Foot People
15-La Femme Parallel (ft. LouLou) / Thievery Corporation

Hope you will enjoy, comments and suggestions are welcome.
Peace & I’m out

DOWNLOAD

GVz

Cates&dpL - Sunday Roast Free Mix Download

I always enjoyed the Label OM Records, I discovered them in the late 90’s early 2000 during the electronic music explosion. They even had a strong hip hop group called People Under The Stairs. My favorite artists from that Label are DJ Mark Farina famous for his Mushroom Jazz series, Kaskade, Samantha James, and DJ Collette. The Last purchase I made was OM Lounge: 15 Year Anniversary and it was some sweet chilled out vibes. Anyways while browsing on their site… at work, I found out they do podcasts and I found a sweet one, strictly downtempo electronica so you can smooth it out some.

This is the newest downtempo mix from OM Records recording artist Cates&dpL. Fresh off the release of Through the Weekend, the duo keeps it moving with this moody yet uplifting downtempo set featuring Thievery Corporation, Asad Rizvi and a couple of their own productions. Please click the banner to redirect to the podcast page where you can stream the mix using the Om Records audio player or download the mix by right cicking.

Cates&dpL – Sunday Roast Track list:

Cates&dpL – Late Night Nothingness
National Skyline – Some Will Say
Anoraak – Endless Summer
Asad Rizvi – Dois Polos
Shrift – As Far as I Can See
Rocket Empire – Simmer Down Jammie
Cates&dpL – Fountain Maze
The Januaries – The Girl’s Insane (Thievery Corporation Remix)

DOWNLOAD

Peace & I'm out

GVz

Khrysis: On The Boards With The Heat Vol. 2 Mixed by DJ Rhettmatic

Khrysis is one of the main in-house producers for North Carolina rap collective the Justus League, alongside 9th Wonder. In addition to producing Justus League artists he has also produced for artists such as Sean Price, Masta Ace, and Jean Grae. His productions utilize samples of records with intricate melodies and diverse drum beats. He began in his teens, recording tracks from his father's massive jazz and R&B record collection onto tape, and then extracting drum samples to make loops using a dual cassette player. He worked at his college's radio station, WNCU, where he met rapper Chaundon, who introduced him to 9th Wonder, and while attending North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina, he began an association with the Justus League. (WIKIPEDIA)

Now this is an instrumental mixtape mixed by none other then Rhettmatic from the Beat Junkies, It's a free download (you gotta love the net) and it feels like J Dilla's Donuts meaning every track is about two minutes long and it's mixed to perfection. Now a lot of people are saying that he's just a 9th wonder copy however I'm not convinced, I mean their beats are somewhat constructed the same way but that's about it now I'm not gonna take away 9th Wonder's skill but I think in this hip hop world there's enough room for both.

Bottom line, this is real dope and it's cool to appreciate just the instrumental aspect of hip hop music. This cat's been making noise in the underground for a minute and he's definitely on my list of top producers and that mixtape will give you a sample.


1. Intro
2. King Kong (Sean Price)
3. Awesome (The Away Team)
4. The Rap Game (Cormega ft. Little Brother)
5. Still Here (LEGACY)
6. Hearing Aid (Sean Price)
7. That N*gga (Jozee Mo)
8. Talkin Dirty (Ness)
9. Cool As A Fan (Little Brother)
10. Back At It (Little Brother)
11. Money On The Table (The Away Team)
12. N*ggaz Is Commin (Torae ft. Tash)
13. Starvation (LIttle Brother ft. Chaundon)
14. Can I Live (Chaundon)
15. Crazy (Rapper Big Pooh)
16. Keep It To The Side (Rapper Big Pooh)
17. Greedy (The Away Team)
18. After The Party (Little Brother)
19. Waitin On You (Kenn Starr)
20. Sick Em (Smif-N-Wesson)
21. One (Sean Price)
22. Something To See (Torae)
23. Psycho Ward (The Away Team ft. Sean Price)
24. Word Has It (Supastition)
25. Rize (Median)
26. Sum Of Me (The Away Team ft. Evidence)
27. Gun Rap (Smif-N-Wesson)
28. JM Heartbreak (Jozee Mo)
29. The Weirdo Zone (Joe Scudda)
30. Told You That (Chaundon)
31. Real Late (Peter Rosenburg ft. Phonte)

Download

Thanks for everybody that drops by and leaves comment I appreciate your support, I'll be posting a new mix very soon as well as the old links that no longer work.


