OM JAG HADE VINGAR

2009 is creeping up on us, and I would like you to celebrate like I will, with this 19 year old Swedish power pop song by Niklas Strömstedt.

MP3 Niklas Strömstedt - Om! (Alt. Link)

RUN RUN RUDOLPH

For a rockin´ Christmas Eve:

MP3 Chuck Berry - Run Run Rudolph (Alt. Link)

LET IT SNOW

Vaughn Monroe first recorded this yuletide classic back in the 40´s, and it has since been covered by everyone from Old Blue Eyes to Boyz 2 Men and Jessica Simpson.

The second track was made famous by the timeless classic Christmas movie Home Alone and is a rockin´ firecracker of a tune.

Happy Chanukah!

MP3 Vaughn Monroe - Let It Snow (Alt. Link)

MP3 Brenda Lee - Rockin´ Around The Christmas Tree (Alt. Link)

FOR YOUR LOVE

I´ve been listening and loving this song for a while now. It´s the disco version or cover version (if you will) of that Yardbirds song I posted a week or so ago. It´s the perfect dance tune, and it works with every crowd be they hipsters or hiphopers.

MP3 Chilly - For Your Love (Alt. Link)

PATTERNS IN THE SKY

The Dog´s favorite Canadian person U-Tern just added another funk filled musical journey to his Booklyn Radio show:

"A One Day Later Radio special presentation, this is part one in a two part series of boogie-funk jams I've collected over the last year or so, consider it "Body Work 2.5" a prelude if you will. Part one is mid-tempo funk and boogie, part two will feature uptempo disco-boogie. Enjoy and subscribe to the Podcast..."

MP3 U-tern - Patterns In The Sky...a boogie funk experience... (Part 1)

TRACKLIST

Will Powers - Adventures In Success
Active force - Give Me Your Love
Tashan - Read My Mind
Tom Tom Club - Pleasure Of Love
Change - Take You To Heaven
Natasha King - AM-FM
Pink Rhythm - Melodies Of Love
Junior - Too Late
Tululah Moon - If You Want My Love
Mindless Bogie - La Nuit Le Nuit (Skinny Joey Edit)
Tourist - Hooked On You
Ebonee Webb - Here My Love Is
Le Club - Un Fait Divers Et Rien De Plus
Odyssey - Together
Aurra - You and Me Tonight
De De - S&M (Sexy Music)
Circle City Band - Magic
Touche - Wrap It Up
The Graingers - Shine Your Light
Gladys Knight & The Pips - When You're Far Away (Inst)
Willie Hutch - In and Out
Rahmlee - Think
S.O.S. Band - For Your Love
Superior Movement - Wide Shot
Donald Byrd - Love Has Come Around
Midnight Express - Danger Zone
Imagination - Changes (Larry Levan Extended Remix)
Surface - Falling In Love
Rah Band - Messages From The Stars (Astro Mix)

Courtesy of One Day Later...

´TIS THE SEASON TO BE MERRY

The inevitable Christmas post. I´m gonna keep it short and sweet.

Have a holly jolly Christmas!

MP3 Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmastime (Alt. Link)

Go over to The Leather Canary to get pretty much every Christmas song ever made. Good lookin´out!

THE HAMMER SONG

Written by Pete Seeger, first preformed by The Weavers, bought by none, made famous by Peter, Paul & Mary, rest is history.

MP3 Peter, Paul & Mary - If I Had A Hammer (The Hammer Song) (Alt. Link)

OH HEAVENLY DOG MIX SERIES - THE HOLIDAY EDITION

DOG favorite and loyal follower and friend Jens alias Me Are The World blessed the DOG with a holiday season greeting in form of an eclectic mix. A few welcome Norwegian numbers and some electro pop gems serve nicely as a warm up to the busy season ahead. The mix will work perfectly in the background while you wrap up your daddies Black-n-Decker or mummies nicotine patches, or just as a friend to warm you up along with your heavily spiked eggnog.

Also check out Jens´s duo project Forest Fives for more of that Christmas spirit.

MP3 Jens - Jule Mix For The Dog (Alt. Link)

TRACKLIST

Emile the Duke - Camera
Fougner/Skaansar - Variasjon 4-Harpe
ME are the World - Feliz Navidad
Åge Aleksandersen & Sambandet - Fire pils og en pizza
Rondo Veneziano - La serenissima
Hans Rotmo - Åsgårdreia
Hypnolove - Mademoiselle
Cutting Crew - I just Died In Your Arms Tonight
Zeigeist - Cuffs
Mariah Carey - All I want for Christmas
The Pouges - Fairytale of New York
The Knife - Neverland
Shout Out Louds - Impossible (possible remake by studio)
Chopin - Op 10 No 1 C major (Preformed by Boris Berezovsky)

BONUS:

M4A Me Are The World - Feliz Navidad (zshare)

MP3 Forest Fives - The Cosmopolitan (Alt. Link)

THOSE ENGLISH KIDS

"Those English kids," (Sonny Boy) Williamson famously said of the Yardbirds and other British blues groups like the Animals and the Stones, "want to play the blues so bad—and they play the blues SO bad". (from wiki)

MP3 The Yardbirds - For Your Love (Alt. Link)

TYRELL

The Netherlands seems to be a breeding ground for itlao-disco inspired electro funkers. One of which is Alden Tyrell. He stays true to the rules of ol´ time electro and takes it beyond into the future where it was originally heading before other people (who won´t be mentioned here) retrofied it.