Peace & I'm out.

GVz

Misteur Valaire / Friterday Night

Back in my college/University years there was nothing that I loved doing more then dig, record stores, used and new, I would just waste hours just searching for something new, new sounds, new artists. Of course over the years it gets harder and harder and with less free time my digging session are mostly done on-line however once in a while, on my lunch break from work, I’ll go to a record store have a short but pleasant digging session.

That’s how I discovered Misteur Valaire. They are a Sherbrook (Canada) based group and do something new and original. It’s a mixture of Jazz, Hip Hop and Electronica. They rocked the International Jazz Festival last year (so it seems) and apparently in live concerts, they will rock the crowd plenty (that’s all I kept reading when I was doing a little research).

I love the album, it did take me a few listens to get used to it but it grew on me and just like a nice wine it kept getting better the more I listened to it, the better it got. So if you like electronic music or experimental jazz this is your thing and even if you are not into these genres you can always give it a try. The best part is that’s its totally free. The group wanted to make the album available on-line because they want people to attend their shows (I like the marketing scheme) that’s why you will have to leave your e-mail address before you get the download and it is worth it.

It’s a free DOWNLOAD
Peace & I’m out !

Dj J. Period Presents The Best of Big Daddy Kane

Since I always spent the summer in NYC as a youngling I was subjected to hip hop’s early age. I saw the evolution of rap to hip hop. It started with RUN DMC, LL, Fat Boys, Beastie Boys these we’re my first tapes that I got, come to think about it there was some New Edition too but let’s not mention it. On a hot sticky New-York summer night, I was on my way to New-Jersey to see more family and it came on the radio, RAW by Big Daddy Kane and I was like, what is this, this is crazy and my cousin replied yeah that’s Big Daddy Kane, I was like Big Daddy who? And that was it, I was hooked. Big Daddy Kane turned out to be one of my favorite MC’s from the golden age of Hip Hop.

From my point of view, Long Live the Kane and It’s a Big Daddy Thing are straight up classics. BDK somewhat fell off after that but only because he was a visionary merging Soul with Rap (which caught on later on) and BDK jumped on the afrocentricity wagon and that didn’t help either for the rap game in 89 was not like it is today.

So all that to say on March 27th 2009, he performed in Montreal and I was there rhyming along “Rappers stepping to me they want to get some, But I'm the Kane, so yo, you know the outcome”. The show was great BDK stepped up to the stage with a fedora hat, leather pant and vest with a burgundy shirt (now how pimpin’ is that). He did his repertoire, interacted with the crowd and as the show was coming to an end I taught to myself how hip hop was just simpler back in the days and I was proud to see hip hop grow and also that I was getting old. So to la ya’ll old schoolers I know you gonna dig this and if you are not familiar with Big Daddy’s work here is a chance to discover some legendary music. BDK mixed tape, a J. Period production. I heard a lot of BDK mixtapes but nothing compares to that one and guess what... It's free.

Peace & I'm Out !

DOWNLOAD

Mr. Scruff / Ninja Tuna Mixtape

Mr. Scruff is the recording name of Andy Carthy (born in 1972 in Macclesfield, England), a British DJ and artist. He lives in Stockport, England, and studied fine art at the Psalter Lane campus of Sheffield Hallam University. b His DJ name was inspired by his scruffy facial hair, as well as his trademark loose-lined drawing style. He has been DJing since 1994, at first in and around Manchester then nationwide. He is known for DJing in marathon sets (often exceeding six hours), his eclectic musical taste, his love of a "nice cup of tea" and the quirky home-produced visuals and animations associated with his music. In an interview he said: "It’s about putting a lot of effort in and paying attention to detail. I get annoyed if I don’t take risks. I’m very hard on myself."