MP3 Alden Tyrell - Knockers (Alt. Link)

MP3 Alden Tyrell - Digger (Alt. Link)

Plus a mix he did full of beautiful italo with Moustache Records head honcho David Vunk courtesy of Valerie.

MP3 Alden Tyrell & David Vunk - True Love

Plus Plus a couple of aces italo tracks from the wonderful Confuzed Disco compilation.

MP3 Fawzia - Please Don´t Be Sad (Alt. Link)

MP3 The Stupid Set - Don´t Be Cold (In The Summertime Love) (Instrumental) (Alt. Link)

Shop for this release at itunes.

WOODEN SHJIPS

Wooden Shjips is a psychedelic rock band out of San Fran (!!). They try their best to sound like the doors, and succeed in my opinion in sounding better (I´m not really a fan of The Doors). So enjoy this 60´s throwback jam.

MP3 Wooden Shjips - We Ask You To Ride (Alt. Link)

Get their EP´s and whatnot on itunes.

EGG & CHIPS

Rough Drawings are two gentlemen from London, England who make music and dj (as many of us do). Their myspace does not have any productions up yet, but they say the tracks are coming soon. They have even been nice enough to agree to do an exclusive mix for this blog, and even send some of the tracks over when they´re done.

The exclusive mix will be coming up in January or February of next year, until then you might enjoy this mix they did as a little taste of things to come.

MP3 Rough Drawings - Egg & Chips Mix (zshare)

TRACKLIST

Metro Area – Let's get…
Arturo Capone – Teate
Bot'Ox – Grand Central
Holy Ghost – Hold On (Mix 3)
Padded Cell – Konkorde Lafayette (edit)
Motor City Drum Ensemble – Raw cuts 2
Joakim - I Wish You Were Gone (JK dub)
Simian Mobile Disco – Hot Dog (Cosmo Vitelli remix)
Zongamin – Painless
Tensnake – Hanselstadt
Mock & Toof – Brown bred
Poni Hoax – Involutive star (Joakim remix)
Telespazio – Telemetric
Eine Kleine Nacht Musik – Feuerprobe (Rory Phillips remix)
Kuniyuki – Earth Beats (Chateau Flight remix)

STUDY HARD

I´ve been hitting the books pretty hard lately since I have my exams coming up (I have one tomorrow actually). Anyways, I´m one of those people who can´t read without music in the background (or foreground). The music has to be music that can blend in nicely and be overlooked (so not too much vocals). So I decided to do a mix I could have in the background whilst I studied. It´s a kind of spacey mix with hints o disco, house and Johnny Cash. So if you´re like me and needs your tunes at all times, please download and enjoy.

MP3 Chevy Chaser - Study Hard Mix (Alt. Link)

TRACKLIST

Black Leotard Front - Casual Friday
Stratus - Footprints
Bot´Ox - Grand Central
DMX Krew - I Won´t Forget
Hitmeyer, Inc. - Itune Aline
Homerun - The Killer Storm
Maelstrom - Petrichor
Leroy Hanghofer - Pin (Jaques Lu Cont Remix)
Allez Allez - She´s Stirring Up (An Optimo Drum Attack Mix)
DJ Sneak - Acid Talks
Osbourne - ´Bout Ready To Jack
Golden Bug - Captain Shaker
Chilly - For Your Love
Simian Mobile Disco - Hot Dog (Cosmo Vitelli Remix)
Johnny Cash - Get Rythem (Tomboy Remix)
Italcimenti - Somewhat You Need
Azoto - San Salvador (12" Instrumental Mix)
Ian Pierce - Superfuzz (Disco Mix)
Wall Of Voodoo - Ring Of Fire

This other mix is even more understated. It´s what the soundtrack to my imaginary movie would sound like, where Lindsey Buckingham, Beethoven, Angelo Badalamenti and Stevie Wonder go hand in hand like gay lovers.

MP3 Chevy Chaser - Study Hard Mix Pt. 2 (Alt. Link)

OUT OF TOUCH

1984 is the year and Darryl Hall & John Oats are at the top of their game. On the album Big Bam Boom one song sticks out, it is of course "Out Of Touch".

MP3 Hall & Oats - Out Of Touch (Alt. Link)

VALERIE CHERIE

I must be humble and admit that I´m a shameless follower of fads (well, only when it comes to music). I was all over B-More and the whole hip-hop meets dance craze, as was I excited when I saw that there were people out there who shared my obsession with cheesy 80´s music and aesthetic. They were ofcourse the Valerie mob. They put the roaming synths of 80´s movies and TV-Shows back on the musical map, not that people hadn´t drawn inspiration from this before, but not in a shameless way like the Valerie kids did. I did a post on it almost exactly a year ago and called it "a new electronic movement", which it kind of was at that time. However lack of originality and forward thinking made all these guys sound very much alike. They had a few intoxicating hits, but I couldn´t tell one from the other after a while, and kind of lost interest.

Now over a year after their "breakthrough" Valerie releases its first album, by Valerie blog founder College called "Secret Diary". I´m doing this post because I like the cover (which is very much inspired by Brian De Palma´s unforgettable 1984 classic Body Double) and because Anoraak and himself are playing here in Oslo on Friday. 8 months ago I would be truly excited, but now I´m so so.

I´m posting a track I posted before by Tangerine Dream, because it´s kind of the same sound only better. If you want College go to the Valerie blog and buy his album here.


MP3 Tangerine Dream - Logos, Pt. 1 (B) (Alt. Link)

WHO NEEDS SLEEP TONIGHT?

Germany´s Silicon Soul (not to be confused with UK´s Silicone Soul) released this gem originally in 1981, but it got renewed interest a few years back and was signed to and re-released on Disko B. The title pretty much says it all, it´s a groovy repetitive beat that might make some sleepy, others annoyed and some people might just wanna dance.

MP3 Silicon Soul - Who Needs Sleep Tonight? (Alt. Link)

Buy the album at itunes.

IN A MANNER OF SPEAKING

Those of you who downloaded the stellar Sleepwalk mix will recognize this track from there. It is a beautiful and moving song which is stripped of bass and only left with a guitar and piano and Winston Tong´s beautiful vocals.

Tuxedomoon released the album Holy Wars in 1985, and the track is taken from there.

MP3 Tuxedomoon - In A Manner Of Speaking (Alternative Link)

Buy the album at itunes.

MIXED UP IN DER HAAG

I-f the Deutsch electro machine behind Space Invaders Are Smoking Grass mixed it up in the Hague probably not too long ago. It´s a collection of electro, freestyle, disco and house, but all on a very mechanical (in a good way!) level. Also it´s very old school as you can see from the tracklist.

MP3 I-f - Mixed up In Der Haag vol. 2 (zshare)

TRACKLIST

Material - Don't Lose Control
Junior Byron - Dance To The Music
Strafe - Set It Off
Night Moves - Trance Dance
Mirage - Woman
BWH - Stop
Kid Frost - Terminator
Project Future - Ray-Gun-Omics
Steel Mind - Bad Passion
Pete Shelley - I Don't Know What It Is
IMS - Nonline
Gino Soccio - Dancer
Electric Funk - On A Journey
Cellophane - Gimme Love
'lectric Funk - Robot Is Systematic
Sparks - Beat The Clock
Heather Parisi - Disco Bambina
The Parallax Corporation - Anti Social Tendencies
Models - Jr Robot
Scotch - Penguin Invasion
Brand Image - Are You Loving?
Thanya - Freedom
Goblin - Tenebrae

Buy vol. 1 from Clone.

IN LOVE WITH A MACHINE

Loud E did an edit of Love Robot´s 1978 disco banger Slaves Of Pleasure. He called it "Robot Love".

MP3 Loud E - Robotlove (Alternative Link)

If you´re in the money, you can buy it at Juno.

DAFT PUNK ESSENTIAL MIX 1997

Over ten years have passed since Daft Punk did the coveted Essential Mix, and a lot has changed in that time. Daft Punk have become electronic pop music icons who hide behind robot masks and have been the basis for the change that has occurred in recent years not only in house and electronic dance music, but also in pop music as a whole.

The mix is a great selection of tunes from house music past, and a reminder that everything was better before distortion.

MP3 Daft Punk - Essential Mix 1997

TRACKLIST

1. Daft Punk - Essential Info - Daft Trax
2. Paul Johnson - Summer Heat - Peacefrog
3. Armand van Helden - Funk Phenomena - Henry Street
4. CZR - Chicago Southside - 1HR
5. Oliver Cheatham - Get Down Saturday Night - Dance 6
6. Remix Delux #1 - Dees Knots (remix) - Delux
7. Parris Mitchell - Ghetto Shout Out - Dance Mania
8. Daft Punk - Teachers - Daft Trax/Virgin
9. Martin Luther King - I Have A Dream - 20th Century
10. The Godson EP - Drum Patterns and Memories - KDJ
11. Jammin Gerald - Get The Ho 94 - Dance Mania
12. DJ Attack - Da Way U Work - UC
13. Thomas Bangalter - Spinal Scratch - Roule
14. Tha West Siders - Waxscratch Trax - Dance Mania
15. Fantom - Faithful - Source
16. I Cube - Disco Cubizm - Versatile
17. Daft Punk - Rock N Roll - Daft Trax/Virgin
18. Cajmere - Only 4 U - Cajual
19. Trankilou - Champagne - Kif SA
20. ? - And Da Beat Goes On - Dance 6
21. DJ Funk and Gerald - Hold Up - Universal Funk
22. Ween - Freedom Of 76 - Flying Nun
23. Zdar and Boombass - Foxy Lady - Cassius
24. Gusto - Discos Revenge - Bumble Beats
25. Deeon - Deeon Doez Disco - Dance Mania
26. Sweet - Somebody Is Watching - White
27. Da Mongoloids - Spark Da Meth - Strickly Rhythm
28. Roller Rink 2000 - Stining - Kumba
29. Roy Davies Jr - Gabrielle - Large
30. Robert J Hairston - Preacher Man
31. Daft Punk - Around The World - Daft Trax
32. Kenny Dixon Jr - U Can Dance If U Want 2 - KDJ

JAMES MURPHY HAS STOLEN MY HEART

I really love anything James Murphy does, so whenever I find something new by him (especially in the way of mixes) I post them motherfuckers. This is a two part mix done for BBC Radio 1 and recorded in his Brooklyn home back in ´05.