Here is a promotional free mixtape from Mr. Scruff. I discovered Scruff because he was part of the Ninja Tunes label and in the late 90's a nd early 2000 that label constantly put out the best records out there. His music is a mixture of many different types of music that emmit the same vibe and you will understand after listening to the mixtape. Itès a continuous mix (hope it was single mp3's) and here is the tracklisting

Daweh Congo ‘Iration’ (Charm)
Mr Scruff ‘Whiplash’ (Ninja Tuna)
Mr Scruff ‘Test The Sound’ (Ninja Tuna)
NYGZ ‘Legendary pt1’ (Year Round)
Roots Manuva ‘Kick Up Ya Foot’ (Big Dada)
Mr Scruff & Danny breaks ‘Bang The Floor’ (Ninja Tuna)
45 King vs Wale ‘Roof’ (Scion)
A Tribe Called Quest ‘Buggin Out’ (Jive)
Johnny Jones ‘It’s Gonna Be Good’ (Brunswick)
Merry Clayton ‘Good Girls’ (Ode)
Rance Allen ‘Peace of Mind’ (Stateside)
Incognito ‘Out of The Storm (Carl Craig Remix)’ (Talkin’ Loud)
Vester ‘You Got The Power’ (Blake)
Herbie Hancock ‘Wiggle Waggle (Mr Scruff Remix)’ (Verve)
Kokomo ‘Use Your Imagination (Rahaan Edit)’ (Kat)

DOWNLOAD

Peace & I'm out !

GVz

Che

Che is a two-part 2008 biopic about Marxist revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Benicio del Toro as the title character. Utilizing a cinéma vérité stylistic approach, the pictorial diptych comprises two merged films entitled The Argentine and Guerrilla. Each part is intentionally illustrated with differing approaches to narrative linearity, camerawork, and aspect ratios; with such duality intended to be reflective of the two military campaigns divergent outcomes. The Argentine (part one) focuses on the Cuban revolution, from the moment Fidel Castro, Guevara and other revolutionaries landed on the Caribbean island, until they successfully toppled the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista two years later. Guerilla (part two), meanwhile focuses on Che's futile attempt to bring revolution to Bolivia and his early demise.

The film itself over four hours long is unfortunately boring and long. The cinematography reminds me of Oliver Stone's JFK. Besides Del Toro who is just magnificent once again, the supporting cast was weak and the film felt more like a documentary. We do not feel that any relationships we're established. The female lead in the first part is not believable as a guerilla soldier. I would of loved to see more of the relationship between Che and Castro. The second part was somewhat better, the suspense was good but still did not come as important enough.

Maybe this will be good for someone who as no idea of who Che Guevara was but from my point of view, I learned nothing new. So I would suggest you pass on that one and keep your money for something else.

Peace & I'm Out.

Afro Samurai Ressurection

Afro Samurai is a Japanese Manga series created by Takashi Okazaki. Originally a Manga graphic novel. In 2007 Spike TV aired the first series and the sequel played in January 2009 and it's now out on DVD & Blu Ray.

American actor Samuel L. Jackson returns as the voice for Afro and Ninja-Ninja, while this time he is joined by Lucy Liu who voices Afros' enemy Sio, Mark Hamill also joins as the voice of Sio's protector and henchman Bin. Yuri Lowenthal also returns as the voice of Jinno / Kuma.

I discovered japanese animation with Akira, Ghost in the Shell and Ninja Scroll, these movies are now considered classics, pillars of the japanese animation world. I'm an animation fan but I have a special spot for Manga and Afro Samurai Ressurection quenches my thirst for bloody violence, stylistic design and great story line. Ressurections picks up right after the first installment of Afro Samurai Jinno/Kuma is back with Sio for the number 1 headband (it's not really clear how the got it) and the rest is history, A now docile Afro must go back to his old violent ways to get the number 1 back. I still prefer the fisrt afro series because it's so difficult to raise the bar when the bar is so high. Ressurection is still a fun watch all of the elements that made the 1st episodes a success are back, the animation, backgrounds and action are all better then the first series and Ninja-Ninja (Samuel L. Jackson) is more annoying then before but then again it remains very entertaining and a fun watch. One last thing that I must mention is the soundtrack, once again provided by the RZA and the music merges beautifully with the action sequences.

If you are an animation fan, you need to check this out and if you are not well it's never too late to expand your horizons.
You can GET IT on the Hip Hop universe blog

Enjoy !

Peace & I'm out

J.Period Presents... The [Abstract] Best

J.Period Presents... The [Abstract] Best

I was suggested that I do something special on my blog for Valentine's day and it sounded like a good idea but I wasn't about to drop some cheezy R&B mix so i reffered to my love of Hip Hop and picked a little something for ya'll.