MP3 James Murphy - BBC Radio 1 Mix (Part 1)

MP3 James Murphy - BBC Radio 1 Mix (Part 2)

TRACKLIST

PART 1

Alternate TV - facing Up To The Facts
Exclusive Slacks - 30 Years
Francine McGee - Delirium
Shirley Lites - Heat You Up (Melt You Down)
Bee Gees - You Should Be Dancing (Dub)
!!! - Hello, Is This Thing On ? (Rub-N-Tug Remix)
Tyrannosaurus Rex - Scenes Of Dynasty
Modern Romance - Can You Move (Dub Discomix)
Daniel Wang - Like Some Dream
Jive Rythem Tracks - 112 Bpm
Dirty Three - Kim´s Dirt
Six Finger Satellite - Rabies
Glass Candy - Life After Sundown
John & Yoko - Every Man Has A Woman Who Loves Him

PART 2

Chicago - I´m A Man (Rub-N-Tug Remix)
The Juan Maclean - Give Me Every Little Thing
Gavin & Delia - Rise (DFA Remix)
T-Connection - At Midnight
Radiohead - Everything In Its Right Place
Jonathan Richman - Don´t Let Your Youth Go To Waste
Martin Rev - Mari
Library Record
Liquid Liquid - Bellhead (DFA Version)
Atomic Rooster - Play It Again
Laurent Garnier - Orgasm
LCD Soundsystem - Too Much Love (Rub-N-Tug Edit)
Soulwax - Anothger Excuse (DFA Edit)
Hot Chip - Just Like We (Breakdown) (DFA Remix)
Nick Straker Band - A Little Bit Of Jazz
Lipps, Inc - How Long?
US69 - 2069

NEW YORK MIX ODYSSEY

Armand Van Helden is a man of the times, some might say a renaissance man. His last effort in mix taping was a fun collection of his most cheesy club bangers like "Say My Name" and "My, My, My" and loads of 80´s pop like Yazoo´s "Don´t Go". In other words a perfect party mix. The second installment in the "New York Mix Odyssey" goes in a different direction, this time he has 80´s hip-house in his focus. Again it´s rocking the party that is his main concern, but he does so in sort of a novelty way. I have the feeling that the rise of bloghouse and in turn the acceptance of older cheesier dance music has given him credence to dabble in his guiltier pleasures. Because let´s face it, Mr. Van Helden hasn´t been a man that has always gone his own way, he has been formed by musical trends and followed them as only he can. He has also been around a while (he´s around 40 now) and he has now been granted a return to his roots, which are hip-hop.

Back to the Odyssey: I think it´s a better effort than the last one, it feels more complete and done with an heavy amount of love. Although it features some over played house anthems like "I´ll House You" and "Acid Thunder", it also presents some forgotten gems. Two thumbs up!

MP3 Strafe - Sett It Off (Vocal)

MP3 Debbie Deb - When I Hear Music

MP3 Eric B. & Rakim - Juice (Know The Ledge)

MP3 Queen Latifa - Come Into My House

Buy the album at Juno.

THE FIGHT FOR LOVE

My man Stanley Steel is at it again, this time with something very different. Soulful minimal with vocals by the man himself. Check it out:

MP3 Stanley Steel - The Fight

MMM, BETTY

Betty Botox aka JD Twitch of Optimo (Espacio) is now out with his latest collection of edits. It´s compiled of artists and bands you probably never heard of and edited to suit the dance floor. It´s disco, distortion, rock (kraut and otherwise)and techno all rolled in to one CD.

I give you the highlights, the you go buy!

MP3 Love Life Of An Orchestra - Beginning of the Heartbreak

MP3 The Residents - Diskomo

MP3 The Jellies - Jive Baby On A Saturday Night

Buy the album at Juno, Boomkat or Amazon.

BONUS:

MP3 Betty Botox - Beats In Space Mix

TRACKLIST:

Zoviet France - Mohnomishe pt. 7
Whitehouse - You Won't Like It, Sugar
Laibach - Krst
Throbbing Gristle - Dreammachine
The Klinik - Plague
Philadelphia Five - Not Leaving Without Jerry
Signal Aout 42 - Carnaval
Signal Aout 42 - Submarine Dance
SPK - Metal Dance
Hunting Lodge - Tribal Warning Shot
T.D.A. - Faces Of Freedom pt. 1
Ken Lewis - Cosmic Cars Dub
Coil - Further Back And Faster
Force Dimension - Tension
Delkom - Sexploitation
Absolute Body Control - Automatic
Snowy Red - Euroshima (Wardance)
The Invincible Spirit - Push!
Nightmoves - Transdance
Isolators - Concentrate On Us
Mariah -

MOONDOG

Moondog (Louis Thomas Hardin) was a (somewhat) crazy blind man who lived on the streets of Manhattan, called "the viking of 6th Avenue", but could play music like nobody´s business. In addition to being a jazz cat he was a cosmologist, poet, and inventor of several musical instruments.

"Bird´s Lament" was recorded as a tribute to Charlie Parker and was played at his funeral around 1955. The track was later picked up Mr. Scruff who used it for his song "Get a Move On", and then in turn violently raped by corporate America for a "Lincoln Continental" ad.

Moondog died in 1999, he was 83.