Illrots.com is one my my favorite resources for music they always have something new, I've discovered a lot of artists through illroots. They have the Fresh Dunks series (mixtape) but the reason I'm praising them is because of their latest post: J.Period Presents... The [Abstract] Best. Fist of all who is J.Period ? This Dj / producer has a resume that includes remixes for top artist such as Lauryn Hill, The Roots, Kanye West and Mary J. Blige.

Now J.Period Presents... The [Abstract] Best is the latest bomb that he dropped. This mix tape has everything you ever wanted by Q-Tip, rare track, remixes, demos and the guests are top notch as well names like: Dres (Black Sheep), Blu, De La Soul,Busta Rhymes, Amanda Diva, Talib Kweli, Nas, Questlove and more. Q Tip, A Tribe Called Quest we're a major influence in the evolution of hip hop they never wan any grammys, never went platinum but every hip hop head knows that the abstract poetic prominent like Shakespear. The way the each song is blended with the other is magical, one nice continuos trip and the skits are funny, Bob Powers you there ?

This is another gargantuous release by J.Period and Illroots, I will keep my eyes open for new J.Period stuff. it's a free DOWNLOAD and I would of paid for that mix of over 40 songs, keep real music alive.

Peace & I'm out.

Ron

Weedy 2008 Side Stuff Mix

Padmo's Change the channel was one of my favorite releases from 2008 and after doing a little bit of research I found out that Padmo' is from a Germany based group called 40 Winks and Weedy (the second half of the group) dropped a little mix tape called Weedy 2008 Side Stuff Mix, I was able to get it from the Laid Back web site (it's a free download) and I was as pleasantly surprised about the results. Weedy compiled some hip hop tracks and remixes that he produced for 08. All the tracks are unreleased except The Port (Format Mix).

I love this, it's short but damn sweet. I don't like the fact that it's one continuous mix, I wished it was just single mp3's. Regardless it's great, some nice smooth out, jazzy and soulful beats with some nice mc's flowin' on these tracks.

Intro
Weedy - If The Spirit Moves Ya (instrumental)
A.R.M. (krukid & m.anifest) - If The Spirit Moves Ya
Port Format - Fresh Food (Weedy remix)
Nag&Twan - Wervanda (Weedy remix)
M.anifest - The Birds & The Beats
Brazzaville - You In The Distance (Weedy remix)
Weedy - Bass In Your Face (instrumental)
M.anifest - Bass In Your Face
Brazzaville - Chappaqua (Weedy remix)
Brazzaville - You In The Distance (Weedy remix pt.2)

DOWNLOAD

Asusual comments and suggestions are welcome. Peace & i'm out.

Ron

Obama

It is with great pleasure that I introduce Narv. He is a contributor to thegoodvibez blog and her is his first post.

Obama, renewed hopes

It is with great enthusiasm that the world watched last week’s inauguration closely on their screens. Whether you were a little boy in Kenya watching it in a café or a young adult watching it on your computer between classes, the popular tuned in and made sure to catch this moment of history. Flocks of people made it to Washington, braved the cold weather and congested streets to witness this exciting moment.

At the height of this event, President Barrack obama has come to represent the hopes of many, the hope s of our current generation that has witnessed a downright spiral in moral values and the hopes of generations before that helped pave the way for this truly historical moment. The civil rights movements, Martin Luther King, Mohamed Ali, and Malcolm X all helped set the precedent for this young Afro American to take up what is considered by many the highest seat of power in the world. Arguments can be made about the limited autonomy of the presidential seat and the power to bring about change. However, the sheer hustle and true brilliance of this man cannot be denied. How he got here makes for a wonderful and truly inspiring story. I recommend reading Obama’s book “the audacity of hope” for those who are curious and want to get past the first level of general knowledge about the current American president. How he got there, his stories, his challenges, his first days as a senator, the long drives across the state of Illinois and time away from family, the numerous town hall meetings, and the 12-14 hour workdays…

There seemed to be a huge level of excitement around this presidential race from the onstart from both the American people and the outside world. We are all connected after all, and American foreign policy affects people beyond the American borders. American economic policies stretch out and affect even the remotest of countries. More significantly, our world is a lot closer in this day of Globalization, online communication, poverty/hunger and ideological conflicts.