MP3 Moondog - Bird´s Lament (In Memory of Charlie Parker)

MP3 Moondog - Bird´s Lament (Version 2)

BACK IN THE BOX

NRK released Dave Clarke´s latest mix "Back In The Box" last month. It´s a collection of old school house tracks (mainly Chicago) and it´s Dave´s attempt to (as the title suggests) go back in the box (of vinyl´s that is). Personally it´s great to see Dave take a break from the extremely hard and fast paced techno he usually plays and do some old school shit. For me it´s extra exciting since Dave Clarke is the man that pulled me out of a musical world only consisting of hip-hop and turned me on to the electronic sound (his "Before I Was So Rudely Interrupted" was the first techno 12" I ever bought). Things have kind of snowballed since and I am but a shadow of the hardcore techno monster I was just five years ago (but I´m still young). Come to think of it the first "World Service" CD was one of the first techno (electro) mixes I ever heard along with Frankie Bones´ "Factory 101" mix.

Anyways, "Back In The Box" is a wonderful journey through what I can only assume is some of Dave´s influences.

Read review.

MP3 Ralphie Rosario - I Want Your Love (Transcontinental Mix)

MP3 The Rude Boy Farley Keith - Give Yourself To Me

Buy the album at Juno Records.

LAMBS ANGER

Mr. Oizo just released his brand spankin´new album on Ed Banger Records. The album keeps the french wave alive, but Oizo also delves into more interesting territory, as is the case with the two tracks featured here. I feel Stéphane Girard sums it up pretty nicely in his review: "If Daft Punk are the godfathers of both the original filtered French Touch sound and the recent Paris-centric maximalist blog-house scene, then Quentin Dupieux, AKA the elusive Mr. Oizo, is their drunken wife-beating libidinous uncle: You can never tell in what state he is going to show up at the family reunion, and you're not sure you would want to be seen in public with him, but you know the party would definitely not be the same without him." Amen.

MP3 Mr. Oizo - Cut Dick

MP3 Mr. Oizo - Jo

Buy the album at itunes or Beatport or just go to your local record store.


The cover is great, Flat Eric getting the "un chien andalou" treatment to his eyeball:

GOMMA

I discovered Berlin label Gomma a few years ago, but I have only really given them a proper listen the past few months. They have a slew of wonderful artists and releases, with the top acts being Munk, Headman, Golden Bug and danish band Whomadewho.

I bring you today a few of my favorite tracks from this superduper label.

MP3 Whomadewho - Flat Beat

MP3 Golden Bug - Bisco

MP3 Hitmeyer Inc. - Itune Aline

MP3 Oblio - Escape

Buy all releases at Beatport.

SLEEPWALK

Yet again JG Wilks and JE Twitch of super duo Optimo (Espacio) bring us a mind blowing mix. This time it´s a real moody, mellow and haunting atmosphere they tempt us with. As the title suggests it´s a compilation that evokes a a feeling of being in that state where you´re not really asleep and not really awake. This mix is probably better suited for blasting right before you go to bed than before you go out to get shit faced and shake thine tail-feather.

MP3 Optimo (Espacio) - Sleepwalk

Buy it from Domino.

TRACKLIST

01. Chris Watson - No Man's Land (Extract)
02. Nurse With Wound - Funeral Music For Perez Prado
03. Coil - A Cold Cell in Bangkok (Exclusive mix by Peter Christopherson)
04. Tuxedomoon - In a Manner of Speaking
05. Eden Ahbez - La Mer
06. Raymond Scott - Sleepy Time
07. Cluster - Sowiesoso
08. Eno, Moebius and Roedelius - Broken Head
09. Arthur Russell - This Is How We Walk on the Moon
10. Damon - Don't You Feel Me?
11. Karen Dalton - Something On Your Mind
12. Duke Ellington - Moonbow
13. Future Pilot AKA - Terry Bina
14. Mulatu Astatke - Yègellé Tezeta
15. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Nashville Blues
16. Lee Hazlewood - Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On
17. Wall of Voodoo - Ring of Fire
18. Chris and Cosey - Sweet Surprise
19. The Lady Vanishes - Sleepwalk

A NICE LITTLE MIX

by Tomboy.

MP3 Tomboy - A Nice Little Mix

EARTH & SKY

Graham Nash who graced bands like The Hollies in the 60´s and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in the 70´s with his serene vocals, also has a solo career worth mentioning. In 1980 he dropped the album Earth & Sky, and as a taste you get the title track from this album.

MP3 Graham Nash - Earth & Sky

Buy the album on Amazon.

HE AIN´T HEAVY, HE´S MY BROTHER FRANK

MP3 Frank Stallone - Far From Over (from Stayin´ Alive)

DIRTY SOUNDSYSTEM LIVE IN ROMA

French edit masters Dirty Soundsystem recently recorded a set in Roma. I don´t know which members are actually selecting, but it´s a great 2 hour set. And like they explain on Alainfinkielkrautrock they have left all technical mistakes, so it´s old school, pre-ableton warfare going on here.


MP3 Dirty Soundsystem - Live @ L-Ectrica (Part 1)

MP3 Dirty Soundsystem - Live @ L-Ectrica (Part 2)

SPECIAL DISCO VERSION

Exciting news!

James Murphy is forming a disco band with various living New York disco crooners on vocals, and and there is a new LCD Soundsystem album on the horizon.