The situation was terrible and the American voters desperately needed a change and so history has it that they elected the best man for the job. That they voted for a black man was not something that many people would have thought possible in this day and age. Not long ago, whites and blacks could not ride on the same bus or eat in the same restaurant. The change has been building behind the scenes and that change has finally culminated into electing an African American as the president of the United States of America. The stats are obvious; the majority of whites is passed this thing of race and colour and is at least smart enough to recognize the real issues out there. They did not vote along color and in fact voted for what they felt was the best possible man for the position. This symbolic moment in our history has come to represent so much. It means that hard work pays off and that if an ordinary man from multi ethnic background, raised not in the riches but in the regular school and social system like most of us, can achieve this level of success so can the rest of us.

The time has come to embrace this change and use it as a platform to launch ourselves from and continue to improve our endeavors (work, family, artistic...). Because this is a blog about music and we are talking about music and change, I recommend a track by Jay-z entitled “my president is black”. Jay-Z called it “feel good music” and actually dropped the track in time before any new album. It has good lyrics that convey what this moment in history is all about. Time for change, time for new hopes, and more importantly, time to get to work!

Narv

Jay-Z + Radiohead = JAYDIOHEAD

I’ve had this around for about two weeks now and after sleeping on it (actually after seeing how many raves this is getting) I decided to give it a chance.

A few years back there was the Jay-Z Beatles (The Grey Album by Danger Mouse) after I got my hands on The Green Album (Al Green beats with various hip hop artists) now Jaydiohead and this one is my favorite one. Minty Fresh Beats (who is that guy ?) a newcomer and that’s the beauty of the internet a talented young artist can show and prove what he’s made of.

Cool concept, hopefully you are familiar with both names if not well here’s your chance. The album is dark (well if you know Radiohead you’ll know what to expect musically).

Comments and suggestions are appreciated, peace & I’m Out.

DOWNLOAD

thegoodvibez#017

Thegoodvibez#017

My first post of 2009 and I’m starting this year with a banging hip-hop mix cause ya’ll ask for it. I dropped a few big names in there that differs from my no name underground scene but I’m still showing love for the underdogs.

My favorite tracks are: Save Ya by Elzhi featuring T3 from one of my favorite albums from 08 (The Preface) and what blows me away is Elzhi’s lyrical ability to amaze me even tackling lighter subjects like relationships. Luda is back with Press The Start Button and I love the ways he uses the name of videogames as metaphores on this track and that beat is just demonic a straight up booty shaker, last but not least it’s The Cool Kids with Bassment Party from The Bake Sale EP another of my favorites of 2008. On this track The Kids just brought it back to the old school and it works on all the levels, the beat the rhymes, the flow is just nice, I love that old school hi-hat sound. I also have to show love to Young Chris featuring Wale with Searching and I’m highlighting this track mostly because of Wale (His Mixtape About Nothing was genius).

Thegoodvibez#017 track list:

1-BK Anthem ft. MC Lyte / Jay-Z
2-Move / Q-Tip
3-Announcement (Feat. Pharrell) / Common
4-Save Ya (feat. T3) / Elzhi
5-Angels / Ghostface Killah & MF Doom
6-Crack A Bottle (Ft. Dr. Dre & 50 Cent) / Eminem
7-Thugathon ft Lil Fame of M.O.P. / 1982 (Statik Selektah & Termanology)
8-Conglomerate (Ft. Young Jeezy & Jadakiss) / Busta Rhymes
9-Press The Start Button / Ludacris
10-Mash (feat. Rapper Big Pooh & Kay) / DJ Revolution
11-Bassment Party / The Cool Kids
12-Get 'Er Done / Jake One feat. MF Doom
13-Funky Piano (Feat. Bishop Lamont, Crooked I, Styliztik Jones) / DJ Revolution
14-Ladder Of Success (feat. Phonte, Wordsworth, K-Hill, Masta Ace) / DJ K.O.
15-Searching ft. Wale / Young Chris
16-Take It Back (Featuring Marsha Ambrosius) / Talib Kweli
17-All Good / Illa J


Comments and suggestions are appreciated Peace & I'm out

DOWNLOAD

Best albums of 2008

It’s somewhat cliché to do a best of what ever year that flew by so here I am doing just that. This year was great in music I discovered a lot of new artists and I just want to share my discoveries. There’s no category I’m just breaking it down to you.

- King Khan and the Shrines / The Supreme Genius of King Khan & The Shrines

My top 2008 would not be completed without King Khan and the Shirines with The Supreme Genius of King Khan & The Shrines. Mix some classic 1960s-style garage-rock/psychedelic sounds, jumping James Brown funk/soul on crack, and more than a little James Chance & the Contortions' edgy avant-jazz/punk/funk. Then put a Canada-born, Germany-based fireball of Indian heritage up front, and you've got King Khan & the Shrines. Their first album for U.S. hipster-indie label Vice finds the band pumping out high-energy rock & soul on all cylinders. Guitars awash in fuzz and wah-wah compete with bleating horns, frenetic drumming, and, of course, King Khan's impassioned, larger-than-life delivery on an album you can't help but dance to.

- Illa J/Yancey Boys

I got into Illa J late in 2008 and the album is simply sublime. It seems that these tracks we're left overs from J Dilla and Illa J reworked them threw some melodic lyricism and there you have it. Yancey Boys is in my best albums of 2008 (that I will eventually post). I hope to see more releases from Illa because so far, so dammmn good ! (

-Seu Jorge/América Brasil O Disco

The raspy voiced Brazilian is back with America Brazil and this album is his most complete yet. It’s a mixture of Funk, Rock, Samba the album is colorful, sometimes energetic and sometimes mellow but always on point. The whole album is in Portuguese so I couldn’t understand the lyrics but I was able to feel the warmth of the album as I was drawn to authenticity of the Brazilian sounds I just wished that I was there. This album is easy to absorb but we still notice the subtleties in every song.


-Santogold/Santogold

She might have remained a bit player but for a double-sided single unveiled late last year. 'Creator'/ 'L. E. S. Artistes' was a scintillating double-whammy of electronic pop music. The raucous 'Creator' marked Santogold as a worthy successor to dancehall polemicist MIA, with the added allure of being able to hold a tune. 'L. E. S. Artistes' compounded the thrill with an indie power ballad harbouring a little homage to New Order's 'Blue Monday'. Pop music has been stretched in all sorts of contradictory directions before, but Santogold's fluency with her diverse source material - dub reggae, the Go-Go's, hip hop, sucked-cheek pop - was seriously intriguing. Add to this a slew of ultra-hip collaborators - Diplo, Switch, Spank Rock and more - and Santogold was shaping up to be one of the debuts of the year.

-Q-Tip / The Renaissance

"The Renaissance," which in itself is a comment on the current rebirth of hip-hop, also serves as a rebirth for Q-Tip, whose last album, "Amplified," was released nearly 10 years ago. And as he has fallen out of the public eye, some may wonder if he still has what it takes. Well, let it be known - this "Renaissance" is a work of art. Each track is crafted differently, yet, at the same time, seems to fit hand-in-hand with the next. Top-notch beats, all of which were produced by Q-Tip with the exception of one, flow seamlessly from start to finish over the album's 13 tracks, creating a soundtrack for lovers of hip-hop as well as casual listeners to appreciate.

-Elzhi / The Preface

It’s much harder for me to write a review about something I genuinely like, mostly because my sense of humour revolves around deconstructing things in a cynical manner. This album isn’t overly innovative, but it’s effortlessly executed, tasteful and has a unique, upbeat but still aggresive attitude that weaves the whole album into a cohesive piece, something that a lot of rappers making the leap to a solo album fail to do.
The lyrical themes range from colours to guessing games to free association, something also refreshing compared to other Detroit rappers such as Frank ‘n Dank and Guilty Simpson. 2 stand-out tracks are definitely Motown 25 (feat. Royce Da 5′9″) and D.E.M.O.N.S. which are both produced by Black Milk and featured on his ELEC mixtape, leading up to his recently release The Tronic, If you give The Preface a listen without expecting something life changing, it’s difficult to fault.

-Padmo / Change The Channel

As a big fan of the 40 Winks crew I recommend this beattape, Padmo' made this for fun. It's kind of a beattape with some older material. Each beat symbolises a tv-channel and each channel has a different vibe Change The Channel is a nice instrumental ride, each track is seasoned to perfection but has an individual feel. I got that early 2008 and I’m still bumbin’ it on the regular. Think of early Herbaliser fused with DJ Shadow.

I hope you enjoyed my late best of 2008 post and I will keep doing my thang for 2009.

Peace & I'm out !