To celebrate I leave you with some disconess from the don himself.

MP3 James Murphy - Radio Mix

XXXCHANGE & DEVLIN ON MOFO RADIO

Alex Xxxchange and Devlin of the Fully Fitted posse just did a guest appearance on Mofo Radio. They work here as more selectors than dj´s and they play some good songs, and a new Pase Rock track that has that whole Kanye West thing going on (I hope he´s doing it as a joke).

MP3 Xxchange & Devlin - Mofo Radio (direct link)

WRITING ON THE WALL

Moon Martin was Originally a rockabilly artist, Martin is best known for writing the songs "Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)", made famous by the English singer Robert Palmer, and "Cadillac Walk", made famous by the American singer Willy DeVille. Martin gained recognition in the 1970s as a pop artist and composer. He was given the nickname "Moon" because many of his songs had the word "moon" in the lyrics. He also scored two minor hits of his own with the song "Rolene" in 1979 and "X-Ray Vision" in 1982; the latter was an early MTV hit music video. His manager in the prime of his career was Ron Henry. (wiki)

His best song bar none (in my humble opinion) is from the 1985 album "Mixed Emotions".

MP3 Moon Martin - Writing On The Wall

The song is very reminiscent of Phill Collins "I Can Feel It (Coming In The Air Tonight). He also did a cover of The Zombies "She´s Not There" on the same album.

MP3 Moon Martin - She´s Not There

MP3 The Zombies - She´s Not There

PUGH

So there is quite the little "contest" going on over at the Italians Do It Better blog about the track list for the Abuterol Mix. A guy who calls himself "Baker" has done it and figured the whole thing out with a little help from Simonetti himself. I can´t find many of the songs, but I did manage to find the track the second track is an edit of. The second track is an edit done by a Swedish gang called "Vastkustska Ryggdunkallskapet" of Swedish rock singer Pugh Rogerfeldt´s 1981 track called "Stockholm".

MP3 Pugh Rogerfeldt - Stockholm

BELLEVILLE RENDEZ-VOUS

Benoît Charest composed the wonderful music for this great animated film from 2003.

MP3 Ben Charest - Belleville Rendez-Vous (French Version)

LAYLA

This is probably the best know song off Derek and the Dominos only album from 1970 called Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs. The short lived group consisted of the one and only Eric Clapton on guitar and vocals , Duane Allman from The Allman Brothers Band (who only played two gigs with the bad, then soon after splitting from the group dying in a motorcycle accident), Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle and Jim Gordon.

The story behind the song itself is (according to wiki) a love triangle between Clapton, George Harrison and his wife at the time Pattie Boyd Harrison. The groups short life span was mostly due to Clapton´s problems with cocaine and heroin, and he went into rehab in 1971 also carrying the depression of bad reviews of the album which he blamed himself for.

The album stood the test of time however and was recently on Rolling Stone´s top 500 albums list (the song was on the top 500 song list as well).

MP3 Derek And The Dominos - Layla

WALKING ON THIN ICE

This song was produced by John Lennon in 1980 just before he was tragically gunned down. And it is, to say the least, another direction musically than you might be used to from his Beatles and solo days. But he was catering to wifey who was co-producing and singing. I think the track is a great 80´s pop song with a nifty bass line, and it makes me think if John Lennon had lived through the 80´s would he have been singing "say, say, say" with MJ?

MP3 Yoko Ono - Walking On Thin Ice

AGAINST THE GRAIN

Earlier this year the Dog´s favorite DJ Mike The 2600 King made a mix for design blog Grain Edit showcasing 12 of his favorite album covers. The mix was made for the art on the covers, so Mike´s comments relate to those. So head over to Grain Edit to see the covers in question.

MP3 Mike The 2600 King - Grain Edit Mix

TRACKLIST

1) Jazz Lab Band “Sour Pink Soup”
These jazz lab records are always really hit-or-miss. This particular college band, from Meramec Community College in St. Louis, MO, kinda comes with it. The cover is beautiful - nice clean type on a plain background. Clean, round, and groovy. Almost suggests the shape of a trumpet, but who knows if that’s what they were going for.

2) Les Brown “Something”
Awesome Beatles cover and even cooler artwork. I’m a sucker for these intricate ’70s post-psychedelic watercolor illustrations.

3) Teegarden and Van Winkle “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love”
I’m also a sucker for simple photography with clean Helvetica type. These funk folk dudes are posted up in front of their ski lodge with a shotgun.

4) North Texas State University Lab Band “Three Freaks”
Not to be confused with the DJ Shadow / Keak the Sneak / Turf Talk “Three Freaks” song, but still not bad at all. Clunky hand-drawn psychedelia.

5) Alice Coltrane “A Love Supreme”
Peter Max did the late ’60s psychedelic art style better than just about anyone else. I’m on the fence between Max, Keiichi Tanaami, and Milton Glaser. This isn’t necessarily the best example of his work, but it’s gorgeous and the record is really great as well.

6) Perspective for the 70s “Power Flower”
Promotional record for Westinghouse. This is the soundtrack to a sales convention held in 1969. I love this cover for the same reason as the Jazz Lab Band cover - very clean and concise line work.

7) James Last “Walking in Space”
There was a time when I would snag up every different version of the “Hair” soundtrack I came across. James Last’s is one of the better ones. The eyeball covered in wigs is pretty freaky, and the cover of “Walking in Space” is one of the best covers of song from “Hair,” second only maybe to Galt MacDermot’s instrumental remake of “Ripped Open By Metal Explosions.”

8. Hair, London cast “Where Do I Go?”
Not the best “Hair” record, but the artwork is excellent. The pages of my sketchbooks look like black & white versions of this. Just weird shapes and words and clouds all over the place. Feelin’ it.

9) Lydia Pense and Cold Blood “Back Here Again”
Kind of a slept-on Cold Blood record. There are a couple of really hot songs on here. I love record covers with cool photography like this. Plus, just like Helvetica, I’m a sucker for the Frankfurter typeface, mixed with a really fresh ampersand to boot.

10) Barry Miles “Hijack”
This has to be one of my favorite album covers ever. I can guarantee with almost 100% certainty that I’ll be ripping this off for something or other somewhere along the road. Cool record with good jazz-funk instrumentals.

11) Elijah “L.A. Nites”
I really wish I had this cover in better condition. beautiful color scheme and typography. I always like when people use dark brown as their darkest color instead of black. Poster artist Michael Motorcyle does this alot and it helps give everything a nice warm feel. Good rock record with a few cool funk moments.

12) Herb Pilhofer “Pan Am Theme”
With all due respect to Prince, this might be the best record ever to come out of Minneapolis. Local composer and commercial musician Herb Pilhofer presents some of his best commercial themes and jingles, some of which never actually existed. Pilhofer’s music and biography are pretty remarkable. My design partner and friend Wes Winship and I were looking into licensing and reissuing some of his music, but Thes One from People Under the Stairs beat us to it.

FINGERS CROSSED

Sweden seems to be a breeding ground for good music and musicians. So from the depths of Stockholm comes Last Nights, a young man with a voice and sound that feels like the bastard love child of Dave Gahan and Morten Harket (you know A-Ha!). In other words quite special.

This is also (as far as I know) something as rare as a Oh Heavenly Dog exclusive, it´s a five track EP entitled "Fingers Crossed". So sit back relaxx and enjoy the soothing sounds of Sweden´s finest. And remember: You heard it here first!

MP3 Last Nights - Higher Level

MP3 Last Nights - Uncover

MP3 Last Nights - Special Forces

MP3 Last Nights - Wings

MP3 Last Nights - Fingers Crossed

SOMETHING FOR A SATURDAY MORNING

Something for a Saturday morning brings you the 1965 wonder that is The Byrds´ Turn!Turn!Turn!.

MP3 The Byrds - Turn!Turn!Turn!

BACK IN THE NEW YORK GROOVE

Day three of the Mike Simonetti tracklist breakdown, today with the first track on the mix by Ace Frehley former lead guitarist and singer from the band Kiss, maybe you´ve heard of them?! Anyways, Kiss put out an album in ´78 and as you see from the cover above the abum was entitled "Ace Frehley" and had him alone on the cover. Why, I don´t know, maybe it was an attempt to give some of the other guys some thunder too. Who knows, but it´s a good album you should check it you have the chance. The lending of thunder didn´t have a huge effect so Ace sought greener pastures and broke from kiss in ´82 to start his own band Frehley´s Comet, but as you probably gather they by no means came close to the success of Kiss. But Ace keeps at it and still tours with Frehley´s Comet.

MP3 Ace Frehley - Back In The New York Groove

HMMMMM

I was born by the river in a little tent
Oh and just like the river I been a runnin' ever since
It's been a long, a long time coming but I know
A change gon' come oh yes it will
It's been too hard living but I'm afraid to die
Cuz I don't know what's up there beyond the sky
It's been a long, a long time coming but I know
A change gon' come oh yes it will

I go to the movie, and I go downtown
Somebody keep tellin me "don't hang around"
It's been a long, a long time coming, but i know
A change gon' come oh yes it will

Then I go to my brother
And I say "brother, help me please"
But he winds up knocking me
Back down on my knees
There been times that I thought I wouldn't last for long
Now think I'm able to carry on
It's been a long, along time coming but I know
A change gon' come, oh yes it will

MP3 Sam Cooke - It´s Been A Long Time Coming

OH HEAVENLY MIX NOVEMBER

It´s creeping towards winter, so disco down!

MP3 Chevy Chaser - Oh Heavenly Mix November

TRACKLIST

Companion - This Is A Test
Escort - Love Indigo
Q-Lazzarus - Goodbye Horses (Krikor Edit)
Qaundo Quando - Love Tempo
Blakkat - Full Circle (Doc´s Unlock The House Mix)
Easy Going - Baby I Love You (Extended Mix)
Gary´s Gang - Makin´ Music
Gino Soccio - Dance To Dance
Heaven 17 - Penthouse And Pavement
Runaway - Shadows
Sylvester - I Need You (Dim´s Maxi Disco Blend)
Was (Not Was) - Wheel Me Out
Severed Heads - Dead Eyes Opened (Joakim Remix)
Munk - Down In LA (Shazam Instrumental Mix)
Escort - A Bright New Life (Dub)
Children Of The Planet Earth - You Are The Future (Lego´s Dreamy Edit)
Who Made Who - Satisfaction
Steelers Wheel - Stuck In The Middle With You (Todd Terje Edit)
International Music System - Run Away
College - Teenage Color (Maethelvin Remix)
Brett Johnson & Dave Baker - Where Are You From? (Sinco & Parker Aerobic Mix)
Jean Luc Ponty - Open Mind (Chevy Chaser´s Fuckup Edit)
Bee Gees - You Win Again

SHAKEDOWN STREET

Continuing my quest to get the tracklist for the Mike Simonetti mix in its entirety, I bring you The Greatful Dead.

MP3 The Greatful Dead - Shakedown Street

HOLLYWOOD SEVEN

After hours of digital crate digging got my hands on the last track from the Mike Simonetti mix i posted earlier. It was my favorite off the mix (maybe along with the Greatful Dead track). So here it is in all its glory for your listening plasure Alides Hidding´s 1980 cover of Jon English´s "Hollywood Seven".

MP3 Alides Hidding - Hollywood Seven

PS: Happy birthday to the dog!

RUNNING LOVE DOWN

Tommyboy contributer to the wonderful blog Arawa is at it again with his futuristic italo-disco love sounds.

MP3 Tommyboy - Running Love Down

TRACKLIST

Jan Hammer - Payback
Xalan - I Only Move For Money
Anna - Systems Breaking Down
Dancedance - On An On (Fears Keep On)
A. Avenue - Golden Queen
Endgames - First, Last For Everything
Love Robot - Love Robot
Motion - Don´t Stop
Sparks - Tryouts For The Human Race
Wind - Luxury
Bagarre - For Your Pleasure
Mr. Master - Dog In The Night
Riz Ortilani - Il Corpo Di Linda
Phroesky - We Like You
J. Joyce & co. - Daddy & Mamma
Cellophane - Music Colours
Fake - Time For Changes
Garney & Maties - Dominique & Darina
Secession - Touch
Tik & Tok - Cool Running
Experimental Products - Glowing In The Dark
Robotwerke - Futurist
Plus Two - Melody

LOVE

Everybody knows and loves The Beatles. I myself didn´t get into it before a couple of years ago (even though I grew up listening to it because of my father being a fan). It was maybe a way for me to rebel against my parents, only listening to hip-hop which they didn´t care much for. Anyways, as I got older and my need to be cool and impress people with my "I don´t give a fuck" attitude diminished I saw the genius that is THE BEATLES. I was lured in with "Elenore Rigby" and "Help" and eventually I grew to appreciate their whole catalog.

In 2006 "Love" was released and it heightened my appreciation of the group. "Love" is sort of a mix done by long time Beatles producer George Martin and his son with all the greatest hits of the Beatles with some rarer stuff thrown in there too. It´s an essential listen if you ask me.

RAR FILE The Beatles - Love

TRACKLIST:

"Because"
"Get Back"
"Glass Onion"
"Eleanor Rigby"
"Julia (Transition)"
"I Am the Walrus"
"I Want To Hold Your Hand"
"Drive My Car/The Word/What You're Doing"
"Gnik Nus"
"Something"
"Blue Jay Way (Transition)"
"Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!/I Want You (She's So Heavy)/Helter Skelter"
"Help!"
"Blackbird/Yesterday"
"Strawberry Fields Forever"
"Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows"
"Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds"
"Octopus's Garden"
"Lady Madonna"
"Here Comes the Sun"
"The Inner Light (Transition)"
"Come Together/Dear Prudence"
"Cry Baby Cry (Transition)"
"Revolution"
"Back in the U.S.S.R."
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
"A Day in the Life"
"Hey Jude"
"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)"
"All You Need Is Love"

ABUTEROL

I stumbled over this mix done by Italian Do It Better head honcho Mike Simonetti. It´s one of the grooviest comps I´ve heard in a while, it´s disco that will appeal to anyone with a heart not made of icy stone, and there is even a backstory:

"OK, here's the backstory. early in 2008 mike and johnny
went into the studio to work on stuff, fuck around a little
with edits, music etc... Mike brought a box of records
into the studio, and they picked out some songs.
We came up with an idea to collaborate on a mix of edits.
We did a bunch of edits on the fly (no computers, just a
few cdjs) and did a mix. At the time, Mike was staying at
Adam and Natties house and as we all know he's allergic
to cats, and he was pretty fucked up the whole time he was
there, in a constant state of "almost asthma attacks"...
The typical Portland weather (DAMP RAIN) didnt help either.
Plus we listened to chopped and screwed hip hop pretty
much exclusively (as it is the shit Johnny listens to being
from Houston and all). The mix you hear is the result of
some of my time in Portland in early 2008...
Pitched down tracks for your enjoyment...
Done in a single take, Mike and Johnny
knocked out some edits and tried to mix them. Some of
these are proper "edits", others are simple extensions of
the good parts for djing purposes, and a few tracks were
perfect the way they were. Shit, some are even edits of
other edits!!!
The original tape was all but lost, but i found this on my
ipod on the plane and dumped it to my computer. I
totally forgot about it.
you may have heard some of these versions in a live
nightclub setting when i was djing. small world,
right? I am going to post a few edits for you all
to download later this week if you want (let us
know) ... Can you guess which
one of these songs on this mix is one of Mike's
favorite disco trax of all time?"

And no goddamn tracklist!

MP3 Mike Simonetti - Abuterol Mix